Thinking of Spring

At Union Square the twigs are twisting

and the pussy-willow

 is enchanting.

The trees are thickening and budding.

On Long Island, the young ones are set to work digging

and the skies are brilliant bright in the city.

On the High Line crews are cutting back winter’s dead growth - observed from above by a rather languid maiden.

At home, daffs are picturesque

as are tulips.

At the diner on the corner Mr. Beady-Eyes tells us he’s thinking of hopping.

Today it’s pouring with rain, of course

But tomorrow I start planting the tree pits.

Happy Spring!

Seasonal

The little plastic Santa comes out of his box

the children write letters.

The last flowers are gathered from the garden

and bits and pieces of foliage admired.

We see curious fungi on a walk.

The usual trip to the green market  to see wreathes

buy fruit

and see more wreaths

and luxuriate in berries

and more berries.

An edited picture of a splendid tree on Long Island looking mysteriously festive.

My little book available here.....https://www.amazon.com/Two-Summer-Stories-Village-Flower/dp/1539654478/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480619675&sr=1-2&keywords=elizabeth+wix+two+summer+stories

Planting Fields Arboretum, Oyster Bay

*

The flower pots stand with arms akimbo just outside the offices and the entrance to the greenhouses.

The trees stand tall and cold outside...

...so it's lovely to step inside to the warmth of the glasshouses

and feast one's eyes on the orchids.

wow!

and the curious desert prickly thing

and the leaves of many colors.

The camellia house looks a little like the lair of Sleeping Beauty from outside.....

the briars and the misted up windows.

But the effort of following the snow covered path is worth it.

Inside one can sit in the whitewashed room

and feast upon this.

Such a stately beech tree --the very mark of a gentleman's park.

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Turf Wars: or a Guerilla Garden Battle

When I started my little garden round the tree stump near my apartment, I never realized how attached I would become to this public, vulnerable little patch. We water it every day and observe how each particular plant is doing.....

You will notice rather a bare patch where an evil-doer has removed a plant..... actually, about eight plants have vanished over the months......usually nice bright pink or yellow ones which is why we've been putting in herbs and stuff just with leaves......

My friend Luis has a much bigger and better guerilla garden at 25th St and 9th Avenue,

and is often to be seen tending it. We chat and compare notes. 

"Oh yes," says Luis, his plants often go missing too...... 

and he knows exactly where they go. Hm.......

So I wander a little to the west and discover a wonderful garden, well tended and full of plants I recognize only too well........So we leave a note saying: "I hope you are enjoying our plants; we miss them."

 


A case in point: the coleus with orange and green leaves (top left) was in the gap in picture #1.
This is all very funny really.
"Get a life," I hear you say......."What do you expect living in the middle of the city."
But still, I do wish she'd knock it off and get her own plants......We got rather attached to ours.

All You Need for Gardening....

........is in the hall
hats to stave off the sun
a light coat to stave off the bugs.....
and boots for wet weather......




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