I saw these taped to the lamp posts on Beverly Road on my way to the subway this morning. Thanks to whatever neighbor took it upon themselves to remind everyone about this!
A million trees in NYC’s forecast
BY EMI ENDO, Newsday Staff Writer
emi.endo@newsday.comApril 21, 2007
They cool down streets, remove tons of air pollution, boost property values and can even reduce asthma rates.
That’ why trees — a million of them — will be a part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s sweeping plan to prepare the city for future population growth. The mayor Sunday is expected to call for reversing years of deforestation in the city.
“Every single place where it is possible to plant a street tree, by 2017, we will plant a street tree,” said Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff, who has been overseeing the sustainability initiatives.
Currently, about 5.2 million trees dot the city, creating a tree canopy of about 24 percent of the city, said Joshua Laird, assistant commissioner for planning and natural resources for the parks department.
The city estimates that trees have been planted in about 74 percent of the places where trees could be planted.
In his upcoming executive budget, the mayor will call for spending an additional $37.5 million a year, on top of the current $11 million budgeted, for forestry programs, and an additional $8 million a year for maintenance and tree care.
City officials estimate that for each $1 spent on a tree, the value of the benefits from that tree are $5.
Under the plan, to begin in July, the city will reforest its parks and plant saplings in forests. On the streets, the city will plant 23,000 trees a year to add a total of 210,000 new trees, and require new construction projects to plant trees.
Via AM New York
What classic actress am I?
Katherine Hepburn.
I couldn’t be more pleased.
Unconventional, Independant, Intelligent, Feisty
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via Blue Gal.
Dueling Maples, 1422 Beverley Road, November 2006. I pass these two trees when I walk to and from the subway.
Just a reminder that we’re still inviting submissions for Festival of the Trees #11, which I’ll be hosting here on Flatbush Gardener in May.
Although I haven’t gotten to acknowledge any of the entries yet, I want to thank everyone who’s submitted entries so far. The pace has been quickening the past few days. With over 30 submissions as of this afternoon, it’s shaping up to be a terrific carnival.
Many of you are finding connections with the theme of “Trees in the Concrete”: street trees, trees in cities, urban forestry, and so on. Do you have a favorite street tree? Trees in city parks? Tell us about them! This is not a restrictive theme, so anything which fits the FotT submission guidelines is welcome. And you don’t need a blog or Web site of your own. You can send in a link you find on the Web. If you have a doubt, send it.
The publication date will be May 1st, 2007. The deadline for submissions is April 29. You can submit entries via the Festival of the Trees Submission Form on BlogCarnival. You can also send an email to festival (dot) trees (at) gmail (dot) com with “Festival of the Trees” in the subject.
[Updated, 2007.02.22 10:00 EDT: The Parks Department finally posted the Press Release on their Web site.]
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced today [April 20] that the daffodil has been honored as the official flower of New York City.
“I am pleased to announce that the daffodil has been selected as the official flower of the City of New York,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “This flower has earned the distinction, the Daffodil Project makes the City a more beautiful place every year, and bring us all together by serving as a living memorial to the victims of September 11th.”
– The Daffodil Named The Official Flower Of The City Of New York, Parks Press Release
I wrote about the Daffodil Project last fall as part of my series of posts about Grief & Gardening. 2006 was the first year that Daffodils were made available to NYC residents through neighborhood associations and other community organizations. In previous years, the daffodils were planted in parks, along parkways, and in other public areas by the Parks Department.
In October 2001, the Parks Department teamed up with New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) and landscape architect Lynden Miller to launch the Daffodil Project, a citywide initiative to create a living memorial of hope after the tragedies of September 11. Since the inception of the Daffodil Project, over 20,000 volunteers and Parks staffers have planted over three million bulbs in 1,200 parks, playgrounds, schools, community gardens and patches of green space throughout the City.
“One of the most brilliant and dependable harbingers of spring is the annual re-emergence of three million daffodils,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Thanks to the energy and generosity of our many partners, communities throughout the City have been united through the act of planting this hope-bearing flower. As the official flower of our City, daffodils will continue decorating our landscape with fields of gold.”
“After the attacks of 9/11, New Yorkers for Parks was honored to work with the City of New York to create the Daffodil Project,” said Christian DiPalermo, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P). “The blooming daffodils represent a living memorial of hope and we are delighted that Mayor Bloomberg is recognizing the its significance as New York City’s official flower.”
The Daffodil Project is the largest volunteer planting effort in New York City’s history. The Daffodil Project is made possible in part by the generosity of Dutch bulb supplier, Hans van Waardenburg of B&K Flowerbulbs. He has pledged to donate 500,000 daffodil bulbs to the project each year as long as there are volunteers willing to plant them.
– The Daffodil Named The Official Flower Of The City Of New York, Parks Press Release
Just in time for spring, the city has a new official flower.
The city announced Friday that the daffodil has been chosen as the city’s official flower.
The flower took on a special significance after the September 11th attacks, when the city launched the Daffodil Project.
To remember those who lost their lives, volunteers have planted more than three million bulbs in parks and playgrounds across the five boroughs.
