Secondary Planting Sites

Scattered around Ithaca are about 18 secondary planting sites--smaller and less obvious than the Beautification Program's primary sites.   We usually do not schedule work sessions with the Beautification Brigade at these sites, instead taking care of them with our staff and interns. Below is information about them.

Brindley Park

Brindley Park sits on the Waterfront Trail by the Cayuga Inlet behind Island Health and Fitness. The planting between the trail and the water was renovated in 2018, and includes a variety of native and pollinator plants, thanks to sponsorship from NYSEG.

Clinton St. traffic island

This site is the small traffic island at the intersection of route 13 and Clinton Street. A hot, dry site, the planting consists of drought-tolerant perennials and bulbs. Yucca creates a focal point, while Yarrow, Delosperma, Euphorbia, several varieties of sedum and Siberian iris are scattered throughout the site. Traditional and species tulips provide spring color along with daffodils.

In addition, the garden on the north corner of Meadow and Clinton Streets is planted with perennials, including iris, yucca, campanula, sedum, butterfly weed, rudbeckia and geranium. This site is now cared for by a Beautification volunteer who lives 2 blocks away. 

Corner Bumpouts on Seneca St.

The City of Ithaca designed traffic corners to be bumped out—extending the corner sidewalks into the streets and narrowing the street widths. The work was done in late summer of 2015. The two intersections (four corners) on Seneca St. were designed and built as rain gardens, including a cut out in the curb and a grate overflow leading to the storm sewer system. This allows rain water to fill the garden area and overflow into the water system. They are planted with a mix of perennials, shrubs, and grasses.  

Corner Bumpouts on Green Street

Similar to the traffic corners on Seneca Street, Green street also has 4 traffic corners which were bumped out and extended to create a planting area and narrowing the street. The original planting that was put here has not thrived, allowing for large areas of invasive weeds to crop up and also collect trash. In 2024, a group of Beautification Volunteers who live in the immediate neighborhood began to care for these sites, planting both annuals and perennials and culling the weed population. 

Dewitt Park Sidewalk Strip

Multiple sidewalk planting beds were added near Dewitt Park on Buffalo Street, and planted in partnership with the City Forester. Daffodils, spirea shrubs, salvia, echinacea, catmint, daylilies and perennial grasses make up a majority of the planting.

"Sand Patch" (Hancock St.- Small traffic island opposite Purity)

This small traffic island contains an exciting mix of plants that were planted as part of a research project by Matt Dallos of Thicket Workshop. The study is to determine whether a planting medium of sand and gravel is able to sustain beautiful plants and reduce weed germination and water needs once established. Now in its second year, the plants chosen have done relatively well. See photos here!

Ithaca Falls

The small garden and seating area that overlooks the water was renovated in 2022 by the Community Beautification Program. We have chosen mostly native, pollinator-friendly plants: Shrubby St. John's Wort, Littleleaf Lilac, Amsonia, Switchgrass, Coreopsis, and Liatris. In 2023 we added some Echinacea and native Rudbeckia. The planting has established nicely and has been fairly low maintenance. 

Pedestrian Refuge

On State Street between Taughannock Blvd and Floral Avenue, there is a pedestrian crosswalk, on either side of which is a small planting of tough, drought-tolerant perennials. The plants here do not have access to supplemental water and so they need to be able to handle periods of drought. For this planting we chose daylilies, little bluestem grass, sedum, echinacea and chives. It gets periodic maintenance by the staff at Community Beautification.

Plain and Center Rotary

A tiny rotary at the intersection of Plain St. and Center St. It was recently renovated due to construction, and was replanted in 2020. This planting has been adopted and cared for by neighborhood volunteer Judy Jones for many years, with support from the Community Beautification Program.

Rainshadow Garden on Aurora St.

Spirea, creeping euonymous, and perennial hellebores provide the structure of this planting. The site has evolved since its first planting, and has shifted from full sun to mostly shade. It is typically planted with shade-loving caladium and coleus in the summer.  A few perennial Rudbeckia hirta give a nod to the mural above the planting. Artist Kellie Cox painted the mural in 2013. 

Seneca Point

The point of land at the bottom of the Seneca Street hill is planted with perennials and bulbs. Self seeded sunflowers also populate this site. In 2024, Beautification Staff added a few more plant species, including Liatris, Echinacea, and Asclepias tuberosa. The front and sides are planted with a creeping type of sedum, to assist with holding the soil in place and providing a low maintenance groundcover.

The Tompkins County Mental Health Building

Two gardens and a woodchip pathway were completed during the season in 2018, with a planting of  perennials, shrubs and grasses, including ornamental boulders.  Bulbs were also planted in the fall of 2018. Maintenance by the Beautification Brigade is provided a couple of times each season.

Last updated November 26, 2024