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Greenline
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Cut | Gardens |
"The Cut" emerges upon crossing Jackson, west of University. It is a sunken path with steep slopes on both sides. The Cut reflected a tension between native plants and the aggressive and destructive non-native kudzu. In the summer of 2003 volunteers led by Fred Hoffer sprayed the Kudzu so that few vines are now found on either the V&E Greenline or on adjacent properties. Note the young trees on the south side of the Greenline in the middle of the Cut that were able to survive the Kudzu because of volunteer efforts. Crossing McLean, "The Gardens" reveal a flat and sunny terrain. Thirty species of flowers bloom from February to November and include both perennial and annual flowers. Mary Wilder, a neighborhood resident, started this garden on a small plot. Gardening was difficult because there was no soil—only railroad gravel and ballast. Humus and soil was added to the gardens—some of it hauled by residents from East Parkway Avenue where the City of Memphis was distributed mulch after the ice storm. The group tending the gardens needs the help of additional volunteers to clean the beds and water the flowers. Next, "The Arbors" between Auburndale Street and Hawthorne Street contains 15 species of trees—including some fruit trees. Adjacent residents Pete and Charlotte Swailes were visionaries who moved many trees from their back yard to the V&E Greenline and watered them by hand the first few years. Because of the harsh environment and lack of soil, the Swailes theory was to plant three trees in each hole and hope that one survived. As you walk through the Arbors, count the number of trees found in each hole. The trees in the Arbors were planted in about 1995 and the canopied forest is now home to birds and a resting place for users of the Greenline who want to enjoy sitting under the trees. "Lick Creek" provides a picturesque urban stream that flows adjacent to Evergreen and Auburndale Streets. It is a site of a bridge that unites the east and west sections of the V&E Greenline—all of the earlier bridge trestles had been removed by the railroad at the time of the abandonment. The bridge was built by residents and Keeler Iron Works—a plaque at the site commemorates their efforts. Look closely and you will find families of ducks swimming in the creek. Look to the south and west of the bridge and see the damage that MLGW did by wantonly and unnecessarily cutting trees on the V&E Greenline. "Utility Park," the next section west of Evergreen Street, is adjacent to the Memphis Light, Gas, and Water greenbelt and has water-pumping stations. This open and flat area is dotted with many large oak trees. The section between Belvedere Street and Dickinson Street have been planted with a test plot of special trees—they are no taller than the utility lines, they provide flowers in the spring, fruit in the summer for the birds and stunning leaves in the fall. Some day there will be a canopy in this section. "West Creek" flows through the area behind the Woodmont Towers apartment complex. There are plans to build a full sized bridge that will traverse West Creek. As the trail reaches West Creek, it sits very high in the air and there are drainage ditches that surround it. Drainage is an important aspect of the V&E Greenline that is not understood by many who clog the drainage canals—without proper drainage water backs up on the V&E Greenline and it is not usable. "The West End" is adjacent to North Parkway Ave and Watkins Street and concludes the V&E Greenline. Slopes on both sides border the trail once again. One of the residents that lives adjacent to the V&E Greenline said that looking out her back yard reminds her of the Smoky Mountains where she used to do a lot of camping. |
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The V&E Greenline is divided into
eight areas each with
different physical features. 
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