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May Melange of Munchies. All from the Jardin! Blueberry flowers!!! Not a munchy yet, a mere munchy-to-be-maybe. First appearance in years. I am not sure what was different about this year (warmer winter? Mulchfest mulch back before it got too cold?). I don't know that anything will actually become of them, but there they are now! Fruit might not come to fruition, considering that the companion blueberry bush went over the 🌈 bridge a year or two back, and I think they needed each other to fertilize. Ah well, incentive for the second bush. [In the backdrop of the blueberry: Unremoved volunteer perilla/shiso (tía tô) in the same pot, neighboring gutter garden atop the terrace parapet, nearby building windows lit for evening.] First bún ("noodle salad bowl") of the season! Ok, no Vietnamese granny would ever claim this as her own. There's brown rice vermicelli, for one, not white. The predominant green is chickweed from the Jardin (perhaps the last - it was a hunt for non-stringy, remotely juicy stems), not lettuce. The protein is vegetarian chorizo, not chả. But we have real Mama Hen-made nước mắm leftover from a long ago dish, AND the first tía tô (perilla) harvest of the year! The perilla is starting to show itself, in a bunch of places it shouldn't be - it was even growing in moss in the cutout nooks of the rubber mat by the door; it's all over the planter of the last inherited ring hydrangea that has met its demise. Right now, they are at mini seedling stage - larger than microgreens, but small enough that I am not 💯 sure they are perilla versus some other, potentially inedible weed; I rub the little leaves and smell to confirm. It's all perilla, and I am determined to get ahead of it this year by eating them into control. Let's see how successful this campaign will be ... Will report back as the season progresses. #blueberry #bunbowl #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Neat, manicured lines of hedge, greenery, and brilliantly white tulips give character and life to this classic, park side apartment building. HWA gardens like this minimal street level space provide charm and aesthetic for both those who live there and those who enjoy taking a stroll through the neighborhood. . . . . . #halstedwellesassociates #streetlevelgardens #uppereastside #parksideapartments #centralpark #nyclandscapearchitecture #nycgardendesign #custoandscaling #designinstallmaintain #urbanlandscape #springblooms #uptowngardens #terracegardens #penthousegardens #rooftopgardens #rooftopgardensnyc #sidewalkgardens #commerciallandscaping #greenery #nycgreenery #hedges #gardeninspo #nycinspo

April Wind Up Weekend. Almost through the first third of the year already. Random snippets from the weekend, including the bookend days. 1 - Strawberry flowers! So much promise... 2&3 - Gardening chores while attending a community board meeting via Zoom to save city composting: cleaning up pots and composting in place with last year's plant detritus. 4 - Redbud, still pretty, at the phase when the leaves emerge, chartreuse, right before they overtake the flowers. 5 - Newly bleeding hearts, against the backdrop of vibrant, but fading, tulips. 6 - Trey The Maple, trying on his leaves for size. 7 - First street fair of the season! Controversial opinion: I really enjoy the city's street fairs. Though, yes, only when I encounter them as a pedestrian. 8 - Iridescently blue bodied fly stopping on terrace tulip, on verge of losing itself (the flower, not the fly). #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #strawberries #treythemaple #nyctreepits #guerrillagardening #nycstreetfairs #urbanterracejungle

Splish Splash Spring Clean. Finally warm enough to get some Jardin neatening done. The water that's been collecting in the empty planter is no longer a sheet of ice, and the crows had themselves a bath - some cleaning of their own. It's all so unkempt, rather overwhelming. So I am giving myself permission to do it in little bites. Neaten up one planter at a time. Today it was the one in full shade against the building wall - the one with mums (coming up already) and hostas (no sign of those yet). And to some time sensitive planting: Sissy saved some bok choy and "star" bok choy cores; they have been sitting in a bowl with a bit of water in the fridge. Too many to go with mine under the maples, and I didn't want to disturb the kale seeds I had sprinkled there (though no signs of germination yet). So I decided they should each have their own planter, since there were empty ones whose occupants I couldn't recall, so those couldn't have been important - I only remember weeds, and shiso, so much shiso. The soil had compacted over time, and I had so much unused mulch (too cold to go out to spread it), and I wanted to suppress the weeds already emerging - so my bright idea was to just flip over the soil clod atop the mulch bottom filler. Easy to snug in the bok choys, and then a bit of mulch on top to keep in the moisture. Let's see if this works... Pigeon friends watched intently. My other task was to bring out the lemon thyme that's been indoors on the kitchen sill. I watered it regularly through Winter, but it got crispy at some point. It received a thorough dunking outside today, and will just stay out. Hopefully it'll bounce back. Last is an extended clip of the water frolicking crows. #birdsbathing #kitchenscrapgardening #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Weed and Feed, Pluck and Plant. First "harvest" of the year from the Jardin for a garden to table meal - chickweed, dandelion, and scallion salad as a bed for a bean burger. The chickweed is abundant, especially in the rose planter. Seems it's the first to awaken from Winter; they are crunchy and juicy now. The dandelions are leafing out, survivors from last Autumn; with the cold, the leaves are tender and not yet bitter. The scallion was a scrap I stuck into the amaranth planter last Autumn that made it through the freeze and had a floppy long leaf begging to be cut (I'll probably relocate the rest of it to join the other scallions and onion under the lilac). Having just returned from a week away, there are no greens in the fridge, so why not weed and eat? Much as I love the chipotle black bean burger, it tends to be dry once reheated and needs some freshness to offset the fried taste; my "foraged" greens dressed with leftover ranch dip (yup, from the Super Bowl veg platter) thinned down with leftover pickling liquid (yup, from Tết) and some vinegar was just the right balance for the burger patty - so delish! Big thanks to my former classmate for introducing me to @green_thyme , whose imparted knowledge gave me the courage to try eating my weeds during the pandemic! Fortified by my meal, I had the energy to plant some opportunistic botanical finds - a rose limb from my building's tree pit that was broken and dangling, a casualty of protruding into the sidewalk and being too close to heedless pedestrians, and a stem of mums still improbably alive from a Galentines gift bouquet. Each got plunked into a weedy planter - the rose with other roses (next to a questionable rose stem from that Galentines bouquet that I stuck there over a week ago), the mum into a pot that used to have a large coleus that never came back from seed. Now let's see if they each can root 🤞. Slow starts to the still-cold gardening season. #eatyourweeds #kitchenscrapgardening #nowastekitchen #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #nyctreepits #urbanterracejungle

