tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1 2008-07-22T16:25:24Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.358 2008-07-22T16:05:21Z 2008-07-22T16:25:24Z

This client's favorite color was gray--even when it came to plants. She also liked blue, but hated pink--so the existing cherry tree went to a neighbor who has a totally found plant/repurposed garden. It's funky, but I liked it....

Maria This client's favorite color was gray--even when it came to plants. She also liked blue, but hated pink--so the existing cherry tree went to a neighbor who has a totally found plant/repurposed garden. It's funky, but I liked it. He had fastened a stage out of old railroad ties, and performed at his parties every once in a while. But back to the gray garden. Outside the subterranean master bedroom, the clients had a Asian influenced installation. The bluestone cut and set in sleek symmetry, the raised planter held bamboo, ferns, liriope and ginger. The client wanted to echo this somehow, and we also wanted to find a way to use the back part of the yard. So often in brownstones, with the rectangular shaped yards, the back part is often unused. So we decided to do two small bluestone patios, and repeat the bamboo and gray stone as a sort of privacy wall. A bluestone path leads between the two seating areas--one with a table, the other more lounge-like. The borders we repeated patterns of sea holly, lavender, catmint, and blue fescue. The one of the right was larger, so this has the same planting, but also yucca, a fig tree, hydrangea, and zebra grass. She also wanted a silver shed and had an old teak door laying around, so we made a storage shed, covered it with aluminum and repurposed the old teak door. She also had some white pots, so we planted them with annuals for a little drama. ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.357 2008-07-22T16:05:04Z 2008-07-22T22:54:14Z

This client had a new penthouse terrace with amazing views that stretched from downtown Brooklyn across the waterways and included the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. The main problem was that the developers had put no irrigation on...

Maria This client had a new penthouse terrace with amazing views that stretched from downtown Brooklyn across the waterways and included the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. The main problem was that the developers had put no irrigation on the roof and there was no access to a system from any terraces. At first we thought about using a rain barrel, as there is a drainpipe. However this was so low to the ground and close to the door, it couldn't be used. (The Co-op rules mandate that it can't be adjusted in any way.) So we had to find self-irrigation planters. The taller cylindrical ones we got from Sprout Home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. These have 1-2 gallon reservoirs and after the roots establish in about 3 months, the tanks only need to be filled every three weeks. We chose charcoal gray, and were really pleased with how simple they were to put together and how nice they look. The rectangular planters are custom made by Rollner Architectural Metals. I saw their planters last year at the Brooklyn Design show, and was really impressed. These are powder-coated aluminum and weigh only about 38 pounds empty, so they were great for a weight limit. There are lots of colors to choose from, but we decided to stay in the gray/silver range. The tricky part with these was irrigation. We ended up ordering Tournesol sub-irrigation systems. They took a long time to assemble, came missing parts, etc. but hopefully were worth the hassle. We chose hearty, wind tolerant plants. To the south, the clients wanted privay, so we planted ornamental grasses with a few lavander and sedum. These give the area a breezy, beach feel. The side with the amazing views, we went lower, so to not obstruct the skyline. Here we planted rugosa roses, lavender and sedum. The corners are anchored with trios of hearty boxwood, euonymus and berberis. (The Rollner Architectural Metals planters are from their Tides Home line.]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.354 2008-07-17T16:32:23Z 2008-07-17T23:31:43Z

The new food and gardening blog, Diggin Food has recently featured the vegetable loft by Prospect & Refuge. They also have a recipe for grilled cheese with figs that looks pretty amazing up right now......

Maria The new food and gardening blog, Diggin Food has recently featured the vegetable loft by Prospect & Refuge. They also have a recipe for grilled cheese with figs that looks pretty amazing up right now...]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.353 2008-07-17T16:04:16Z 2008-07-17T16:27:24Z

This client in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn didn't like the cavernous, dark space under the porch. She wanted to transform it so that it would look nice from the yard, and when in the downstairs playroom, whose doors...

Maria Keystone in Hudson, New York. On either side of the door zinc pots hold deep shade plants--the elephant ears are doing great, surprisingly, the ghost ferns, not so much. The trellis with a dragonfly made of butterknives is from Mohawk Industries, often displaying his creative metalware at the Brooklyn Flea. There's a hanging basket, where the caladium are very happily regenerating themselves, and under the stairs is a mix of heuchera (coral bells), ferns, and creeping jenny. The client added the small bench for her daughter, and it has become a lovely little area increases the size of the usable garden. Before Before After Trellis with Semi-Shade Clematis Under the Stairs Close-Up Shade Pot (A nice thing about shade gardens is that the dearth of blooming plants makes you work more with leaf color and texture.) Here's another fountain we installed in the yard. It's also made of Guatemalan stone sinks. ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.352 2008-07-11T13:53:06Z 2008-07-11T17:52:20Z

The Surfrider Foundation dedicated to cleaner oceans has a website with lots of great tips for landscaping to keep storm water run-off from washing into the oceans, alternatives to lawns, great household fertilizers (human hair can be used!), as...

