A Little TLC for JHP

Work that was done last week and continues this week at John Howell Park – and much more that’s planned for later this fall and winter and next spring – is part of a process that began in 2012 with the goal of restoring the major horticultural elements included in the original plan developed by landscape architect Peter Frawley at the turn of the century. An absence of maintenance in the last half of the previous decade had allowed a huge influx of invasive plants and a marked increase in erosion in many areas. Frawley, the VHCA Parks Committee, and VHCA landscaping consultant Walter Bland of Rock Spring Farm laid out a plan last year that envisions a series of timed responses to all these challenges. Last year a large number of volunteer and arbitrary plantings were removed, bamboo around the playground was significantly eradicated, definition was restored to many of the landscaped areas, benches were sanded and cleaned, some new plants were installed, and a number of minor infrastructure repairs were made. Repairs to damaged grass were begun, particularly on the Ellipse (the Barnett end) and on the Great Lawn.

This summer’s abundant rainfall helped the grasses fill in nicely, but it also led to an abundance of weed growth and made it difficult to do other scheduled tasks until things dried out. Last week a massive amount of weeding and invasive plant reduction was done on the hillside between the upper and lower levels, new plantings were added to the Virginia Avenue slopes (more will follow in time) and in spots around the playgrounds, and more liriope – not always loved, but always practical – was installed in and around the John Howell Memorial (the black sculpture near the park’s center) to help frame it as Frawley intended. Alert park viewers will also spot related less dramatic changes, as well as the erosion challenges that remain on the south side of the upper level. While there’s no inexpensive or non-labor intensive solution for those pieces, some mitigation will occur this fall and winter.

Last year’s other significant accomplishment – securing a matching grant from Park Pride for a major renovation in and around the volleyball courts – will yield visible results in the coming seasons. The sandbags will vanish, and new granite sitting walls and more attractive fencing will be installed.  More plantings and other changes will follow; the outcomes will be functional, aesthetic, and yield a lot less erosion. These plans may be viewed on the VHCA website by clicking here.

All of these projects were approached with an assumption of substantial future use and a goal of practical maintenance. Parks that are as loved and heavily utilized as John Howell will always need attention and will always show the impacts of their popularity. Both Frawley and Bland remain optimistic that the designs are solid and functional and that the new changes will blend in well and help redress some of the park’s existing challenges. We think so too; we look forward to finding out.

Click here to see a photo album of the recent improvements.