Anticipating the enchanted return of our garden’s vibrant collage! What are you most excited to see in our garden? 🌸🌱🌻🫛 #NYCGardens #UrbanGardening #RooftopGardensNYC #NSCCBX

Last of First's Firsts of Last. On this January 31st, chilly, but not frigid - for now. The planters have signs of green - survivors from last year of our recent deep freeze. I thought surely the bok choys were goners under the snow and ice. These were center cores that I stuck straight into the soil in late October after plucking off and eating the outer leaves, and they took root and grew leaves! - not robustly, but very much alive. I'm worried we still have subzero days ahead, so figured some protection can't hurt; I'll have to search for another plastic container for the left one. The sedum is coming up, too. It's always quite hardy. And I think those leaves pushing up may be tulips; they also may be vulnerable if there's another cold spell. But you can't tell them not to grow. The bubble tea fat plastic straw upcycled into a label marks this as one of the planters where I sprinkled kale seeds. No clear signs of germination there, so we'll have to keep waiting to see if anything comes of that experiment. #kitchenscrapgardening #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Ice, Ice Baby. Icy after the snow day. 1 - Snow people. 2 - Birdy dining out. 3 - The one sunny corner of the Jardin. 4 - That same corner, yesterday evening, after the snow and the first freeze, viewed and distorted through a sheet of ice on the door to the terrace. #carlschurzpark #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Buddy's Warm Under the Collar, and Confused. I took my not-quite-daily constitutional around the park late this afternoon and halted in my tracks to see ... forsythia blooms - in December!!! Way, way too early 😕. They haven't even had a proper cold rest to store up enough energy; maybe that's why the flowers are a pale yellow and not the gold that they usually are in Spring. Global warming is so very real. All the more reason to bring your once-live tree, if you got one, to be chipped for Mulchfest (where it can eventually help other trees and plants in the city) rather than relegate it to a landfill. Do it, folks! And remember to strip it of ornaments, lights, tinsel. It was still so warm out, and, happily, the days are lengthening ever so gradually enough that when I got home I was able to do some composting and check on the Jardin. And lo and behold, my hydrangea is budding, too - it thinks it's Spring. Which means as soon as we hit a freeze, those buds will die, and there will be yet another year without hydrangeas 😔. I am not sure what's going on with the tricolor peach (that I thought had died two Winters ago, but seems to have sprouted suckers this past year), but some of the branches of the suckers seem decidedly green. I can't recall whether they haven't gone dormant and brown yet, or if they did and are now showing signs of coming back. Our poor, confused plants and planet. We need to do better. #carlschurzpark #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Looking forward to another year of design and horticulture, working with our clients and team to bring nature further into our lives and outdoor spaces . . . . . #customgardendesign #customlandscapedesign #nycgardens #landscapearchitecture #outdoorspacesnyc #terracegardens #rooftopgardensnyc #designbuildfirm #seasonaldecor #halstedwellesassociates

Highest and Best Use. Greens living their best lives, according to what passes for a meal plan in these parts: Should eat the 6 day old leftover thin crust pizza (boxed from a work team after hours pizza party). The basil (finally seeming to establish a foothold) needs pinching; can add some on top. Oh, there's amaranth from the monster plant-tree out there - can use that in place of spinach. Let's go for the big leaves. Really need to snip off the flowers so it doesn't self seed as much next year; will clip the ends and harvest the little leaves around the flowers, then cut up the stems to self compost. Well, aren't the droopy flower clusters charming! People DO harvest them for boho bouquets... maybe we'll hold onto the de-leaved stems. Oh... the shiso next to the amaranth; a little won't overpower the mix. [Glancing at adjacent planter.] Lamb's quarters ... I HAVE been meaning to try it. [Walk toward door, pass by another planter.] Red amaranth! That might be pretty, to break up the greens - on the pizza AND the bouquet. [Close to the door.] The Vietnamese balm is awfully tall and getting leggy; would it be weird to add it to the mix? Inside. Warm pizza, strip leaves into a bowl. Grab a third and sprinkle atop slice #1 of 3, eat. Not bad, a little dry. Maybe it would be better with dressing. Pour over small part of remnants of bottled roasted garlic dressing, rather thick and gloopy, add splash of apple cider vinegar to thin it all out. Toss leaves, top slice #2 after sprinkling it with red pepper flakes. Eat. So much better!! The acidity cut the richness of the cheese and mellows the saltiness of the pizza beautifully, the bit spice - really, higher order leftover pizza, here. The Vietnamese balm coming through is just right, and the rest of the greens taste unified. Top slice #3, fold and eat - MUCH easier to consume and bite through the leaves. THIS would make a good regular dish - whoever was smart enough to top pizza with salad?!! Oh... Would this work as a modified grilled cheese? Hmmm... How cute is the little amaranth bouquet?! Food AND decor! #amaranth #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Am I Raring For Amaranth? Not quite, but there's quite a bit of it, all volunteers, so I might as well consume what's growing and available. I've reached the point in the season when I've resolved not to buy any more leafy greens. The monster amaranth near-tree in the largest planter has reached the point in the season where it wants to have babies, so some plant birth control was in order for this evening; the big green giant has now been plucked. Speaking of plucked...the largest red amaranth that was in a planter with a tomato, and its little siblings in the same planter, got harvested, and their stems chopped up and fed back to the planter, sacrificed in favor of future (late) tomatoes. Raring for fancy, summer seashore-theme decorated gift sugar cookies by @cbkcookies? Yes! Raring for sweet scented summer jasmine? Absolutely! Found a new way to enjoy their scent and pick up my spirits during work from home for the first summer half-day. Raring for a midday walk, followed by lunch out with Sissy at @thefivelampsnyc, all made possible by that first summer half-day? Yup! The dressing on the house salad was perfect! The baby arugula, red pepper, goat/mozzarella flatbread was delish! (Sis had tacos and lemonade.) Raring for smartweed? Nope! Apparently, edible. But very hot and peppery, like cayenne, only for small doses, like a spice that leaves the sensation of burning a hole in the tongue. Um, no thanks. Cut all of that down during an overdue weeding session - another benefit of the summer half-day. But found out, courtesy of @green_thyme, that I have lamb's quarters growing here and there; that gets to stay. Raring for tomatoes? Yeppers! Hence the earlier amaranth decapitation. This year, I missed the window to grow any from seed. So I cheated and adopted Mother Hen's thin-outs - a late direct seed scattering, so they are all behind, with the very first little fruit only now forming. #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Espalier Hornbeams have filled in beautifully on this rooftop garden we designed and installed last year. Love this form to fit into a tight space and liven up a wall into a feature. Wisteria has done equally well transforming a stairway railing into a trellis. Can't wait to see it covered in blooms next spring.

