martinhouseclr

226 DARWIN D. MARTIN HOUSE // CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT styled post-top fixture of a height suitable for both vehicular and pedestrian needs. It is believed that the existing lighting meets City of Buffalo needs and is a reasonable contemporary substitution for the historic fixtures. At this time it is not recommended that street lights along the historic property are removed and replaced with facsimile restored fixtures documented from the Period of Significance. Any lighting changes within the public realm and within the Parkside East Historic District should be comprehensively evaluated and designed to be consistent with the national Register-listed neighborhood character. This does not suggest that the lights documented within the Martin House records are not appropriate for the neighborhood – only that the piecemeal replacement of these fixtures is not recommended without adequately planning for the broader historic context. Maintenance Maintenance ability should serve to guide the feasibility and extent of all landscape rehabilitation efforts. It is recommended that a comprehensive long-term maintenance plan be developed for the entire rehabilitated landscape. The plan should be detailed in scope and developed in conjunction with the design and installation of replacement features, describing the seasonal, cyclical, and long- term maintenance needs and specific practices for each garden, garden feature, material, or device. In many cases, particularly where long-term change is expected (trees) or where historic resources may be threatened without adequate and decisive maintenance (vines), it is recommended that the maintenance plan be detailed to the individual plant level. The plant materials are an essential element of the rehabilitated landscape and should be kept in a state of apparent care and cultivation. This includes standard maintenance of planting beds, such as mulching, fertilization, and weeding. However, if different than standard plant care, the maintenance plan should clearly identify the methods and practices that must be used to keep the plant materials in a state of care and cultivation that specifically conveys the historic character. In most cases this means that shrubs should not be sheared or pruned in ways uncharacteristic of the period, but the specific maintenance should be addressed on a case by case basis for new garden replacements. Topics that should be included within the landscape maintenance plan include: 1. Management approach: An overview of priorities and special considerations for the rehabilitated Martin House landscape. 2. Schedules: A detailed and comprehensible stand-alone schedule of regular maintenance tasks for all features, listed on an appropriate basis (daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and yearly). 3. Pruning and Specimen Plant Care: Correct pruning and plant care procedures for the living collections, including trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines. This should address procedure and materials for fertilization, mulching, and identifying potential issues or problems specific to the collections. 4. Turf Care: Maintenance and repair procedures for lawn and turf areas, including maintenance of specialty or reinforced turf profiles that serve interpretive needs. This should address mowing, fertilization, aeration and de-thatching, over-seeding and topdressing. 5. Pest Management: A summary of important issues relating to potential pests and a description of approved methods to prevent or control unacceptable levels of weed, insect, or disease damage. 6. Irrigation: Operations and maintenance tasks for the irrigation system. 7. Lighting: Operations and maintenance tasks for the lighting system. 8. Non-Living Materials: Maintenance and repair procedures, including materials and construction specifications, for all non-living features relating to the landscape. This should include trellis wire systems, fences, walls, fountains or other features.