This is the gardening equivalent of guys leaving the brand name tags on their suit jacket sleeves.
This tiny juniper is going all Minnie Pearl on us.
23 Jun
Four NYC Roof Gardener “Warriors” in Today’s Times
Thanks to Penelope Green for her honest, gracious look at New York City’s roof gardens in today’s New York Times. She doesn’t go gaga high-end gardens tended by a staff. Photographer Tony Cenicola doesn’t completely crop away the rough edges of roof gardens: rusting ventilation systems, mis-matched pots, and chain link fences. Instead, the Time’s celebrates the highs and lows of four “doughty survivors.” (I didn’t know the definition of ‘doughty’ and had to look it up. It means “marked by fearless resolution,” “like a warrior”).
The article ends with a look at Michael Goldstein’s extraordinary Soho garden. I visited there last summer and posted photos here.
Image: NY Times
17 Jun
Simple Petunias on a Brownstone Stoop
Love these brownstone steps. Doesn’t using real terra cotta pots and saucers make all the difference here?
Gardening snobs might shudder to see simple annuals repeated like this, but I dig it. Why doesn’t every brownstone in Brooklyn invest $100 and two hours to have something this great, eh?
15 Jun
Another Bummer of a Hanging Basket
Our quest for a hanging basket began when we started our roof garden in the spring of 2009. Our first attempt fried before the Fourth of July. We bought three or four more beautiful hanging baskets that summer, but none of them lasted more than a few weeks.
Last summer, I was determined to do much better. I sunk some serious money into a special self-watering hanging basket and even special self-watering planter soil (sheesh, I was such a sucker!). I bought some expensive mail order plants — including purple lantana — to grow in the basket. Well, that basket was a fail too. The lantana never really took off. The Dichondra argentea Silver Falls looked like strands of dirty paper towel whipping in the wind.
Never shying away from a roof gardening challenge, we’re trying it again. This year, it’s an ivy geranium from Lowe’s. I read they are supposed to be especially suited for hanging baskets. I re-potted it into our special self-watering planter. But as you can see in this picture, so far it isn’t thriving. What do you think? Should we abandon the the hanging basket vision? But without a hanging basket, how else can we camouflage this ugly pole?
13 Jun
Modern Sculptural Planters — Made in Brooklyn
Check out these graceful, edgy planters from Planterworx. Today, Fab.com (yeah, you need to register before you can shop) has a special price on these recycled steel planters. They are handmade in Brooklyn and would be great for a modernist gardener who wants a lot of impact with a minimal amount of plants. Just watch the weight!
Round out the modern look with Zuo Outdoor, also at Fab.com.
31 May
Where Do City Gardeners Find Stones for the Garden?
How did your garden grow over the Memorial Day weekend? We got a ticked a pile of gardening chores off the list — but we’re still hunting for some stones for our tree pit gardens. I think a few stones give the tree pits a more finished look and they fill up some spots that don’t have plants. (I really like the stone border for this tree pit garden, but we won’t use this many since our tree pit is already protected by a new metal fence!)
I think stones also send a not-so-subtle message: stay off our plants! Buying stones like these doesn’t make much sense. So RP and I are planning to scout out some local construction sites and see what we can find, but we probably won’t find rounded stones like these.
Do you use stones in your garden? Where do you find them?
Lately, I’ve been trying to fast-forward gardens in my mind, trying to envision why they could like in late August. For this Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn garden, I’m wondering: are the petunias and coleus are tough enough for this spot, will the sweet potato vines fill up the whole space? I also like the cheerful tone of this tiny stoop garden.
27 May
Our Garden at Night
Now that the rain has cleared, RP and I finally got to hang out on our roof last night. I was excited to see that some of the pots had completely dried out; a sure sign that summer is here! Time to start our near-daily watering routine.
Our ivy geranium in the hanging basket didn’t like the rainy weather, but it is perking up in the sun. A perfectionist could be frustrated that the color of the light coming from our mix of solar lanterns and lights don’t match, but let’s focus on how exciting it is to have a tiny roof top escape!
25 May
New York City Tree Pits in Spring
We’ve now taken custody of the two tree pits in front of our apartment building. Here’s some photos of OPP (that’s other people’s tree pits) that caught my attention this spring.
Tree pits are tough. The plants have to endure rough conditions and look great without encouraging too many people to stop and pick the flowers.
This big bunch of orange pansys looked great, but it won’t last for long. This many annuals must be expensive.
Nice pop of spring. Does anyone know what these flowers are? I’m wondering if a tree pit should just be one burst of a ground cover-y plant like this or if it should be just a bit more?
I’m not sure how long this tree pit display will last, but isn’t it so optimistic?
20 May
This 1,000 square foot Park Slope roof garden can be yours … if the price is right
Friday night seems like just the right time for real estate day dreaming. Check this Park Slope roof garden out!
This million dollar Corcoran listing features a 1,000 square foot roof garden. “Planted with over 70 varieties of perennials, annuals, fruit trees & bushes, vegetables & vines, & structurally sound to hold all of this plus 100 guests, the garden will truly amaze. Watering is made easy by the built-in irrigation system. With a large, shaded seating area, a wet bar, & an entertainment system . . . ” Wow, right?
There’s an open house on Sunday afternoon. The seller of this home reads my blog . . . thanks for sharing your great garden photos and good luck with your move.
Images: Corcoran
20 May
A Modern LED Lantern and Flashlight . . . perfect for a roof garden!
We have two lighting needs in our roof garden: a flashlight for late-night work on the plants, and an ambient fun light for the center of the table for late-night celebrations. I found this modern, elegant solution at ICFF, the contemporary furniture fair. The Obus ($250) is a re-chargeable outdoor light that will last up to 25 hours!
The designer explains: “Obus seamlessly transitions between ambient and directional light to illuminate spaces indoors and out . . . Once lifted, Obus casts a concentrated beam through its base to direct light where needed. Designed to inspire creative use outdoors, the durable acrylic glass construction and rechargeable battery conquer the elements.”
Order the Obus here. The bummer is that it doesn’t ship until August. Read more about Obus and the industrial designer Peter Stathis on Inhabitat and Unplggd.
Brooklyn Roof Garden 