Plant Progeny. Some plant babies get tended to only to be eaten, some get left to fend for themselves to eke out an existence on the city sidewalks. . The first garden to table proper meal of the season featured the last post's handful of sugar snap peas, cut to pieces with a pair of kitchen shears, joining overabundant shiso leaves julienned in a similar manner to top buckwheat noodles dressed in a peanut sauce - one of my favorite lunches. . And the morning and evening walks allowed visits to Trey and Ephraim. How tall Trey has gotten! If only folks would leave poor Ephraim alone, he could have been as tall as his originally runtier brother. But that Ephraim is hanging on at all is a triumph. (He does need a trim, though, especially the side closer to the cars. Project for one of these days....) . #ephraimthemaple #treythemaple #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #guerrillagardening #nyctreepits #urbanterracejungle

Pleasing Peas Plus Plant Poses. With weekends away of late, it feels like I miss out on the day to day developments, and when I am back, the plants that are still alive mature by leaps and bounds. . Over the past week, the sugar snap peas went from just vines with nearly open buds and immature pods to vines with some ready to eat peas. Well, one ready to eat pod - and it was tasty, freshly washed by the rain (well, I hope it was "washed" and not dirtied or acidified by the shower, because it's in my tummy now). . The dianthus had burst open in color. And I finally caught the day lilies during the day. One of the red miniature roses bloomed. And then there was bittersweet - pretty, but not planned, so it will go; but first, but first, a photo of the striking little purple flowers with the yellow middles. . #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Second Snow of the Season. And a sudden stop to false Spring. The tulips can't be happy, but hopefully they make it through and bounce back. . It's delightful, really, that they even poked through at all. They say tulip bulbs don't like to be in wet soil, and should actually be dug up and stored somewhere dry after Spring, and put back in only in Fall. I didn't have the patience for that, nor the energy, and when they faded, other plants were already growing atop and around them, so to dig up the bulbs would have disrupted everything else. So I accepted that the bulbs might be compost for the others. In years past, I think bulbs just rotted in the planters - though those were the years I used a poorly draining landscape fabric as a liner and the planters would get waterlogged after a snow/ice/thaw cycle. I have since learned. Still, these bulbs supposedly lose vitality each year (that's why Park Avenue starts fresh annually and allows the spent bulbs to be dug up), so we'll see whether we get any real blooms... Fingers crossed! . #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Abject Neglect. That was my approach to the Jardin for much of this year. I suppose I'll blame the new gig and the studying for licensing exams for the time crunch. Easier than admitting my real faults. . As a result, there are unharvested tomatoes in December - even though we had a freeze a bit back. One perfect red grape tomato, lots of green. Fruit that was ignored on the vine, that maybe will seed for next year. . But there's still some color, even in December. Surprisingly vivid pops of red and burgundies, some bright green onion leaves, too. . At some point, perhaps we harvest and eat. For now, we let them go a bit longer. . #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Pepper Baby. Hatched one! At least one other seems on the way. . Pic 1 - This evening. . Pic 2 - Two evenings ago. . Pic 3 - Eleven days ago, when the three little seeds were planted. . Yes, the pepper babies are late. I, as a plant mama, was tardy bringing them into being. But we're going to try anyway and see how far we can get this season.🤞 . [And, yes, the January 6th hearings are on. These are the first I am viewing more or less contemporaneously. The anxiety that I felt that day returns as the snippets are aired of the attempted overthrow of our democracy, led by that despicable orange man. The garden is my sanctuary, plant posts my refuge, my re-centering activity, my fidget spinner, my meditation beads. . Also my reminder that my small actions can be defiant, can buck convention and established timetables, can be hopeful, can support the underdogs, can try to beat the odds. All of us can do that, right? That's why we vote. I can't erase the evil orange man, or his stooges, but I sure as heck can vote against them, and encourage others to do the same. I can nurture our shared society with my little actions, as I nurture pepper seeds in saved eggshells, well past the standard start of the growing season. And hope, and believe.] . #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Speedy Summer Spaghetti. . Ingredients: . Last of the really good Italian spaghetti that came from a cooking kit sent to me for a workplace event 2 years ago (yikes, that means the olive oil, capers, anchovies from that kit should probably be used up, too) . Container of tomatoes that started to ooze because I am trying not to refrigerate my tomatoes - but I guess that means use REALLY soon (no, I didn't grow them - this is the summer of being behind in the garden) . Snack mozzarella balls sold in a bag with the balls packaged 3 to a little snack pack with use by date of 9 months ago (some of the packs were swollen close to busting - from gases?; I had debated whether to buy all that plastic packaging, and decided it would reduce waste given my slow consumption rate - borne out by this post) . Basil pinches - I AM growing that!! (though not from seed - I tried, but something ate the early seedling outside, so these were from the Mothership, and I am trying to pinch aggressively and fight my urge to coddle the seedlings) . NYC cold tap water (barely enough to cover pasta), sea salt, olive oil, throw pasta in even before it comes to a boil to save time, with tomatoes that will boil and burst, slivered garlic, it all reduces to create a "sauce" as the pasta absorbs the liquid, sprinkle of pepper flakes, dish, bury cut up mozz that will melt from residual heat of pasta, garnish with basil. . Eat on a summer sunset, pink sky, buck supermoon (I didn't actually know that was happening) evening. . #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #urbanterracejungle

Pollinator Week - Observed. I think it was this past week. Just using it as the occasion to post some photos from a few weeks back, when the Jardin was buzzing. . #pollinatorweek #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Arisen. The tulips are up - vibrantly, egg yolky yellow, just the right shade for an Easter day post. This is the new life that I prefer to focus on and celebrate this day. Beauty, and reassuring cycles, renewal. . Thanks to @fundforparkavenue for sharing last year's bulbs with the community! . I split last year's saved bulbs between the Jardin on the terrace and the Mothership - so they are city and "country" siblings. . Even as an adult, I find tulip resurrections to be far more pleasant a focus than religious ones. To each their own, and may we leave room for everyone's ways of celebrating that bring no harm to others. That said, Happy Easter to those celebrating, and happy Spring to all others! . #fundforparkavenue #parkavenuetulipdig2021 #parkavenuetulipdig #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #containergardening #nycgardening #urbanterracejungle

