Not Exactly Sissinghurst: or Against All Odds

Not having a garden is very frustrating --so the intrepid ladies of Chelsea set forth in the pouring rain

to Union Square green market and purchase cheerful daisies and pansies.

The next day

they plant them round three trees.

This does not look thrilling --yet.

 The plants will have to contend with:

traffic fumes

dog pee

cigarette butts

banana peels

chewing gum etc etc.

But hope springs eternal in the human breast.

A guerilla gardener of my acquaintance has adopted the medians at 9th Avenue and 25th Street.

He is wonderfully ambitious and is building on his last year's success.

Will keep you posted on how we all get on.

My Latest Project

Accompanied by my trusty companion, and inspired by Luis in the post above, I decided to adopt a neglected tree enclosure near my apartment.  It was plain, hard dirt with a confetti of cigarette butts. I added some top soil, potting soil and a few pale nicotinia.

Yesterday I went up to the green market at Union Square and picked up a few other little annuals.

The front of the metal railing is missing, so I imagine my little garden will get dug in and peed on and generally abused. But if it only lasts for a few days it will have been worth it. If it survives and thrives, I will post another picture of it.
Go here  for lots of other SHADOWSHOTS

Beautification

                              Where a tree once was 22nd Street

Spring brings with it a great urge to improve and prettify things. An excellent idea. Some people do indoor projects like putting in new carpets or recessed lighting  or things like that. Other than ordering some Le Crueset cooking stuff (for when I feel ambitiously domestic) my thoughts turn to outdoors. Since I don't have a garden I long to take over a little plot of something outside and adopt it in a sort of guerilla gardener sort of way......

....just as Luis Lujan has done on the corner of 25th Streetand 9th Avenue. Petunias rule! I look forward to following his project. Buster is pretty impressed too!

This morning I met Shin Shin from California who pastes huge photos

 of fruit from her garden onto other graffiti. She wants to make things a great deal prettier.....

                              22nd St. between 10th and 11th Avenues.

.... and somehow succeeds.

The new park at the  west end of 23rd Street now has a carousel 

with lovely decorated creatures to ride on. A great hit on a late spring Sunday.