2021 Report for Rainbow Park

Year

2021

Number of volunteers

8

Total volunteer hours

32

Number of events

7

Number of trees planted

0

Number of shrubs planted

5

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Hardy rose, hydrangea, weigela (3)

Number of perennials planted

23

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Liriope (normal and variegated), sedum, yucca, coneflowers, black-eyed susans

Yards compost spread

0.30

Yards mulch spread

1.00

Summary

A beautiful pocket of nature within the historic Dwight neighborhood, Rainbow Park continues to provide aesthetic beauty, ecological value, and an escape from the hustle and bustle of New Haven urbanity. The smallest city park in New Haven owes its success and longevity as a community greenspace to the committed group of neighbors that gather every week to maintain it — even offseason. This year continued the process of updating the plant selection and layout to better suit the current light conditions of the park. As such, a large part of the summer was centered around transplanting struggling shade-tolerant plants from the front of the park to the back where they would be better protected from the sun’s rays; at the same time, the group took advantage of every opportunity to plant new and exciting things in the opened spaces. Yuccas, sedums, weigelas, hydrangeas, roses, the sky was the limit with this group’s creativity. Plus, everyone was able to put their own personal touch into the park which built excitement and a sense of belonging among the group.