Protecting our street trees from environmental and human-caused damage has always been a Garden Club of the Back Bay priority, and in 1983 members discussed a variety of solutions. Pungent marigolds planted around each new tree were thought to discourage dogs, and thorny barberry shrub plantings were also suggested. Organizing club members to plant and water thousands of plants would have been daunting, however. Railroad ties around each tree pit were debated (we still see a few examples of this on some of our side streets), and iron fencing was thought at the time to be too expensive. Another proposal was a soldier course of raised bricks, 3″ – 6″ high, with a gravel fill in the pit, not too deep so the tree roots weren’t smothered. Today, neighbors may purchase lovely, architecturally approved tree fences from the Club (https://bostonflora.com/tree-fence-project/) which are far more attractive and practical, and far less painful than invasive barberries!
