Dr. Snoot
Active Member
They’re big planters. They contain plants. They look fine. Not everything old is bad.
Toronto Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto
- Thread starter AlvinofDiaspar
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They’re big planters. They contain plants. They look fine. Not everything old is bad.
Northern Light
Superstar
Is it the most horrific thing ever? No!
Does that excuse the choice when the planters appear to be new, or at least chosen on purpose? No!
I can deal w/the ones off to the side w/the tropical looking plant that won't over winter....
But it really is a dated design that could be confused for an early 80's ashtray or waste receptacle but for the plants.
The pansies are not an acceptable choice for this planter style due to scale.
The crimson plant I can't quite make out, but looks like a rather unhealthy Japanese Maple........
The foreground planters also appear to be arranged asymmetrically for reasons not clear to me in the photo.
At the end of the day......they aren't disaster, but as a conscious choice with a brand new landscape, they're also hard to excuse.
condovo
Senior Member
^^^ The lazy, poorly-planted, randomly-placed, (likely) holdover planters really undermine the brand new landscape. They're like the awful, back-alley trash bins that creep back into our best-intentioned, re-designed parks. It's as if one city team is trying to step things up and do things better while another's trying to pull everything back down again and stick to the way things have always been done. The planters have to go.
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DSC
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They also serve to block cars, if they go we will simply see Jersey barriers - look at Union Station!
Kraylin
Active Member
I find it odd they planted trees in the planters, those will not survive.
leftfieldto
Active Member
They will survive if the right trees were chosen and they're properly cared for. Works great elsewhere, including condo roofs. The question is more about one thing: will the City of Toronto actually maintain them?
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Northern Light
Superstar
Ah.........there's the rub.
That crimson specimen in crappy shape is definitely a variety of Japanese Maple.
They can, in fact be suited to container gardening if you get the right varietal.
But............
Japanese Maples: How to Plant, Care and Prune - Garden Design
Learn about Japanese maple tree care and pruning, explore some of the many varieties of Japanese maples, and why these trees are great for container planting.
A quick read on that subject and of desired planting conditions for Japanese Maple might suggest a problem or two.
The fact that the specimen already looks distressed is not encouraging either. (this has been a good spring for this type of species too)
***
But even if you did sustain them........the planters are still as ugly as sin, and poorly situated from a landscape design POV.
condovo
Senior Member
DSC
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Yes, of course they would look better but the City seems unable to think of anything other than Jersey barriers! (Or maybe planters).
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Northern Light
Superstar
Or, you can put down anything heavy enough for purpose; but that's got some shape, via a nice mold.
Then, hang this over it.
From this link:
With trailer style flowers, within a week or two the entire concrete/precast would be covered in blooms, but just as solid underneath.
Northern Light
Superstar
Alternatively, how about something playful, creative and original that reflects West 8's design choices.
Custom made planter, pre-cast, in the shape of a Maple Leaf, you position them back to back, and the resulting open spot in the middle is actually an on-point, small wooden totem (way finding).
The precast could be tinted a dark charcoal to provide a contrast to the paving, and trimmed out in Sugar Maple.
You then do trailing flowers around all the edges and deep-green plants, a bit taller in the interior.
Just a thought.
Custom made planter, pre-cast, in the shape of a Maple Leaf, you position them back to back, and the resulting open spot in the middle is actually an on-point, small wooden totem (way finding).
The precast could be tinted a dark charcoal to provide a contrast to the paving, and trimmed out in Sugar Maple.
You then do trailing flowers around all the edges and deep-green plants, a bit taller in the interior.
Just a thought.
condovo
Senior Member
^^^ In other words, Toronto's in desperate need of a Director of Design who could spearhead/oversee that kind of stuff. Those looking after our public realm clearly don't know or care about design. The result: hideous planters; ubiquitous, back-alley trash bins in our parks...
p5connex
Active Member
In a sad state of affairs our civic realm is! New is easy, upkeep is hard and requires effort. Look at the Grange Park...and numerous other new parks...there are plenty of signs of neglect and poor maintenance.
To the point about planters etc. Why do we not consider bollards and good quality ones, in order to keep traffic (ie: cars) out?
To the point about planters etc. Why do we not consider bollards and good quality ones, in order to keep traffic (ie: cars) out?