Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Consensus landscape?

[Karen Carlson (kcarlson2]

Not easy. Our community continues to work on this.  The short answer:  who's 
willing to do the work?  It's those who spend a lot of time outdoors caring for 
flower and vegetable beds that more or less determine what will be planted. 

The long answer.  When we first moved in it was clear we couldn't manage all 
the decisions about what to plant where.  So individuals or in small groups 
became stewards of both in-place plant beds or established new ones.  After 
four years we're beginning to get more organized.  First, we started by making 
a digital map with buildings and existing planting beds and trees.  Next, we 
updated basic values to guide our decisions.  For example, emphasis on native 
plants that require little water; removal of invasives, especially non-natives; 
reduction of grassy areas requiring mowing, etc.   Reducing  mowing is a big 
motivator driving change of our current landscape. I think our next big push 
will be to outline areas on our map for fruit trees, berry bushes, cutting 
flowers, etc.  (We already have a fenced in community garden and a number of 
private vegetable garden plots. )  One of our big conflict issues will be any 
change to areas where children now play freely.  Some feel little or no change 
should be made; others feel we would all benefit from fruit trees, berry 
bushes,  more shade trees. 

Karen Carlson
Arboretum cohousing Community
Madison, Wi


> 
> Any thoughts as to how to reconcile different tastes and values to create one 
> common landscape? 
> Lou
> 
> Sent from my iPody t
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