Harbor-Link Gardens consists of twelve 32 square foot planters filled with lush, hardy seaside garden plants located on the Northern Avenue Bridge, a vital pedestrian link between the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Seaport District connecting the harborwalk on both sides of the bridge. Installed in 2013, Harbor-Link Gardens has provided year-round beauty with minimal maintenance owing to the planter technology and planting design, setting a high standard for sustainable container plantings and horticultural design in the Seaport district. The planting consisted of hardy shrubs and perennials with just few annuals thereby minimizing the annual costs.

Warner Larson’s design included the Harbor-Link Gardens logo and signage with a QR code that links to The Boston Harbor Association’s (TBHA) webpage about the installation. The Ecolite™ planters by Greentop, LLC in Rockport, MA provide an insulation value of R-12 protecting roots from hot and cold extremes and include a “green drain” reservoir that holds excess water to release it to the roots gradually over time.

Warner Larson and Vivian Li, Executive Director of TBHA collaborated jointly on the winning proposal for the $50,000 grant from The Boston Committee of the Garden Club of America given to TBHA. Warner Larson coordinated the design and implementation with the Public Works Department including reviews by the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Boston Parks and Recreation Department. Warner Larson provided pro-bono services for the design and oversight of the implementation and detailed maintenance plan.