Springtime in Greenwich Village

Even with all this travel one would be half batty if time was not spent simply enjoying being home during these dew filled spring days.

Manhattan is at its sweetest this time of year and a stroll down my neighborhood block is a complete marvel.

Gardens tucked away begging to be peered upon... 

seeing front stoops lined with annuals and the clever ways planters are suspended to windows. 

Especially as the gardening of St. Lukes and Jefferson Market continues, yep i've been getting down an dirty pulling up spent annuals and planting perennials. May I add that it's getting even more interesting as I dug up a bone near this wall at St. Lukes last week?

*and unless it's from some overly large chicken dog I'm keeping it for further CSI investigating. My spooked husband thinks I'm a complete weirdo especially since i joked that i'm going to hide it under his pillow...boo! 

   Anyways I really can't wait to see these monkshood and the other planted handy work pop up later this summer. 

Spent Cherry Blossoms & Daffodils

Sunday morning we ran the Cherry Blossom Race in Washington, D.C. most of the puffy pink blooms were spent, it has been an early spring. 

Monday morning was spent tying daffodil stems in knots. It's something Susan showed me today at the Jefferson Market Garden , it's our neighborhood garden here in Greenwich Village. Tying or braiding the dying daffodils keep the plants tidy and help return the nutrients back to the bulbs. 

Loving these longer days. 

My mother Suzanne and her Garden Club think daffodils are simply the best and really who can disagree? Down in Virginia they take these sweet flowers pretty seriously with annual shows , over 78 years celebrating an early spring bulb that is found virtually anywhere and bought for just a few bucks. Bright yellow and orange white tight closed buds open and suprise.  

But what has hooked me more than all the daffodils and cherry trees combined are for the Dogwoods, those ones continue to bloom nice and strong. 

Landscape drafting tonight..

Wave Hill

I took metro north up to Riverdale this past weekend to visit Wave Hill. 30 min outside the city in the Bronx a shuttle greeted us, drove us up the winding neighborhood past beautiful estates to the top of the hill where a breathtaking view of the Hudson River was overlooked. This is unlike any Bronx I was familiar with. 

I was expecting some sort of museum price admission fee-$13.00? $25.00? Nope- since we arrived before noon our admission was $0.00. 

My pictures do not do this place justice, go see it for yourself to believe it. 

Built as a country house in the 1840's Mr. Perkins, a partner at J.P. Morgan began accumulating surrounding properties and devoting his time and energy to enhancing the landscape. The land was graded and contoured and rare trees and shrubs were planted to accent the Hudson River highlands.  

In the 60's Wave Hill was formed as a public garden, being one of 33 cultural institutions owned by the city of New York. The voulnteer board hosts numerous events and activities like Tai Chi, art workshops, and farm to    table brunches. 

Now on my list are seasonal trips to Wave Hill, even in the winter the views must be breathtaking. 

HIGH LINE

For Ny'ers this is a pretty big deal. I would compare it to seeing Central Park for the first time just after it was completed in the 1860's. Olmsted would be proud to say the very least...

Built in the 30's, the Highline was an above ground freight train that ran along 10th ave from the Meat Packing district up to 34th st Herald Square. Having been abandoned since the 80's the track sat as an eye sore and risked demolishon until Peter Obletz, a Chelsea resident, activist, and railroad enthusiast thought to turn the tracks into a garden landscape. Though he died before he could see his vision complete, we can tip our hats in fulfilling his dream. 

Also worth noting that while this attracts so many people to Chelsea and the neighboring art galleries I couldn't help but be saddened seeing so many galleries I frequented closed.  This neighborhood where once was a bustling art scene is quickly shrinking in this deflated economy.  If only the timing for the project completion was 1 year earlier...

Münich, Germany

  My first German garden encounter was the Englischer Garten. Virtually endless with a river running through and rolling parklands, I began to understand what I had been told before--the Germans have a deep appreciation for nature. Unlike the English with structured perfection or highly bred flowers like a collectors cabinet, the German garden has a less formal framework, which makes the garden more casual, mingled and natural. 

  I was told from a Munich local that Germans do not have a big tradition of private gardening like Britain or America. They instead use public parks as their landscaping showcase; in Munich alone they have the Botanisher Garten, Hofgarten, and various gardens in city squares. This deeply ingrained love of landscape is most definitely fueled by the floral wonders of the Bavarian Alps.

  

The floral designs carried these naturalistic ideas to the hotels and floral shops. Instead of using highly designed vases or colorful containers many use naturalistic approaches to design, bringing the outdoors in.

 

Fresh cut flowers sold by the stem are in the prettiest squares like Marienplatz. This reminded me of my travels throughout France. The purchasing of flowers is personal, enchanting, and wonderfully frivolous at times. Given that you can purchase them in so many ways, the grocery store, the deli, vendors at farmers markets, and fancy floral shops. Each way has its specific purpose. I much prefer purchasing flowers, (for myself) from the local vendors in Union Square, NY. But each place has its reason for it. I suppose the deli flower remains questionable for any friend.