New palms being planted along Ponce de Leon Blvd. median

By Maria Rosa Higgins Fallon….

The planting of more than 60 palm trees on the Ponce de Leon median is scheduled to be completed soon.

If you drive or walk by Ponce de Leon Boulevard between Almeria and Salamanca avenues, you will notice the improvements being made to the landscaping.

Large palms, which have a distinctive trunk and beautiful foliage that provides a tropical formality to the roadway, are being planted in the center of the median along Ponce de Leon Boulevard.

As Ponce de Leon Boulevard traverses through the heart of Downtown Coral Gables, this new landscaping scheme will complement the existing corridor and provides an appropriate link to Miracle Mile. The planting of more than 60 palm trees on the Ponce de Leon median, north and south of Miracle Mile, is scheduled to be completed soon.

They are part of the Ponce de Leon Boulevard median installation and roadway improvements project. The oak trees that were previously planted on the median have been replanted on the public rightsof- way within the city. The spectacular palms will be lit at night, making an eyecatching statement of natural beauty throughout the corridor.

Construction on the Segovia Streetscape Improvement Project was expected to begin in mid-April. As part of the improvements, 82 large oak trees measuring 24-26 feet in height with a 14- to 16-foot canopy spread will be planted in the Segovia Street median. In addition, 202 oak trees (18-20 feet tall with a 12- to 14-foot canopy spread) will be installed in the Segovia Street swales. The streetscape improvements will be constructed between Biltmore Way and Bird Road.


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4 COMMENTS

  1. We have lost the opportunity to convert the landscape of this very relevant avenue, our dear Ponce de Leon, into a wonderfully sustainable landscape area planted with wonderful Live Oaks and other native trees, as well as native shrubs. Why so much green island ficus when we have our native dwarf indian hawthorn which looks very much alike.
    The City comission must have approved the plan to use all these date palms and then the free silver bismarkias (did they decide to use them only because they were free without consideration of its appropiateness to the area? I read in an article that the free palms were only a gift if they were used in the Ponce de Leon landscaping, if this is true….why?). It is shameful, and I do not want to blame all, but it is a sad record for all those in the comission who approved this plan.

  2. Part 3
    Shame on those who have done this great mistake with which we must live on for years, just like they did when they planted the Live Oaks years ago along Miracle Mile and now they are a pitty to look at, they have broken and lifted the sidewalks for lack of room (not the tree's fault), they have been severely pruned because they were planted too close to the stores, and in some cases pruned so a sign can be seen from the street. Now they have a new plan for Miracle Mile. Will this new plan be another temporary beautification like the previous one? Are there not enough qualified architects and designers within the city to create a long range beautification plan which will be there for many yeaars to come?
    This is what you get when you have politicians that think they know how to do the work of others. Be politicians, do administration and decision making but don't let your egos allow you to believe you can be architects or designers or landscapers.

  3. Part 2
    Lets face it, we can match the mediterranean architecture we follow but we can not match the "real" mediterranean gardens because we are many thousands of miles away.
    Who was the landscape architect who designed this resort like garden? I am sure he was not originally from Coral Gables. Or perhaps is not even a landscape architect's fault but the fault of some politicians who want to shine at the expense of our city and our budget.

  4. Part 1.
    "An eyecatching statement", that seems to be the intent of the person(s) who have created this palm nursery in our city. Seems that the visual quality is more important than the environmental quaity which
    large shade trees could provide. How can a 40' high palm provide any shade to the street and sidewalks?
    Are we moving away from the homey and warm coral gableslandscape theme?
    In Merrick's times, Phineas Paist, the supervising architect or the city was largely responsible for ensuring the continuity of development of the city of Coral Gables and for creating the aesthetic codes that keep Coral Gables beautiful today. Who has stepped away from this line of thought and has decided to
    create landscaping with palms from Arizona and other arid areas?

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