Prospect Heights Community Farm, Prospect Heights, Green With Envy Tour, II.3

Posted on 2008-08-08 by admin

The Green With Envy Tour at the Prospect Heights Community Farm.

All the common patterns were present in this garden, writ large:

Common areas of ornamental plantings at the street entrance
Raised beds with individual planting areas, mostly devoted to food crops
Composting area

And something else in this garden that we’ll see more of later: rain-water harvesting.

Street Entrance and Common Areas

Nearly every garden has a charming, hand-painted “The Garden Is Open” placard that sits out on the sidewalk and invites passersby in.

Regular open hours are almost always also posted at the entrance. I think this is a requirement for gardens operated by the Trust for Public Land, locally represented by the Brooklyn-Queens Land Trust.

Step inside, and you’re enveloped by the lushness of the garden.

At the rear of this garden is another common area for composting, tool storage, and relaxing in the shade.

Individual Plots

Composting

Demonstrating another common pattern, this production line arrangement of sturdy, uniform bins helps organize the work, minimizes the need to move heavy compost around, and keeps a steady flow of materials moving through the system.

Water Collection

The fact that something different is going on inside is announced by this big sign at the entrance.

This is the beginning of the water collection system, so well-camouflaged I almost walked past it. The downspout from the adjacent building is on the left, the storage tank is on the right.

This all leads to some serious tankage.

Glam

Just ’cause it’s not all compost and rainwater.

Echinops

Rudbeckia

Sunflower, detail

There were several chairs and benches placed in the shade of common areas, painted in bright colors, and adorned with a hand-painted, smiling sun.

Shed Door, detail

St. Mark’s Avenue Community Garden, Prospect Heights, Green With Envy Tour, II.2

Posted on 2008-08-05 by admin

The Green With Envy Tour at the St. Mark’s Avenue Community Garden in Prospect Heights, July 26, 2008.

Biking was definitely the preferred mode of transportation on this tour. I don’t have a bike, so my feet and legs got a workout.

As soon as we arrived, our hostess proudly informed us that the garden was not only a butterfly sanctuary, but a praying mantis sanctuary.

Emptied egg case on the front gate

In the flesh.

This photo illustrates a pattern realized by many of the community gardens we visited: a common area, just inside the entrance, comprised largely of ornamental plantings. This is part of the “community” aspects of these gardens: putting your best face forward makes both the street and the garden more inviting, and helps keep good relations with the neighbors.

Seating in common areas.

I was charmed by this child-scaled seat composed of salvaged building materials.

Stepping past the threshold you come to the raised beds with vegetables.

Here’s a detail of that window visible in the photo above. A church is next door.

The ubiquitous composting area was located at the rear of this garden, furthest from the street, another common pattern. I wonder what all the rear-yard neighbors think of this arrangement.

Glam shots.

Squash leaf.

Nasturtium.

Solenostemon (Coleus)

Wasp on Dill.

A Picnic at Prospect Park (the Brooklyn Blogade)

Posted on 2008-07-28 by admin

The July 2008 Brooklyn Blogade was a picnic at Prospect Park this past Sunday. Mother Nature smiled upon us, as thunderstorms bracketed, but did not interrupt, the picnic proper.

We did, however, get delayed in undertaking a walking tour of Prospect Park, guided by my neighbor Brenda Becker, whose Year in the Park was recently highlighted in the New York Times. While we waited out the rains, we sheltered in the Music Pagoda.

The Tour

At the Dongan oak Monument

Battle Pass

Sullivan Hill

Because we set out 45 minutes later than planned, we had to cut short our tour. But we did make it to the top of the Ravine.

Rustic Shelter

Rock Arch Bridge

Ambergill Falls.

The Picnic

Our hosts, Dave Kenny (Dope on the Slope) and Brenda, organized an awesome spread. Everyone contributed something.

The Shout-out

Nay-chuh

We enjoyed some of the idyllic ideal envisioned by the Park’s creators, Olmsted in particular. Mostly insects, but some other orders, as well. There were also lots of chipmunks about, but I didn’t get any good shots of them.

The Nethermead

Halysidota harrisii, Sycamore Tussock Moth, Caterpillar. Thanks to Mthew (Flickr) for the id!

Dog-Day Cicada

Thanks to Dave for the id of this Xenox tigrinus, the Tiger Bee Fly.

