News

June 12, 2009

Luzerne County’s arborist is a vege-care-ian

Mary Pat Appel oversees planting along new park

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
Bill O'Boyle on Facebook   |   @TLBillOboyle on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE – You can say they are all “Appel” trees.

Mary Pat Appel (pronounced Ah-pell) is a certified arborist hired by Luzerne County to oversee the planting of all vegetation – trees, shrubs, perennials – along the River Common park.

More than $700,000 has been spent on landscaping for the new park that will open next week, said Jim Brozena, executive director of the county Flood Protection Authority.

Appel’s job from the beginning has been to make sure all trees and plants arrived healthy and were planted properly and that they remain that way.

“It’s my job to assure that everything being planted is in accordance with the rules of the American National Standards Institute,” Appel said. “It’s my responsibility to troubleshoot any problems that arise.”

More than 250 trees, 500 shrubs and 50,000 perennials have been planted along the River Common from the county courthouse south to South Street.

More than 100 trees were removed from the stretch – most, Brozena said, were diseased and in bad shape. Appel said the deteriorating trees presented a danger to pedestrians.

Deciding what trees and vegetation were to be planted in the River Common park was left to Sasaki & Associates of Watertown, Mass., the firm that designed the landscaping.

“It was a give-and-take process between the county, Sasaki and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Brozena said. “You have to remember, first and foremost, this is a flood-control project and second, a park; flood control wins every time.”

Because of the compaction of the soil in the levee system, the corps will not allow any vegetation – especially trees – that have extensive root systems that could compromise the integrity of the levee. Appel said chemical barriers have been installed to prevent root growth from spreading too far. She said the use of the barriers could present some health problems for the trees and she will watch for any signs of trouble.

“No tree will grow in compacted soil,” Appel said.

One of the most interesting trees in the park is the ginkgo biloba – a species that dates back to prehistoric times.

“There aren’t many trees that have survived as long,” Appel said. “I can only think of the dawn redwood, or metasequoia. The ginkgos can grow to be taller than 100 feet.”

The ginkgo tree has a unique leaf – fan-shaped and rounded at the ends. Six of them line the stairway at the Northampton Street portal and more can be found along the River Common. The trees are spectacular to look at, even at their young age and especially when you think that dinosaurs may have dined on them.

Appel said the ginkgo tree has no living relatives left. She said it is believed to be extinct in the wild, but there are reports that they grow in areas of China. She said ginkgo bilobas have been used throughout history for medicinal purposes.

“They are used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Appel said.

The trees are hard to find, she said, and can be very expensive, depending on size.

Other trees planted on the River Common include dogwoods, bald cypress trees, red maples, Valley Forge elms, sweet gums and Kentucky coffee trees. Appel said American Indians made coffee from the beans of the Kentucky coffee trees. She said there are also swamp white oaks, red buds, river birch, horse chestnuts and honey locusts.

Appel said shrubs and perennials like pinky winky hydrangea, potentialla, day lilies, liriope, phlox and wildflowers adorn the grounds.

“I am so excited about the park opening, and people will get a chance to see what has been done here,” Appel said.

Brozena said the River Common park will include a water fountain at Millennium Circle near Northampton Street. He said children are welcome to run through the fountain.

“It’s basically like a swimming pool,” Brozena said. “The water is recirculated through a filtration system.”

Brozena pointed to the sandstone walls along the portals that match the county courthouse. He talked about the different brick work that matches King’s College and Wilkes University. He said he hopes the project will be completed in time for the June 19 grand opening and Riverfest celebration.

“If it’s not 100 percent done, we will have to have a few restrictions,” Brozena said. “Then after next week’s events, we will close portions of the park to get them completed.”

Appel works for Brown Hill Tree Co. as a horticulturist and ISA-certified arborist. The River Common park will feature walkways, a 750-person amphitheater, a garden on the courthouse lawn and two 60-foot-wide portals allowing access to the river and a fishing pier.

Bill O’Boyle, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7218.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews