The Triangle Garden in July

What a big difference one can see since we started this year. Our volunteers, most of whom live close to the garden, have kept the garden from scorching in our hot, dry weather, and the mulch will help, too. Thank you to all who have contributed time, water, and effort.

Triangle Garden

This year, we've added perennials to the garden and a lovely butterfly bush, donated by master gardener, Christine. In the two photos of the garden, you can see how it has progressed. The city can't mow as often, so if the garden is going to be visible from the street, we'll need some volunteers to mow. We're also planting tall flowers. Carol Scheiber and Sarah Abts, pictured here, and Linda Scheiber and Linda Pomeroy have planted the gardens this year.

Thanks to our other consulting master gardener, Michelle, and to the many people who have and will be watering and weeding this summer. The master gardeners gave us a plan which we don't have the means to fully realize yet, but we've made a start and will be moving plants as we see how they do.

Park Clean-up

On April 16, two groups of volunteers joined five HHNA members to pick up trash and spread mulch on the playground and around small trees. Randy Nissen led his class from Toledo Early College H.S. in a search for trash with Sarah Abts. Don Mullen and Linda Pomeroy worked alongside more of Randy's class on the playground to spread a thick layer of mulch, and Cooper and Jackie Suter/Barchick directed a troop of Girl Scouts from Gesu in mulching young and newly planted trees in the park. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we did not get rained on much, nor blown away.

Household Toxic Waste Collection

Lucas County has ended their household toxic waste collection program. This makes organizing a collection as part of our April park clean up more difficult. For toxic items that cannot be returned to a retail store or dried up like paint, it still might make sense to have a collection. For example, I have a flawed small container of foam crack filler that does not dispense, so I can't just use it up. It is less than a pound, and the toxic waste dump charges a dollar a pound with a 40 pound minimum. Pooling things like that so that we had a load worth more than $40 would make sense. Anyone interested? Email this site or sarahabts@hotmail.com

Fall colors

Cooler temperatures lead to less foot traffic at the park, but fall colors in the trees reward walkers.

New trees

It is hard to remember how warm it was last week when the city planted about 20 trees. The trees found their way to Highland Park when the city found that tree wells elsewhere had been filled with concrete. Thank you, Dennis Garvin, Commissioner of Parks and Forestry Division, for thinking of our park. Last month four of us walked through the park with Denny and among other issues, mentioned that some of the trees planted last year have been damaged or killed.

HHNA to discuss park and more in August

On August 17, 6:30 p.m. at Toledo Heights Branch Library, the Highland Heights Neighborhood Association will discuss playground upkeep, pool removal, and mowing at Highland Park--as well as other neighborhood concerns. The approximately 1 hour meeting is open to the public . For more information, call 419-259-5207. (There is no July meeting.)

On August 4, 2-4 p.m., HHNA will help the Toledo Heights Branch Library celebrate its 75th anniversary. HHNA will host a table with information about our activities. Table volunteers are needed; please call Pauline at 419-259-5220.

Photos: A neighborhood family enjoys one of the new trees planted last year at Highland Park.

Two HHNA volunteers prepare the soil for planting at South and Airport. HHNA maintains three community flower gardens; the others are at Woodsdale and South and at the Highland Park sign.

HHNA bid farewell recently to Mary Chwialkowski, former manager of the Toledo Heights Branch Library. She is pictured here with HHNA member Don Mullen at the Highland Park Earth Day 2009.