I read with interest the article in the Guelph Mercury last evening (May 30)regarding the dissatifaction and complaints regarding the Parks in the City. I can tell you that I was disappointed with Riverside Park on Monday when my daughter and little grandsons went there for a picnic . Not only was the grass ankle deep, it was raging with dandelion heads. My grandson has asthma and with the wind being very high that day these seeds were blowing everywhere and we ended up having to leave as it was causing him some distress.I would just like to give you a websit to have a look at regarding a product that may work in many parts of the City. This product is being used in parks, in naturalization along lakeshores and roadways and horse pastures.The website is called – www.nomowgrass.ca – and I am sure you will find it most interesting. For your information, there is a 13 acre test plot of this no mow grass at the corner of Fife Road and County Road 32. You may want to drive by and have a look at it. There is a contact person right here in the City for this product and www.nomowgrass.ca holds the Candadian rights for no mow grass seed. ME
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I live on Brant Ave. and have for 35 Years. Last year I sent a similar e-mail to a previous Ward 2 Councillor about the appearance of Eramosa Rd. as you come into our city from the north. The grass is a mess and is not cut until someone complains. We have a beautiful city and we should do all we can to keep it that way. Also if the grass was cut it would help to control the obvious weed problem we have in this city. DG
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It is that time of year again that all that is green is growing vigorously; dandelions in particular, and with the weeds comes the plethora of phone calls and emails regarding the state of our parklands and greenways. I understand many of you have been contacted by irate citizens and I would like to confirm the status of our mowing operation.
Our cutting schedules are based on three standards: a ten business day cutting cycle for general/passive parkland, a fifteen business day cutting cycle for boulevard areas and rural roadsides are cut 3-4 times per year. Please note, our mower deck heights for non-irrigated locations are set at an optimum cutting height of 3”, with the sports field units set at 2 1/2”. A significant and critical component of the mowing operation is our students who started the last week of April and the first week of May.
In my opinion were through the worst of the dandelion display and with the onset of warmer and drier conditions the curb appeal of the parklands and greenways will return as we continue our cutting schedules. The flush of dandelion growth and turf grass is cyclical, as they perform best as cool season crops and we will see the return of a few this fall.
The cooler temperatures during the shoulder seasons put the greatest stress on the operation and we are tracking our cutting frequency and reviewing our schedules and opportunities to maximize the efficiency of our mowing. Just yesterday we received a replacement 16 foot mower which will assist with our productivity—I have confirmed with Fleet not to trade the old unit until the fall, as the additional mower will prove beneficial to the operation. As well, we have started discussions to address our mowing needs through September and October, with the exodus of students after Labour Day. As a commitment and prior to this year’s budget cycle will be reviewing in detail our cutting times in pursuit of improved service standards, as it is apparent the current 10 and 15 business day cutting cycles are not acceptable. Staff