Right of Way
One of the defining features of the Main Line is the train. The sound and sight of the R5 Paoli-Thorndale train is a familiar backdrop, running behind houses, over and under major roads, and moving people between Philadelphia and the surrounding towns.
When I look out my windows and the train tacks are across the street.
Having access to the space between the curb and the tracks presents an awesome opportunity to try existing and new varieties of plants seeing how they perform in low-maintenance conditions.
The area beside the tracks is totally exposed to sun, wind and competition from roots making the most of the shallow soil. It’s also a right of way and used occasionally by workers to access the tracks for maintenance.
I’m constantly working to build up the layer of organic matter that exists above a bed of crushed concrete and stones. In that challenge is where the beauty of a well planned design with native plants emerges.
Native species, when paired correctly with site conditions and potential disturbance factors, will thrive and require little maintenance and minimal watering. This resilience makes them perfect for low-maintenance gardening.
The goal for the space is to create a landscape that’s beautiful, functional, and sustainable (meaning I can maintain it in the brief window of time I get on Saturdays while my children are napping). Some of the factors I have used in selecting plants to add to this area include: learning more about species that are recent introductions to the trade or are new to me; seeing the differences in drought-tolerance and how that can be applied in landscapes for clients: and providing long-season beauty and wildlife value. It’s always important that landscapes look attractive while providing nectar, seeds, berries, and habitat for wildlife in all seasons.
Some of the species that have done well planted and naturally occuring beside the tracks include:
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa): This beautiful and tough perennial wildflower not only adds a pop of tangerine-orange color but also serves as a critical nesting and food source for monarch butterflies. It is one of the most drought-tolerant perennials and is incredibly durable once established.
False Indigo (Baptisia australis): Every spring, the beautiful mint-green leaves of Baptisia emerge, followed by clusters of blue-purple pea-shaped flowers. As a legume, this solid perennial is able to bring nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil, improving the growing conditions. Established plants feature a solid central mass of roots that can be divided and replanted in spring to increase quantity. Following their bloom, the foliage persists all season while the flowers turn into striking pods with seeds inside.
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium): The striking blue-green stems that turn reddish-orange in the fall are visible all along the train tracks, seeding in and growing out of the gravel base. They sway in the breeze and are perfect for adding texture and movement in the landscape and adding beauty that persists through winter.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): A cheerful, hardy flower that’s a favorite for pollinators and provides seeds for birds in the winter. Their gently spreading habit is awesome for dividing and filling in as needed, while their drought-tolerance and long bloom time makes them an awesome staple of the summer landscape.
‘Bluebird’ Smooth Aster (Aster laevis): Clouds of light-blue flowers extend from these upright asters in late-summer and fall. These durable perennials have a beautiful smooth leaf and their flower color combines perfectly with Goldenrods. The abundant flowers are a magnet for bees.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea): A small, multi-stemmed tree that offers spring blossoms, summer berries for birds, and gorgeous fall foliage. These were installed prior to my involvement with the space. The clouds of bright white flowers are an awesome sight in spring, followed by attractive fruit that is consumed by birds. While I typically think of Serviceberries as mor of a forest edge plant, they are a beautiful addition. here.
Annabelle Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens): Its hard to beat the beauty of a hydrangea that blooms for months in summer. Annabelles are drought tolerant with their fuzzy leaves and their airy white flowers that last for months have made them a standout plant.
Once established, these plants have required minimal watering and chemical inputs like fertilizer and insecticide. Seasonal maintenance involves little more than cutting back grasses and perennials in late winter, mulching to keep the ground covered as plants fill in, and removing invasive weeds that would seed in and encroach on the space.
Gardening along train tracks might not be the most traditional setting , but it’s one of the most impactful projects I’ve undertaken. It’s proof that beauty and biodiversity can thrive in unexpected places. Even a narrow strip of land that would otherwise be ignored can become a landscape that wildlife and people passing by can enjoy.
Next time you’re riding the train through the Main Line, look out the window on the southwest side of Merion Station and you might see our plantings. Hydrangeas, Butterfly Milkweed, Baptisia, and Black Eyed Susans are some of the colorful plants that bloom and support visiting butterflies, bees and birds.
It’s a fun space and opportunity to reintroduce native plants and wildlife, giving them space and a shared “right of way.”