VEGETATION RECOMMENDATIONS: GENERAL MANAGEMENT

Invasive species management

Currently, runoff from fertilized playing fields that drain to the east may be altering the soil’s pH and nutrient composition in the eastern woods to favor the types of invasive trees and shrubs that are beginning to proliferate there. Eliminating fertilizer application and converting the field adjacent to the invasive plant edge to hardy native species may help mitigate the spread of aggressive non-native plants. Glossy buckthorn and Norway maple are encroaching from the eastern property line. These species can suppress native understory plants and inhibit forest regeneration. If they become too dense, trail management becomes difficult. The Hanover Open Space Committee and/or conservation agent could assist with the management of these species. Because the eastern half of B. Everett Hall Field directly recharges the drinking water aquifer, strategic, organic control measures should be used. They include pulling saplings (making sure to remove all roots) after rains when soil is loose; cutting trees in the winter and girdling any stump sprouts; girdling trees, or severing the bark and cambium of a tree to kill it, and continuing these measures until the native seed bank is restored.

Landscaping with native plants

Choosing to landscape with plants native to the region benefits bird and insect populations. Ornamental varieties are unfamiliar to local bird and bug species and provide little sustenance, whereas plant species that have co-evolved with them provide the necessary foundation for them to flourish. In times where habitat is shrinking from human development, replanting these native species in yards and parks helps fill in gaps so that native birds, bugs, and wildlife necessary for the health of natural environments around us can continue to coexist in our neighborhoods.¹

Shade tree replacement

The primary shade trees throughout the site are white oaks, red maples, and sycamores which are generally in good health. However, some trees on B. Everett Hall Field have recently been cut down, and others will inevitably come down in the future. Proactively planting trees in canopy gaps of the shade trees in front of Sylvester School will help maintain a continuous shady experience as mature trees begin to age out. New species should be selected that are resistant to pests; are in the northern end of their range to anticipate a changing climate; and are recommended as street trees due to their general resilience and ability to survive without much maintenance.

Heritage plants

Two plants with town-level significance that could be planted on site.

Anne and Lucy Bonney were members of the Hanover Garden Club for many years. In 1924 they gifted their mother a daylily for Mother’s Day. The same daylily plant, divided countless times over the years, can be found in dozens of gardens in Hanover. Bonney's Heritage Daylily has been proclaimed by the selectmen as Hanover’s official town flower.² Working with the Hanover Historical Society and local garden clubs to uncover other plants of town significance that could be incorporated into the landscaping at B. Everett Hall Field could be a meaningful way to develop community engagement and stewardship, and connect the park to the historical society's headquarters, the Stetson House, located across the street.

The Pratt Rare Ripe Peach was a historical cultivar bred by Benjamin C. Pratt, life-long Hanover resident.³ While the cultivar is a relic of the past, planting modern peach cultivars pays homage to the important place peaches have had in Hanover's history.