Fall Fashions. Some of the plants in the Jardin have started to change and acquire their autumnal looks. . The mop head hydrangea that was once white with hints of lime has gone pink. The lilac leaves have gone toward a yellow rimmed burgundy. The green shiso has become pale yellow; the purple shiso a faded pink. The ring hydrangea leaves have also picked up a burgundy shade. While the blueberry ones have cast themselves in a bright red with orange undertones. . And across the way, at the right time of day, one of the buildings nearby is bedazzled in sequin reminiscent light reflections, portending the showers of falling leaves in the days to come. . #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Sun Salutation - Adieu. Autumn on the terrace means longer shadows, a very discernible loss of sunlight. Par for the course with a north-facing outdoor space, but not really any less gloom inducing. . Where at the height of summer and solar angle, there was almost unbearable brightness and heat along a good part of the length of the north parapet (interrupted by the shadow of the building’s chiller unit), nowadays there is a limited period of direct light, and only in the northeast corner. . In past years I kept everything where it was. But with all the plants still in flux from earlier this year with the building’s terrace membrane replacement, it felt easier to shift things around… the bench on the east parapet moved to the north shadows, making room for sun lovers; hopefully the bit of extra sun gives them a boost for next year. But the junipers and hydrangea are fending for themselves in the shadows (together with some volunteer tomatoes that sprang up in a hydrangea planter - we’ll see how those fare, still green at the moment) along the north parapet. The mandevillas stuck inside all year are out enjoying some unfiltered light at last - better late than never. The blueberry (sharing space with shiso, clown violets, beets - only the last planned) is in a limited sunny corner of the southern wraparound, not yet elevated to optimize light catching - on the never-ending To Do list. And then there’s the interior perpetually dark corner (ever since a certain private girls’ school constructed a taller than expected building that cut off my view and the morning light) of the north wraparound - home to a hydrangea that still seems to flower, beets (started in sun on the roof), Malabar spinach, cardinal vine. I will need to experiment and see what else can tolerate those conditions - hoping for peas, but that may be a pipe pea dream. . #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #containergardening #urbanterracejungle

No Plan Meal Plan. When days are long and dinner doesn’t happen until the hour before midnight (and only because of that artificial deadline to try to take some sustenance before the calendar changes), the ability to turn to the Jardin (and the Mother Garden) is a blessing. . Yes, yes - I have shown enough squash blossoms, but they are still coming in! - lightly breaded and fried, in a pancake, in a crepe … seemed always fried and, while tasty, not all that squashy. Happily, the inter webs confirmed that stuffing them raw works too. So, ricotta, copious amounts of lemon pepper, scallions from the windowsill vase - easy and QUICK; twist and bundle to close; drag through some olive oil so the coarse sea salt could stick to the outside - done. Four blossoms equals dinner. The bases and stems left raw allowing that delicate squashy flavor to shine through, just as I’d hoped. . With a side salad of Mother Garden tomatoes that had started to develop soft spots: sliced, sprinkled with lemon pepper and an extra grind of coarse sea salt. . Finished off with the leftover takeout miso soup from sometime in the last few weeks. . Now the only problem is what to eat the next time I need to conjure up a quick dinner… . #squashblossoms #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Alien Invader. Well, here's a predicament I didn't expect: Saw these two, separately, on my terrace today. First one's pretty, right? It was stuck in the crevice between the pavers on my terrace this morning, and dead, so I decided it should have dignity in its demise and deposited it into one of my planters. Then, this afternoon, a few minutes ago, saw the second guy, and took photos. Used Google Lens to try to identify. . Turns out they are the same thing - Spotted Lanternfly - native to, among other regions, Vietnam. And causing a bit of havoc in New Jersey - subject to a vehicle quarantine so it doesn't spread farther. Under the NY guidelines, I am supposed to destroy it, then report it 😬😮. YIKES!! So I tried to capture it, and true to the description (site below), it hopped - over the railing of the parapet - and either dropped 13 stories, or flew off. . Well, I have now reported my sighting to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. You might note that New York/Manhattan was not one of the counties under an alert on the NY site (https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/113303.html) - till now? 😳😬 (So now I am harboring the body of a dead fugitive, possibly the first one in Manhattan.) . [Oh, by the way: You know how you have friends who, if you committed murder, would help you hide the body? I AM NOT ONE OF THEM - PLEASE DO NOT CONFESS TO ME. I will defend your reputation, I will help post bail, I will do everything in my power to get you the best defense attorney available, I will listen to why and hold you and likely cry and torture myself that I could not help you before the deed was done. But please do not ask me to help hide the body; I won't be able to and will feel like I need to report the death to the authorities. Just please keep me in the dark till it all comes out.] . #invasivespecies #spottedlanternfly #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Profile Photosake. The first of the hardy hibiscus flowers started to open yesterday, and fully bloomed today. The bud was prettier in its potential than the fully formed flower (how did it get that petal nick?), but lovely nonetheless! . This is not the original hibiscus plant that produced the profile photo flower - that one died after a brutally cold winter, followed by a several freeze/thaw cycles in a then-poorly draining planter, so the plant drowned. I wonder how big the original plant might have been by now had it survived? Ah well. Re-shift, refocus... I am grateful for the beautiful flower I have now 🌺, and the survival of the hibiscus plant on which it is growing 😊. . #hardyhibiscus #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Bobbitted Blossoms, Battered (and Fried). Aubrey, the mystery squash plant (see prior post) feeds me, even without mature squash. . Since I am not actually trying to grow squash, but just letting her be to live out a full and productive life this season with the one squash that seems to be forming, a squash blossom meal was in order. And since I am (somewhat guilt-strickenly) giving myself permission not to work on my day off, today was the day for new ingredient research and experimentation (and for a double post!). . First off, the Bobbitting - the interwebs say the stamen is not edible; only the flower is. Felt a little funny about processing, but 🤷🏻‍♀️. Most of my blossoms were past prime, hard to pry open, and full of pollen. Note to self: prime harvest time is just as they first open. I only had one in that stage; it was larger and fleshier and pre-pollen, perfect for meal prep. The rest, even the one that was in full bloom just this morning, were withered and unyielding and messily yellow-staining. Most of the recipes call for stuffing the blossoms; I didn't bother. It's my day off and that would have been too much effort for likely failure. . So I just lightly battered (corn starch, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper) and fried and finished with a sprinkling of sea salt while hot, and they were delish! Next time, maybe I will try with seltzer for an even lighter batter. I quite liked my base accompaniment pilaf of rice/quinoa (yes, left over from yesterday) with plentiful spinach and scallion, seasoned with salt and lemon pepper, too. . This Jardin-centric meal has me counting how many more blossoms Aubrey has budding, and wondering whether enough can come in simultaneously for a repeat. Or, they are supposed to keep up to a week refrigerated; maybe I will try harvesting at peak and storing until the yield is suffucient. And supplementing with young stems - I did one, and it was lovely, not spiny at all. . Salivating for Aubrey's next yield... . #covidcookingchronicles #squashblossoms #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #containergardening #urbanterracejungle

Little Pot, Little Pot of Horrors. Well, maybe not all horrible - the bittersweet's cute purple flowers were lovely to behold. Nonetheless, it invaded a juniper, so after its glamor shot, I butchered it. Its name foretold its destiny. . Oh so many weeds and volunteers in the large planters during their forced exile on the roof! In the largest planter, the one I was reserving for a TBD tree, and since I didn't yet have one, used as holding space for the contents of the compost tumbler, Audrey's cousin, some sort of unidentified squash volunteer, took root - we'll call her Aubrey. Aubrey was medium sized a month or so back when I added Mother Hen-rejected tomatoes into what I thought was an empty planter, but when the movers brought the planter back down last week, Aubrey was HUGE, and had fallen from her weight, trailing over the side, with leaves bigger than my face, and a stalk at least an inch in diameter - bigger than any trunk of my petite little planter trees - and with spines. Pretty yellow blossoms, though (need to practice some birth control and find recipes for squash blossoms). What do we think Aubrey is? One of the blossoms seems to have a little one on the way ... it's looking pumpkin-like. I did throw the carcass of last year's Halloween pumpkin into the compost, so it could be... . I didn't see any of the tomatoes at first amid Aubrey's tangle of limbs. Then I saw that Aubrey's runner strings had lashed onto the tomatoes and strangled them. Then her weight crushed them. Though the tomato plants themselves had gotten gangly and hefty. Must be the nutrients of the compost in that planter. Tomatoes, Aubrey, are all now bungeed to the parapet railing. And there is a forest of volunteer tomatoes under the ring hydrangea if the monster ones with Aubrey don't make it. . In the hibiscus planter, shiso - assertive as ever - leaves the size of my palm. So last night's dinner was rice and quinoa, dressed with rice vinegar and sugar (a la sushi rice), as a bed for vegetarian sausages and scallion, wrapped in shiso. I will eat my way out of my weed invasion! . #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardens #containergardening #urbanterracejungle

Repatriation. This morning, about three months, as promised, after my building's mandated terrace reconstruction began, following jackhammering-induced self-exile to the outskirts of Queens, installation of a new membrane, and drains, layers of foam, landscape fabric, plastic sheeting, risers, new concrete pavers, and the end product looking not so different from at the outset, though hopefully functionally much improved ... . ... my big plant babies were allowed to return from banishment on the roof! There is green, and life, on the terrace again - the Jardin has been (partially) restored. I look out the door and the windows, and it is such a relief to have a verdant vista again. . Everything is still haphazard; I had to log in to the virtual office after the morning move, so the planters and furniture aren't quite where they should be yet. The weeds have been prolific; there is an indeterminate squash plant monster that took hold of the largest of the planters and crowded out a forest of tomatoes. Much to do... . But my babies are back. And it makes my heart glad. . #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #containergardening #urbanterracejungle

Two days and a half on this rooptop greenscaping make over #floweringvines #hibiscus #nycplants #nyclandscaper #hospitalitydesign #hospitalityflowers #rooftopgardensnyc #plantinggeneration #plantpeople #plantpeoplearethebestpeople #manhattanflorist #miamiplants #miamiplantscene #miamilandscaper #nycflorist

Arbor Day 2021. Throwing back (before the mandated exile of the terrace residents) to an evening earlier this April when the flowers of the tri-color blossom peach tree complemented the sunset sky. . This came from my mother's close friend - either the offspring or cutting from her own tree, after an earlier one that I had perished following a particularly harsh winter. It is a gift from my mother's "village," so to speak - the village of gardening and nurturing women, Mother Nature's guardian warriors and Mother Earth's daughters. . What special tree do you celebrate this Arbor Day? . #arborday2021 #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Terrace Season Cut Short. And just as the growing season got underway, so it came to an abrupt halt. The frustrations of living in a NYC co-op are myriad, not the least of which is having to abide by an unsympathetic board's decision to repair terrace membranes with little warning - requiring moving every single item off the terrace - on ridiculously short notice, at one's own expense. And losing the use of one's outdoor space for 4 months. Oh joy of joys. . It has never been so empty since I have been here. During all the other bouts of repairs, the planters and furniture were just shifted around. Not this time. . But until work actually begins and they shut me in here, the little seedlings can still be sunned. And, in my act of defiance, I decided the gutter garden could stay - it's not in the way of the terrace pavers or membrane. It will need to serve as my temporary garden until the rest is allowed to return from exile on the roof. . With all the busyness of the massive move, I neglected to spritz the tomato seedlings for a few days, and nearly murdered them. But they seem to be bouncing back now with water and sun - all but the smallest and weakest. . Before the forced exile went down, all of the smaller pots (a guestroom floor's worth) were driven to the Mother Garden for safekeeping. And some of the seedlings that have been indoors got transferred into the large planters to fend for themselves up in exile on the roof; after all, they will just die inside without proper sun, so might as well see if they can make it in the world on their own. The little first-time pepper successes got put out. As did some of the mirabilis and cleomes. Good luck and God speed! . Hope to see all the green babies on the other side of this. . [Photos here are all raw. Who else encounters occasional Instagram obstruction when a post just gets erased midway through drafting when the screen changes without warning? After 5 tries, decided just to go without photo edits.] . #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #urbanterracejungle

Happy Earth Day! Cherishing the small (pak choi flower), medium (tulips), and someday-to-be mighty (maples). . We had an overnight with near freezing temperatures, so it was chilly in these parts today; the tulips look like they're shivering, don't they? . #kitchenscrapgardening #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #Urbanterracejungle

Forays into Foraging. I was introduced by my friend E to @green_thyme recently when E posted that a lot of the edible wild plants featured were growing in her own lawn, and she was going to give a wild pesto recipe a try. . The other day, @green_thyme featured chickweed, among others, and I realized it looked familiar. Upon closer inspection of my planter containing the maples, there it was, in abundance. I Googled to confirm it was, in fact, chickweed, took a little nibble, did not die or get sick, Googled some recipes, and decided to go all in with a harvest... . Now, I have been following @66squarefeet for years, and so gradually have become accustomed to her forages (though follow mainly for the small space/container gardening). Born and bred city girl that I am, foraging and wild foods have not been in my wheelhouse; my mama/gardening mentor also was born and raised and has lived all her life in cities, so no foraging in her backgound to pass on to me. Gardening for her came of necessity when she arrived in the US and could not find the fresh herbs that are so essential to Vietnamese cuisine. In NYC she began with pots on windowsills, and when my parents finally got a house with a yard, her inner gardener finally had a canvas. So my green thumb was trained in the world of domesticated and cultivated plants. Wild edibles are new and strange and still somewhat scary. . So harvesting the chickweed, which in past years I cut down and mulched in place to make room for edible plants (ha!), is a new step. I decided on Vietnamese style rice noodle "salad" topped with vegetarian chorizo. Happily, my hodge podge, multicultural dinner was DELICIOUS! I am now sold on the chickweed! Thanks to E for the encouragement, and @green_thyme and @66squarefeet for the inspiration, information and tips! . #chickweed #wildedibles #covidcookingchronicles #containergardening #nycgardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Teasers. Hints of blooms to come. Red tulips on the verge of opening from last year's Park Avenue Tulip Dig; emergent buds on the lilac bush from the deeply discounted, late in the season plant rescue section at a big box store from a few years back. The rewards of gardening on a budget. . #parkavenuetulipdig2020 #parkavenuetulipdig #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Spring Encounters. I spied with my little eye ... a rather pretty bright pop of orange sprinkled throughout the branches of the junipers, that are usually just ho-hum ever-green, perhaps with some dusky bluish purple when the flowers and berries come in - generally all cool tones, though. And so the orange was rather exciting and vibrant! On closer inspection, it was oddly gelatinous - so very strange, never before seen in the decade plus I've lived with these shrubs. . Well, behold the power of Google - turns out it's cedar-apple rust fungus, and it happens with warm rains. So the weather we've been having was just right to welcome the latent fungus. Supposedly not very harmful, and it'll dry out. . Learn something new all the time - among the prettiest fungi I've ever seen. I don't particularly mind it one bit. All of the internet photos are less blobby and more tentacle-y, though ... tentacle-y would be cooler. [Single, gardening Jungle Girl has fungi envy.] . #cedarapplerustfungus #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Before the Rain - Sure signs of Spring in the city. . #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Fool’s Spring. Who’s the fool? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Yup - hi! hello! I blame the ever so long, oh so snowy, COVID winter of isolation - it made me jump the moment we hit the 50s earlier this week. I thought it might be safe to plant... . For, inside, the red onion, whose skinny little core was spared because it was already sprouting by the time I got to cooking with it, had rooted nicely in a makeshift bulb vase these several weeks on a windowsill. Actually, come to think of it, this was one of the ones I planted in the same way last year, then harvested in Fall after it grew fat with layers in soil outside. It had a vase mate the last few weeks, another red onion core, that did not root so well - began to mold and rot. I worried the rot would spread, so the 50-something day seemed perfect for giving the survivor a new home outside in the planter, with the dormant hardy hibiscus that was already surrounded by bulbs (tulips)... . And while I was out there and it was “warm,” I moved what looked like finished compost out, and shifted the contents of the holding side over to the cure side. That “finished” compost, though, just looks like an awful lot of avocado pits?! Is it possible all the tumbling just causes the compost to gravitate into spheres? Or have I eaten that many avocados? Not sure about this ... is this first batch actually a viable growing medium? Guess we shall see. . Fastforward to yesterday and today: I went out to tumble the composter, and planned to clip some old plants, and it was FRIGID - hence, the Fool’s Spring - had to beat a hasty retreat back inside. Not sure if the little red onion will make it out there. I tried to tumble, but the contents of both chambers of the composter had frozen solid - the composter just over rotates in one heavy lump and knocks the whole thing off its supports... A ways to go to get to Spring. Sigh. . #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #containergardening #kitchenscrapgardening #nycgardening #urbanterracejungle

If At First You Don’t Succeed. Earlier this week, before the heavy rain, the surprise white hibiscus was settled into its new home in #YorkvilleUESTreePit530E81 beneath Jane’s window (see June 28th for how I met Jane). I hope this will give her something nicer to gaze upon than the rectangle of empty dirt. It replaces the maple I planted there in Spring that died for lack of water over the hot Summer (see May 4th). . This hibiscus came from seeds I collected from #CarlSchurzPark and planted in a container last Fall - so a freebie, just needing a bit of labor and care. After the maple died, I had in mind to transplant the hibiscus, but decided to keep custody so I could water it over the Summer until around now, with the cooling temps, so it still has time to establish before harsh Winter. . I should be able to be more vigilant this time around with watering, and the doorman of the building offered water as I was planting, so hopefully he will take it upon himself every now and then to help too. And the porter, who was a little grumpy about my arrangement of stems at the base (I removed them), nonetheless had a hose - he might be more willing to use it now that this plant has flowers. And Mother Nature hopefully will bring Autumn rains. I also added compost to the pit this time, and amended with stem cuttings generously provided, again, by @sikkingflowers, so 🤞. . With some luck, it will make it to 2021 and bloom again for Jane next year. . Here's hoping our efforts now - plant wise, get out the vote-wise, otherwise - yield a better 2021 for us and all of our neighbors. . #guerrillagardening #hardyhibiscus #nyctreepits #containergardening #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #urbanterracejungle

