Renovations Coming to Friendship Fountain

[stjr]

I like sables as they instantly say Northeast Florida to me.  There were a lot more of them in those native forests and marshes when I was growing up.  The best natural display was at the old and most aptly named Palm Valley Bridge on the western approach.  FDOT/St. Johns County did a great job of annihilating the whole character and special old Florida charm of that area by clear cutting into the swamp an ungodly wide right of way around the new interstate style bridge.  I am saddened every time I cross it as I recall what they destroyed.  I was somewhat shocked that Palm Valley area residents never ushered a peep of protest about the loss of their signature landscape.

By the way, when northern visitors come to Jacksonville, being that it's in Florida, they expect to see palms of some sort.  Those palms aren't for locals alone, they are for our visitors and their Florida photo souvenirs.

[reednavy]

I should qualify myself again. climate does not support...lone palm trees, lined up with nothing but other palm trees, on a road or in a parking lot, in the middle of a lawn, etc etc. The palm trees here belong in diverse coastal forests that are made up of a majority other plants. Putting a palm in a park is about as effective as putting a telephone pole in a park.

but do you realize that palms do not put out giant roots that tear up concrete and asphalt and have the ability to split boulders? Putting any sort of tree that puts out large roots, i.e. oaks and magnolias in particular, near a fountain is just stupid because one crack could cause a lot of damage.

[JeffreyS]

I am worried that the fountain is something Hogan will see as wasteful.

[tufsu1]

I am worried that the fountain is something Hogan will see as wasteful.

I see Hogan as wasteful!

[Charles Hunter]

I am worried that the fountain is something Hogan will see as wasteful.

I see Hogan as wasteful!

There, I fixed your typo tufsu1

[finehoe]

The best natural display was at the old and most aptly named Palm Valley Bridge on the western approach.  FDOT/St. Johns County did a great job of annihilating the whole character and special old Florida charm of that area by clear cutting into the swamp an ungodly wide right of way around the new interstate style bridge.  I am saddened every time I cross it as I recall what they destroyed.  I was somewhat shocked that Palm Valley area residents never ushered a peep of protest about the loss of their signature landscape.

More discussion of this here:  http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,7189.0.html

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

I see Hogan as wasteful!

There, I fixed your typo tufsu1

suddenly, i love both ov you.

[904Scars]

I am worried that the fountain is something Hogan will see as wasteful.

I see Hogan as wasteful!

+100

[mtraininjax]

I see Hogan as wasteful!

When will the hijacking of every thread end? Moran lost, get over it and move on.

[danno]

I say lets blame First Baptist.

[tufsu1]

I see Hogan as wasteful!

When will the hijacking of every thread end? Moran lost, get over it and move on.

this has nothing to do w/ Audrey...its a commentary on Mike Hogan

It is kind of odd that I am being criticized by the guy whose slogan has been "is it 2011 yet" for years.

[Jdog]

Palms are being overdone.  Nice to have a few, but you need shade trees.  Oaks and magnolias do have spreading roots (and magnolias grow slowly; oaks don't grow as slow as some think).  Even Miami has been trying to plant an increasing number of shade trees versus palms.  How about palms with a few crape myrtles thrown in (no crape myrtle butchering, however...they are trees, not bushes!). Don't know really much about their root system, however. 

[TheProfessor]

anyone have recent pics of the renovation??

[Jdog]

There are pictures being added to http://www.jaxfountain.com/

Looks like palms are being added due to visibility issues, which makes sense. 

[Timkin]

Its looking good