Catbird

Crayfish

Links

Brit in Brooklyn
Dope on the Slope
Luna Park Gazette
Prospect: A Year in the Park
Self-Absorbed Boomer

Tour Brooklyn community gardens this Saturday, July 26

Posted on 2008-07-24 by admin

El jardin esta abierto / The garden is open

This is a reminder that the second leg of the Green With Envy Tour of Brooklyn community gardens is this Saturday, July 26. Tour Two kicks off at 10am from the Brooklyn Bear’s Pacific Street Garden, in the triangle at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Pacific Street in Park Slope, near the Atlantic Avenue station.

This is an opportunity to hear about the history of Brooklyn’s community gardens, speak with gardeners at each of the gardens, and learn how they organize and operate.

I posted 160 photos from Tour One two weeks ago. Tour Two promises to be just as extensive and interesting.

Pacific Street Brooklyn Bear’s Garden at Flatbush Avenue
St. Marks Avenue Blk. Assn. Community Garden btwn Carlton & Vanderbilt
Prospect Heights Community Farm, St. Marks btwn Vanderbilt & Underhill
Fulton Revival Garden, Vanderbilt at Gates
Hollenback Community Garden, Washington btwn Gates & Greene
Classon Ful-gate Community Garden, Classon btwn Fulton & Gates
Clifton Place Community Garden, Grand btwn Clifton & Greene
Pratt/Clinton Hill Community Garden, Hall St at DeKalb
The Greene Garden, DeKalb at Portland
Carlton Avenue Brooklyn Bear’s Garden between Fulton & Greene

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Green With Envy, Tour One, Final Stops 9 and 10

Posted on 2008-07-21 by admin

Green With Tour at the Gil Hodges Memorial Garden, Gowanus, Brooklyn.

The last two gardens we visited on the Green With Envy Tour, Tour One, on Saturday, July 12, were the Gil Hodges Memorial Garden in Gowanus and the Greenspace at the corner of President Street and 5th Avenue in Park Slope. Not too many photos from either of these. It was the end of the tour, nearly 5 hours after we had started, in the hottest part of the day. I was exhausted and needed to get home, cool down, and crash.

We do it all again this Saturday starting at 10am. Details below.

President Street Greenspace, Park Slope, Brooklyn

Signs

Te amo, Gil Hodges Garden

EL JARDIN ESTA ABIERTO (THE GARDEN IS OPEN), President Street Greenspace

Glam

Canna leaf, Gil Hodges Garden

Black Grass, Gil Hodges Garden

Zinnia, President Street Greenspace

Tour Two, Saturday, July 26

Pacific Street Brooklyn Bear’s Garden at Flatbush Avenue
St. Marks Avenue Blk. Assn. Community Garden btwn Carlton & Vanderbilt
Prospect Heights Community Farm, St. Marks btwn Vanderbilt & Underhill
Fulton Revival Garden, Vanderbilt at Gates
Hollenback Community Garden, Washington btwn Gates & Greene
Classon Ful-gate Community Garden, Classon btwn Fulton & Gates
Clifton Place Community Garden, Grand btwn Clifton & Greene
Pratt/Clinton Hill Community Garden, Hall St at DeKalb
The Greene Garden, DeKalb at Portland
Carlton Avenue Brooklyn Bear’s Garden between Fulton & Greene

Look for more “GWE” Tours coming up this fall in Bed Stuy and East NY, once again sponsored by the new (and still forming) Brooklyn Community Gardeners’ Coalition. There’ll also be a bike tour in August sponsored by the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust! Lots of opportunities to see Brooklyn’s beautiful gardens!

Gardens of Union, Park Slope, Green With Envy Tour, I.8

Posted on 2008-07-19 by admin

Green With Envy Tour at the Garden of Union, Park Slope, Brooklyn.

The Gardens of Union in Park Slope comprise two gardens nearly side-by-side: The large, active Garden of Union, and the smaller, contemplative Annie’s Garden two lots up the block. Both gardens are part of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation:

The Garden of Union lies on Union Street, but the name derives as much from its character as its location. The property is composed of two gardens separated by an apartment building. The smaller, located at 540 Union Street, is known as Annie’s Garden for Annie Thomson (b. 1919), the woman whose determination, energy, and spirit was largely responsible for making the garden come to life. Annie’s Garden opened in 1987. The main space, the Garden of Union, is located at 634-36 Union Street and has been operating since 1979. Both areas are maintained by Parks and garden members, most of whom reside in Park Slope. Other volunteers come from all over Brooklyn, from Howard Beach to Carroll Gardens to Sunset Park.