Early September Chronicle. First off - look how tall the maple trio in the sidewalk tree pit on York have gotten!! And that’s relative to the red begonias that have fully matured and blocked out the crab grass. (Compare to June 14th, when the maples were the same height as the new begonias, and May 4th, when the maples were scrawny little seedlings.) Pretty sturdy looking little trees now - with ample assistance from the kindness of strangers. Checked upon them while out for a rare pre-long weekend celebratory lunch pickup from pokefreshtogo.com - so nice to have a poke bowl place nearby, and with vegetarian bowl option! @upper_east_side_eats, you should check them out! - and errand combo.... Then, back to the Jardin to eat said poke bowl ... Some new blooms (hardy hibiscus about to break, very late portulaca), some ongoing and late season flushes of flowers (day lily, geranium, dianthus), buds and seeds starting to set (Malabar spinach), and preparations for Fall growth taking root in their eggshell incubators (strawberry runner destined for the parapet troughs - I am hopeful for a trough full of strawberries next year; mesclun mix taking hold). . #guerrillagardening #nyctreepits #YorkvilleUESTreePit1592York #containergardening #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #urbanterracejungle

Proud Mama of City Tomatoes. They might be overripe, and some started to split with all the rain - it’s hard cutting them off from their source of nourishment. But it was time, and I couldn’t be prouder 😊... and, maybe there’s still enough time for them to have some younger siblings (there’s a 🐝 in that last shot). 🤞 . #citytomatoes #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Promises of Things to Come. The hardy hibiscus is budding!! I thought it might not happen till next year - and was secretly envying the blooms posted by a friend - but on close inspection, I saw these ... surely, they will open, right? It’s been a while since the Jardin hosted the plant that yielded the profile photo I still use; it will be so lovely when we have them again. . And then there are the sugar snap pea shoots - from the peas gone bad that started to sprout! I put in 8, and only 2 seem to have made it, but I will take them! . #hardyhibiscus #containergardening #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #urbanterracejungle

Eat, Grow, Eat. Yesterday’s rainy day lunch was inspired by the beginnings of a kitchen clean up, the “magic sauce” that @mollyyeh uses on her green beans - it IS liquid gold! - which I have happily poured over raw sugar snap peas in summers past, and a serendipitous episode of @thejazzyvegetarian featuring a soba noodle with peanut sauce. My decades of viewing PBS cooking shows and the Food Network pay dividends! . The quandary was how to salvage sugar snap peas that sat in the fridge for too long. The mission was minimizing food waste, which I abhor generally, but especially in these pandemic times when so many are facing food insecurity. The best sugar snap peas had already been eaten, so only the dregs were left. After pulling the few with good shells and rescuing peas from out of the bad shells (some shells were practically disintegrating but the peas within still protected and firm), there wasn’t quite enough heft for a lunch of just sugar snap peas (and salvaged celery, also on the cusp and too long in the fridge) in magic sauce, so the inspiration to make enough sauce to toss them all with soba noodles was exactly what my rumbling belly needed! . And while picking the still edible peas from their shells, I found some so far along that they had begun to sprout. So, inspired by some of you organized gardening folks already planning your Fall gardens, and after finding peas on the 7b Fall harvest calendars, I am giving the sugar snap babies a shot. Eight peas went into a pot earmarked for tomatoes that never thrived enough to be transplanted. And if they take off, they can climb up the tomato cage that had been set aside for the non-thriving tomatoes. . While out there planting, I also caught sight of some red amaranth broken by the heavy rains. So those got harvested, and were a nice addition chopped raw and wilted by the heat of a fast polenta, over which was poured “beefless beef tips” quickly heated in the microwave with baby carrots. A satisfying dinner at the end of a day of stretching store bought and Jardin-grown veggies. . #sugarsnappeas #covidcookingchronicles #containergardening #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #urbanterracejungle

On the Way Out, On the Way In, and Guests Just Stopping By. From the Jardin over the past week ... A grasshopper that stayed sunning on the peach rose pretty much from dawn to dusk. It was there when I did my morning walkabout, still there at the end of the virtual workday... The ring hydrangea bloom, definitely on its way out ... The clown violets, just coming in - and different varieties! Both white dominant and purple dominant! Letting things come up from seed yields fun surprises... And finally, the lovely, fluttery little butterfly that found the catmint flowers. In years past there were bees that came for them. Few bees this year, but butterflies will do. . #grasshopper #ringhydrangea #clownviolet #butterfly #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Daily Greens, and Reds. A simple harvest of pumpkin shoots, Malabar spinach, and the first of the amaranth leaves. Quite happy with these new for this year “crops” - all easy to grow in containers, produce abundantly (for one, or two), and add visual interest, too - the red of the amaranth, the vines of the Malabar spinach (and shade tolerant), the vibrancy of the pumpkin shoots. AND, they might be prolific enough (if I plan properly) to take the place of purchased greens that wilt so quickly in summer; I think all can be harvested a bit at a time and still produce new growth - so no overabundance or need to consume a ton within a tiny window. These will be on the plant roster again for next year... (will plan for the pumpkin shoots to have a permanent home, rather than struggling to emerge from the compost bin) . #pumpkinshoots #malabarspinach #amaranth #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Day After Kay. I am a lazy gardener (lazy in other areas too - or, labor efficient, if we spin it positively). So, knowing a tropical storm was coming, the red spinaches (aka amaranth) that I got from the Mother Garden over the 4th of July, that still hadn’t made it into planters, went in - so that I could take advantage of Fay to water them in. Why water when Mother Nature volunteers to take on the chore? Of course, that set off a game of musical planters - stray portulacas in the destination planters got moved to better locations, clustered clown violets got separated, broken mandevilla tips that successfully rooted went in, anything that wasn’t in its ideal home moved, more seeds were sown - all to make the most of Fay’s watering. If those roots aren’t well established by all that rain, there’s no way I would have done better. . The day after, the newly located plants looked happy and hydrated, so🤞. And yesterday’s sun showers finally led to rainbow sightings! It’s nice to be rewarded for chasing rainbows every so often. . The amaranths are so lovely and colorful - I’d plant them just for the foliage, even if they weren’t edible! But since we’re in COVID times, edible is definitely a bonus. The mandevillas budding at last - after all the overwinter care, some reassurance they’re still doing their thing. And one of the rosebuds is just perfection. Then there were the visitors who came by post-storm - the usual snails, also a most unusual and prehistoric looking, HUGE June beetle - maybe they just are that size, but made be do a double take, for the size and the color, sort of pretty, actually. . And to cap off the evening of pretty skies, these lovely sunsets we’ve been having - I didn’t realize until after looking at the photos that I managed to capture both the sunset AND the moonrise! . #nycrainbows #mandevilla #amaranth #junebeetle #snail #nycmoonrise #containergardening #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #urbanterracejungle

