Mulberry Fields Park, Zionsville
• Illustrative Site Plan
• Native Perennials Plan
• Plant Lists
Illustrative Site Plan
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The rendered site plan illustrates the concept for Mulberry Fields Park as it was being developed. In its final constructed form, it’s a multi-use park that provides opportunities for field sports, skating, sledding, basketball and fitness; it has a playground, a water play area and picnic shelters.
As you would expect, the play fields, sledding hill and some areas near the restroom/shelter complex are turf grass. Most of the rest of the site, however, is native plant material.
There are approximately 11 acres of native prairie that were seeded from locally sourced stock. The eastern 35% of the site is this prairie, along with the southern edge. The back side of the sledding hill is also planted in natives, including a number of shrubs and trees.
Stormwater management for the site was accomplished by infiltration through bioswales and infiltration basins, removing a significant potential load from local storm sewers. These drainage areas were plugged (instead of seeded) for more immediate establishment with native perennials that tolerate inundation.
Visitors will immediately notice the mature healthy prairie dropseed in the parking lot islands.
Native Perennials Plan
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The black and white drawing is one of the construction documents used by the Contractor to install native seed and plugs. The Plant Material Schedule – Native Perennials is the counterpart to this drawing.
The hatch patterns in the Schedule identify seeded areas. The other Plant Material Schedule covers trees and shrubs planted in the park, some of which are native to Indiana.
Spence Restoration Nursery consulted for RATIO Architects to design the native prairie. You will notice three different seed mixes in the plant list; these were all developed by Kevin Tungesvick and company. Seed was installed with a seed drill and accompanied by a cover crop of seed oats (the cover crop was essential to prairie establishment). The hatch patterns on the schedule identify the various seed installation areas on the plan.
Plant Lists
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