The busy sidewalks of Thornton Park have new plantings and rubber-padded tree wells.
The design committee of the Thornton Park Main Street District worked with local vendor The Flourishing Spot, which neighbors may recognize from the Orlando Farmers Market on Sundays at Lake Eola.
“[We] selected plants that are sun-tolerant, easy to care for and maintain, and unique,” wrote Thornton Park District Executive Director Robert Soviero. “It’s a mix of foliage, cactus and succulents.”
The new planters will be maintained by the Downtown Clean Team and the Thornton Park District.
“The Downtown Clean Team was extremely generous in delivering the pots, providing the soil, and moving some of the existing pots to Central Blvd,” Soviero said. “The new large concrete pots on Washington Street were reused and saved from past locations around Orlando. We like that they are similar, matching, large, and heavy to help with pedestrian and traffic safety.”
Past plantings in the tree wells on Washington Street didn’t always fare well with the heavy pedestrian traffic, so the team installed a rubber padding from recycled tires.
“This was a Downtown Clean Team project, and they did a fantastic job,” Soviero said. “Most of the tree wells on Washington Street are complete, except for a few that were not done due to tree roots.”
The new mats are more even with the sidewalk, safer for pedestrians, and should be easier to maintain. A new tree was also planted in front of Kaleidoscope, which will also have the rubber mat installed.
New planters with succulents and cacti have been installed on East Washington Street by the Thornton Park Main Street District and the Downtown Clean Team. (LOGAN LAMPHERE)
Recycled rubber padding has been installed around the street trees on East Washington Street in Thornton Park. (LOGAN LAMPHERE)