– Daffodil To Bloom As The City’s Official Flower, NY1 News
[Update 2007.04.18 12:30 EDT: Corrected typos. Masked “language”.]
This comment was left on Ths Transetorey Life an hour ago [midnight, 2007.04.18]:
Hi, I like to read alot [sic] of random blogs daily. I average about 15 blogs
everyday. Your blog is among the best that i [sic] have visited today, aside
from some of the other mindless blogs i’ve [sic] read. Keep up the good work!
I run my own site. It pretty much covers online auctions [link to #$!) here].
Come and check it out if you get time.
How considerate of you to to spam me with a comment on a post in which I share my thoughts and feelings on the 5th anniversary of September 11.
$&#* you, too.
[Updated 2007.04.19 21:30 EDT: Added Fragrance Garden, Magnolia Plaza, Daffodil Hill, and Lily Pool Terrace.]
Magnolia Flower, Magnolia Plaza, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
We visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden last Saturday. So did a lot of other people. It was a perfect day, the day before the Nor’Easter hit and dumped a record rainfall on New York City.
As before, two ways you can explore. The title of this post links to the Flickr set of photos. Or, you can explore the Google Map of my visit.
Rock Garden
Caucasian Wingnut
Best. Name. Ever. For a tree. This may be the most photographed non-flowering tree in the Garden. I’ll honor it with its own post some day.
Compost Demonstration Area
Another feature of the Garden deserving of its own post. Just a couple of shots here. Check the Flickr set for all the signage. I liked the homemade styles; either one would work in my garden, now that I have enough space. Yes, I’m a geek.
Native Flora Garden
Japanese Garden
I walked the south path of the garden. I don’t remember ever walking this way before. It’s a different perspective. And it’s also where the turtles like to hang out.
Fragrance Garden
This has the most beautiful stonework in the whole garden. It lies between the Shakespeare Garden and the recently landmarked Laboratory Administration Building which faces Magnolia Plaza.
Magnolia Plaza
They were at their peak when we visited. They’ll be just passing their peak right now.
Daffodil Hill
Originally known as Boulder Hill, there’s still a marker for the old name.
Lily Pool Terrace
The Annual Borders are about to explode with Tulips. I didn’t get any shots of the Mixed (Shrubs and Perennials) Border, which has year-round interest and is lovely right now. Next trip.
[Updated 2007.04.17 21:40 EDT: Removed bad link in title.]
This maps shows Brooklyn impact zones for Category 1 through 4 coastal storms. OASIS recently added this layer to their already invaluable Web mapping service.
You can view the live map, where you can zoom in or out, select different layers and labels, and see how your neighborhood is affected.
Greetings, visitors from Maritime NY Cultural Resources. If you find this post interesting, you may also want to check out my other posts about Red Hook.
I’ve notified Community View that at least one of my photos, Pier 41, has been copied to and is being used without attribution on the same page. This is a violation of the Creative Commons under which I make my photos available. If you are the author of the page, please remove the copies, link to the photo page instead, and provide correct attribution. If you know the author of the page, please let them know about this situation.
[Updated 2007.04.14 22:40 EDT: Mystery building identified!]
1911 Lithograph of the New York Dock Company holdings on the Brooklyn Waterfront
This is one of the items we found in the basement of our house after we bought it. I’m calling it a “lithograph” just because I don’t know what else to call it. It’s in poor condition, as you can see from the closeups. I wanted to photograph it and share it in case others know more about what this is. Here’s a contemporary view from roughly the same perspective using Google Earth.
It provides an interesting snapshot of the working Brooklyn waterfront owned and operated by the New York Dock Company early in the 20th Century. It ranged from East Red Hook, Atlantic Basin and Columbia Waterfront, North to Brooklyn Heights and Fulton Ferry.
Downtown Manhattan.
Mystery: I don’t recognize the tallest tower here. My first thought was that it was the Woolworth Building. However, the details and colors of this tower are nothing like the Woolworth.
Update: Josh Jackson of Built Environment Blog identified it as the Singer Building, which was the tallest building in the world for a few years, from 1906 to 1908. It looks like it was a magnificent building. It was demolished in 1968 for One Liberty Plaza.
The Woolworth Building opened in 1913 and was the tallest building in the world until 1930. If this view was of that time, it should be visible here. It’s not, so that places this image before 1913, consistent with the copyright notice of 1911 in the applied label at the lower right.
The label reads:
Bird’s Eye View
of Property of
New York Dock Company
““The Premier Warehouses and Terminal””
New York, U.S.A.Copyright 1911, by
New York Dock Company
Some details of the waterfront from South to North.
East Red Hook
Atlantic Basin
Columbia Waterfront
Columbia Waterfront to Brooklyn Heights
There are some nice details of New York harbor as well.
Statue of Liberty. You can really see the condition problems here.
Ellis Island
Governor’s Island
If you’re going to water your garden with a hose held at waist level, at least wear pants.
This was a window display for Paul Smith at a clothing store on 5th Avenue near 17th Street in Manhattan a few weeks ago. Note the backdrop of pretty flower pictures. And the hose unreeling from the satchel bag. I guess gardening fantasies sell to their demographic.
