2024 MEDIAN IMPROVEMENTS
During 2024, the Fox Chase Boulevard Median Foundation completed its most extensive improvements in over a decade with more than 100 new plantings installed as highlighted below:
Several improvements were made to the island between Aintree Road and Keim Trail. 32 flowering perennials (Allium Millenium & Pixie Meadowbrite Coneflower) were planted along with a flowering crabapple tree, which replaced a pear tree that was knocked over during a previous storm. Closer to Aintree Road, 7 large viburnum shrubs were planted near the north and south edges of the landscape bed to screen the electric transformers.
Struggling perennial plants on the north side of the “flower hill” were replaced with new varieties. Planted 18 Red Salsa Coneflower, 15 Stachys Hummelo and 13 Allium Millenium to complement the existing Sedum and Phlox on the north side of the hill.
In the island between Chasse Circle and Southgate Course, a clump of three aging and diseased crabapple trees was removed by the City in late 2023. A grouping of three multi-stem replacement trees (two Redbud and a Japanese Lilac) were planted in early June of 2024. In late August, the area was supplemented with topsoil and covered with grass seed and straw. This is part of our long-term effort to reduce ongoing maintenance costs by shrinking/eliminating mulch areas while retaining the tree grove concept within the median. Funds from our “tree grove” account were used to complete this work.
In the front island near Highgate, an additional 20 Rozanne Geraniums were added near the existing shrubs and 11 Black-eyed Susans were added near the lilac bushes.
Seasonal flowers were featured again this year in the front center island at the Dunham Road entrance. Red Begonia Whopper w/ Bronze leaf were planted in late May, replaced in late September by a combination of fall colors featuring Red Eternal Mums, Spicey Cheryl (orange) Mums mixed with Ornamental Kale (aka “cabbage”).
The St. Charles Park District removed and replaced several trees on both sides of the Dunham Road entrance inside the stone pillars They also removed a tree stump from the hill on the south side, removed a dead evergreen tree and planted new bushes and placed wood chips next to the stone wall. The Park District owns and maintains this property inside the stone pillars at the entrance.