Longer days, later sunsets. More time to garden - to transplant roses (into a planter finally cleared and harvested of volunteer micro shisos, out of a pot that will house husky cherry tomatoes), more time to linger and enjoy the evening light on the roses, honeysuckle buds, parsley flower heads, to watch the shadows, and the moon rising up to bid the sun good night. A quiet corner amid nights of turmoil. . #dusk #citysunset #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Unofficial Start of Summer recap: A robin, unfazed by my presence, kept watch during my hunt for bulbs at the tail end of the Park Avenue Tulip Dig (always the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend); the bulbs will go into "my" adopted guerilla gardened sidewalk tree pits and, hopefully, keep the mini maples company next spring - thanks, @fundforparkavenue! Then, in another ritual of unofficial Summer, holiday weekend family lobster fest - this year, with each of our 4 households physically distanced the requisite 6 feet by the addition to the dining table of TV tray tables and a mahjong table, and marked by mask wearing when we weren't eating. And, speaking of late Spring eating, first harvest from the terrace Jardin! - shiso still-micro greens, before they get bigger and annex too many planters (determined to get ahead of them this year - Me v. The Shiso 2020 - who will emerge victorious? TBD)... To the victor, the fruits of the newly transplanted tomatoes and the first wave of perennial blooms... . #americanrobin #parkavenuetulipdig2020 #parkavenuetulipdig #guerillagardening #shiso #perilla #covidcookingchronicles #campanula #armeriamaritima #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

#rooftops #rooftopgarden #rooftopgardensnyc #nycparks #nycparksphotography #livethecity

Guerrilla Gardening - Yesterday, early morning, at the start of a most gorgeous day, before too many heavy-breathing other folks were out and about, was the perfect time to annex a few abandoned and neglected sidewalk tree pits and sneak plant the seven volunteer maples that sprang up last year while the terrace maintenance was happening and the planters could not be watched over. When I finally had access to the terrace again, the squatting maples were leafing and settled and I felt badly about yanking them out, so they got to stay, and tough it out over Winter. Hardy little (and decidedly not so little) things - they all survived. This year I can’t be quite so hospitable - the legit plants need their space and nutrients, and this year they have to make way for more and new edibles (COVID-19 food travails and all). So the volunteer maples got dislodged, as gently as I could. Happily (or maybe not - considering the blighted tree pits), I found unplanted spaces within a few blocks, so I can go and visit them and see how the seven are doing. So, if you live in Yorkville, in the lower 80s within a block of York Avenue, and happen to see a partially un-compacted tree pit with a teeny maple in the middle (or three, in one case), please be gentle with it - and if it looks thirsty and you have some water from your bottle or an ice cube to spare, please give it a drink. Thanks! (In time, I may go back and sneak drop some seeds of perennials gathered from Carl Schurz Park last year - to give the maples some floral company in their otherwise desolate tree pits - and maybe make the planting look a bit more intentional, and encourage neighborhood folks to respect the pits and make space for the little seedlings to grow up into greater maturity, maybe a somewhat stunted, bonsai-like maturity considering how compacted the soil is in those tree pits, but heck, better than the compost pile fate, right? . (In front of the deli on York, a lovely woman who volunteers at the park offered compost, string, water - thank you!) . #guerrillagardening #nyctreepits #mapleseedlings #carlschurzpark #rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardeningnyc #nycgardening #urbanterracejungle

Earth/Arbor Days Week End - Snippets, inside and out. Hosting baby snails (unexpectedly), regenerating beet tops, rooting mandevilla cuttings (successfully - at last), nourishing apple tree sprouts, germinating tomatoes and kale, birdie friends, volunteer maple, second chance 3-color peach tree... lots of hope, lots of life. . #snails #regenerativegardening #kitchenscrapgardening #mandevilla #mandevillapropagation #applesprout #maple #peachtree #housefinch #commonstarling #containergardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #nycgardening #urbanterracejungle

Comeback Kids - The hardy hibiscuses were such babies last Fall, and the maples had been weakened by that period of underwatering, but they seem to have pulled through Winter. Then there’s the old hydrangea - the lone survivor of the inherited ones - that every year seems on its last legs, with only one mature wood branch leafing - that puts out not just one new shoot, but two in the back as well! And the lilies of the valley that barely made an appearance last year and died off quickly - they seem much more energetic this Spring. Yay! . #hibiscus #hardyhibiscus #maple #hydrangea #liliesofthevalley #containergardening #nycgardening #rooftopgardeningnyc #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanterracejungle

Manhattan roof garden, completed 2018 #nycrooftops #rooftopgardensnyc #roofgardens #jeffreyerb #urbangarden

#madisonavegarden, #serenitygardens, #rooftopgardensnyc

#rooftopgardensnyc #littleitalynyc #flaneurnyc #fascadelovers #luckybastards

Had to make a major exception after going vegan. In the end we are only human 😩😜 #brooklynsundays #williamvale #rooftopgardensnyc #urbanhills #softservenyc #cherrystrawberry #nyckids #backyardadventures #icecream #concretejungle #findthegreen #blueeyedkorean #lifestylephotography

View of Columbia from Barnard's Roof. Diana Center #UrbanArchitecture #rooftopgardensNYC #NYCrooftop #ColumbiaUniversity #Barnard #lgg5photography

Too cold for #mandevilla? #lobelia #creepingjenny #englishivy #clematis #citygardens #urbanhorticulture #terracegarden #roofgarden #rooftopsnyc #rooftopgardens #rooftopgardensnyc #bronzelattice #custombronze #windowboxes #sohogarden

#rooftopgardensnyc #rooftopgardens #biggnyc #boxwoods #lavender #hakonechloagrass #japaneseforestgrass

Feels like summer today, #gardeninginthesky with @justinfuller63 on a #downtown rooftop. #gardenerswithguns #nycgardeners #gardensinthecity #gardensinthecity #rooftopgardensnyc #hellebores #biggnyc

Dinner and a movie...in the garden, on the rooftop. #gardenparty #biggnyc #jaquemontii #carpetjuniper #rooftopgardensnyc #gardensinthesky #gardensinthecity