Urban Gardening

The gardening season is upon us.

Time to revamp the tree pits. They are necessarily filled with annuals - tweaked during the various seasons. The tulips have been removed, the pansies struggle on - the ones that didn't get aphids. Blue and white salvias have been added - and, lo and behold, a sunflower seems to have appeared. Volunteers welcomed.

This is the tansy that ate Cleveland. I fear it is rather a horrid plant. Do check the link. I bought a little one at a green market last summer because I had heard the name but never grown one. It survived over the winter on the roof - I moved it to a friend's terrace where it took over a rather large planter. I decided to put it out on the street. It grows about three inches a day...

Gosh, a real iris on the terrace I'm looking after.

The lavender is blooming on the common roof terrace. I'm not thrilled with potato vines but another of the garden committee members is. That's the trouble with a committee - you have to be democratic and humor other people.

First roof gleanings - yesterday evening.

Viola flowers - much larger than life.

This picture is not in the city. Teaching the little ones to make flower arrangements!

And now at Union Square  -peonies!

This is the most glorious gardening time of year.

Guerilla Gardening....update

New York has been becoming a prettier place lately.  It's never going to be an English country village or anything like that--nor would one wish it to be. Luis Lugan  has adopted this bed on 9th Avenue by 25th Street.

Here are coneflowers and petunias and some remarkably huge zinnias which he grew from seed.

There is all sorts of construction going on the other side of the road, but people have been very respectful of his efforts and stop to admire them.

I was so taken with Luis' zinnias that we had to have them too --imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, or: monkey see: monkey do. Rather a jumble of stuff growing, and the past-it pink daisy about to get the heave ho.

In another bed, right next to the Escalade wheel, some golden gage, the zinnias, the only green nicotinias that weren't nicked and a potato vine on the rampage.

Question: Should the potato vine be cut back or allowed to smother all of Chelsea?

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.
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