The Little Garden Survives/Shadowshot Sunday

For more shadowshots from around the world go

here

A little jaded and worse for wear but still there............

in spite of taxis and garbage and everything else........

Luis Lujan's garden (25th Street and 9th Avenue) had a pretty rough week.
It was pretty much dug up when they redid the concrete surround.
But with care and attention it has rebounded.

my main blog is now here

The Magic Garden: Midsummer

When I lived on Long Island, my closest gardening

 chum was Lori who lives there still in the Jarvis House.

(This is one of the barns.)

So whenever we go to Long Island, we visit and delight in it.

A very small, timid rabbit.

Day lilies beneath the bird feeders.

So girlie and ruffled and pink.

With the  cool blues of hydrangea and hosta in contrast.

And more and more of the same.....

The shapes of the leaves........

Shasta daisies are as gleamingly white

 and cheerful as a toothpaste commercial.

This is a pale yellow clivia.

You are much more likely to see orange ones.

Green Thoughts in a Green Shade

Penn South - a development of tower blocks -was created in the 1960's to replace slums south of PennStation.
It's quite unusual in that several of the streets actually curve........and between the buildings are all sorts of gardens.



On 25th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues, are community gardens. Little plots with flowers and vegetables.
Yesterday we were invited in to admire the lilies.



and the lavender............ an American robin was helping himself to almost-ripe cherries.



I wish I could add the smell of the lilies to the blog.
I thought of Andrew Marvell's Garden.
See an extract below.



What wond'rous Life in this I lead!
Ripe Apples drop about my head;
The Luscious Clusters of the Vine
Upon my Mouth do crush their Wine;
The Nectaren, and curious Peach,
Into my hands themselves do reach;
Stumbling on Melons, as I pass,
Insnar'd with Flow'rs, I fall on Grass.

Mean while the Mind, from pleasure less,
Withdraws into its happiness:
The Mind, that Ocean where each kind
Does streight its own resemblance find;
Yet it creates, transcending these,
Far other Worlds, and other Seas;
Annihilating all that's made
To a green Thought in a green Shade.

Sunday on Long Island

Father's Day and we head out to Long Island.
On the way to family party, we stop by a friend's house.
June is wonderful for Long Island gardens - or in fact pretty much all gardens in the northern hemisphere.



Her house is a treasure trove of things to delight the eye.
Here a tray of shells and beach things and pine cones.



And an old clock near some Chinese figurines..........



My friend's latest scheme is to buy up lots of tea cup and saucers and art vases and so on and sell them on e-bay.
This seems like a lot of work to me.
She says because I'm English I could give little talks on the art of giving tea parties. She once had me give a talk on English flower arranging. I am her English resource.
But so many charming cups all together all at once.................



She also has a wonderful collection of Long Island paintings and Audabon prints.
So lovely to visit all these things to enjoy them. Our own space very minimal indeed.

Windows

Very English looking church doors At the General Theological Seminary in Chelsea where there is a lovely private garden.



The Victorian windows there are of Biblical scenes and very brightly colored.



A female figure is etched in the glass near the main door.




Looking west down 23rd Street.