The Garden of Union and Annie’s Garden are community gardens with well-developed plantings of vegetables and flowers. The bulk of the land in the main garden is devoted to vegetables, and much attention is paid to the ornamental qualities of vegetables. Flowers and herbs are also integrated with the vegetable plantings. The garden regularly yields more produce than the members can use, and much of the vegetables are often given away to members of the community and a local soup kitchen.
– Parks Sign

Grotto at the rock garden.

Lily pool.

This mullein is visible in both of the first two photos above. It towered about 8 feet above us.

Composting

This gardening community is well-known for its active community composting program. The composting area was a highlight of the tour.

Here’s the industrial scale composting operation. The plastic tubes are perforated to draw air and oxygen into the base of the compost pile.

More awesomeness is this combination triple-bin compost system and grape arbor.

Annie’s Garden

Walking from the entrance to the rear of the garden.

At the rear of the garden are these ying/yang beds.

Looking back toward the street entrance.

Glam Shots

Lunaria Pods, Annie’s Garden

Death Valley, Annie’s Garden

Harvest wreath hanging inside the door of the tool shed in the Garden of Union.

Hydrangea quercifolia, Oak-leaf Hydrangea, with harvesting basket.

Grapes on the composting arbor.

Rhubarb

Water lily.

Hollyhock.

These beautiful beetles were buzzing and crawling around some squash plants. Probably not good for the squash, but I was intrigued. Anyone know what these are?

Lincoln-Berkeley Community Garden, Park Slope, Green With Envy Tour, I.7

Posted on 2008-07-19 by admin

Into the home stretch of Tour One of the Green With Envy Tour of Brooklyn community gardens, we visited the Lincoln-Berkeley Community Garden. I’m afraid I don’t have many photos of this garden. We’d been walking for 3 and 1/2 hours over several miles on a hot, humid day. I was getting tired, and cranky.

But here are a few photos.

I liked the placard on the sidewalk at the entrance to the garden.

Here’s the main path leading from the entrance to the rear of the garden.

Some Hosta near the entrance would looking good.

Baltic Street Community Garden, Park Slope, Green With Envy Tour, I.6

Posted on 2008-07-18 by admin

One of the gardeners shows off his bed.

I lived in Park Slope for 13 years before moving to Flatbush. The Baltic Street Garden, facing busy 4th Avenue, is a garden I knew of but never got to visit while I lived there. Driving along 4th Avenue during the summer, it’s hard to miss. The two-story Campsis radicans, the native Trumpet Vine, qualifies this as a 50 mile-per-hour garden.

The interior of the garden used to be screened from the street by hedges. Although you can now see the garden from the sidewalk and street, it’s a different experience viewing it from the inside.

The plots are large, raised beds. Gardeners grow a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and ornamentals.

Awesome.

Some glam shots.

Peaches were falling off this tree. Perfect fuzz.

Even the “necessaries” were photogenic.

I got a kick out of this sign just inside the entrance. That’s just how I feel. They missed a view of my “love to hate” though. What would you add to their list?

Warren-St Marks Community Garden, Park Slope, Green With Envy, I.5

Posted on 2008-07-17 by admin

We’re now halfway through the Green With Envy Tour One from last Saturday. We cross the thoroughfare of 4th Avenue, leaving Boerum Hill and entering my old neighborhood of Park Slope.

The Warren-St Mark’s Garden spans Warren Street and St. Mark’s Place between 4th and 5th Avenues in Park Slope. The contrasts with the gardens we visited in Boerum Hill were striking. First, there was just so much space, and more openness and sunlight. Second, food was being grown here.

Of course, my eyes were still drawn more to the ornamental plantings.

This big, yellow Asteraceae demanded attention. I didn’t recognize it. I thought at first it was a Heliopsis. The flowers remind me more of a Coreopsis, but I’ve never seen one so huge as this. This specimen was about 6 feet tall. Anyone know what it is?

I also admired the subtle beauty of the Horsetails in the foreground above.

The composting area is off to one side at the middle of the garden, near Big Yellow, peeking in at the lower right. The big bag contains sawdust for folks to throw in when they’re adding vegetables.

There’s a nice area of stadium seating toward the St. Mark’s end of the garden. They show movies there, using the side of an adjacent building as the screen.

Links

Warren St. Mark’s Community Garden (Web site and blog)
Warren St. Mark’s Community Garden (Yahoo Group, requires membership)

Street Entrance and Common Areas

Individual Plots

Composting

Water Collection

Glam

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The Tour

The Picnic

The Shout-out

Nay-chuh

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Signs

Glam

Tour Two, Saturday, July 26

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Composting

Annie’s Garden

Glam Shots

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