Maria The Surfrider Foundation dedicated to cleaner oceans has a website with lots of great tips for landscaping to keep storm water run-off from washing into the oceans, alternatives to lawns, great household fertilizers (human hair can be used!), as well as plants that naturally repel insects so that pesticides aren't needed. From their website, . CPR stands for Conservation, Permeability, and Retention, and when fully employed, it has one of two outcomes: Water run-off is either eliminated or cleaned. Gardeners greatly affect the ocean, and we do so in two distinct ways. First, we influence the amount of water running off a landscape. Between 30% and 80% of an urban/suburban homesite is comprised of impermeable surfaces, and besides the roof, most of this area can be changed. And second we influence the quality of water running off our properties and landscapes. Rain falling into an ocean is not inherently harmful, it is the stuff attached to it that is. Fertilizers, pesticides, oils, cleaning solutions, and organic debris all runs off our landscapes during rain. These chemicals and organic substances are the culprits that encourage harmful algae and bacteria. ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.351 2008-07-09T14:34:19Z 2008-07-09T14:44:38Z

This Sunday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Alice Waters, along with lots of gardeners will plant the first edible garden in the city by the Bay's Civic Center since 1943. Here are details from the Slow Food Nation...

Maria This Sunday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Alice Waters, along with lots of gardeners will plant the first edible garden in the city by the Bay's Civic Center since 1943. Here are details from the Slow Food Nation Blog . Beginning July 1, the lawn of San Francisco's City Hall will undergo a transformation from grass carpet to edible garden. The installation of the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden marks the first time that City Hall has hosted an edible garden since 1943. We will begin by pulling up turf (which will be replanted in other parts of the City's green areas) and planting beets, lettuce, kale and many other heritage varieties of vegetables. The food grown in the garden--most of which will be ready for harvest during Slow Food Nation's Labor Day event--will be donated to those with limited access to healthy, organic produce through a partnership with local food banks and meal programs.]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.350 2008-06-28T17:44:33Z 2008-06-28T17:48:03Z

Pull Quote: Intimate, lightly trafficked and often quirky, the small gardens of Paris can be ideal places to rest and to read. The trick is to find them. You can consult "Paris: 100 Jardins Insolites" ("Paris: 100 Unusual Gardens"),...

Maria Pull Quote: Intimate, lightly trafficked and often quirky, the small gardens of Paris can be ideal places to rest and to read. The trick is to find them. You can consult "Paris: 100 Jardins Insolites" ("Paris: 100 Unusual Gardens"), a guide by Martine Dumond whose color photos make discovery for the non-French speaker a pleasure, or explore various Web sites like www.paris-walking-tours.com/parisgardens.html. Or you can simply wander on foot, confident that around the next corner there will be something new. For the full article, click Here.]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.349 2008-06-28T17:21:40Z 2008-06-28T17:41:27Z

Another eco-trend in gardening is placing plants that like continual moisture and absorb rain water. This helps keep run-off after rains from flooding, and washing pollutants into water systems. They are actually very simple to create. During rains, water runs...

Maria Rain Garden in June ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.348 2008-06-24T15:56:36Z 2008-06-24T16:19:47Z

There's a great new Seattle-based blog, Diggin Food that's dedicated to the vegetable--growing, cooking, eating, and even vegetable art....

Maria There's a great new Seattle-based blog, Diggin Food that's dedicated to the vegetable--growing, cooking, eating, and even vegetable art. ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.347 2008-06-23T01:35:14Z 2008-06-23T01:47:29Z

Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters: Women of Art and Science August 31, 2008 at The Getty Last summer I visited the the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City to see the collection of botanical paintings and drawings of plants...

Maria Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters: Women of Art and Science August 31, 2008 at The Getty Last summer I visited the the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City to see the collection of botanical paintings and drawings of plants and their pollinators by Maria Sibylla Merian. Now luckly Angelenos can see these on display at the Getty Museum. Maria Sibylla Merian left Amsterdam and visited Suriname with her daughter in 1699. Merian not only illustrated the relationship between the caterpillar and the butterfly, but each of her paintings was a like a small narrative, showing the relationships--generous, violent, necessary-- between tropical plants and insects. The local natives and slave women found out about her interests, and started to teach her the local lore the magical and medicinal properties of the plants. She returned to Europe and published the book, "Metamorphosis of the Insects of Surinam". In this she recorded life histories of beetles and moths that were previously unknown to science....center to see the botanical paintings by Maria Sibylla Merian. Her pictures are now on display at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.346 2008-06-20T12:06:55Z 2008-06-20T12:24:29Z

The proposed project Garden Spot would convert the non-advertisement side of billboards throughout New York City to suspended gardens. This won TODO Design and Das Studio won a first place award at the international Design Awards Land and Sea...

Maria The proposed project Garden Spot would convert the non-advertisement side of billboards throughout New York City to suspended gardens. This won TODO Design and Das Studio won a first place award at the international Design Awards Land and Sea Competition. We propose to enlist these structural resources for community improvement and to seed landscapes in the sky. Billboards are designed as monological messages aimed at a target audience zipping past in cars in a defined direction, such as a one way street. As the flip sides of the billboards are not designed to market to a pedestrian, community scaled audience, we propose to exploit them to provide community gardens in the sky, a place for nature to take root and provide relief to the community. Our proposal encourages dialogue with the local residents without interfering with the target, drive-by audience at the same time that it greens the city. These gardens work to offset the carbon footprint of the passing vehicles. We consider it akin to planting an urban tree, only that these gardens will allow for a diversity of planting that can be tailored to local fauna and climate.]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.345 2008-06-20T00:30:03Z 2008-06-20T01:35:55Z

Three great Bronx institutions have great stuff planned this weekend. Help out Sustainable South Bronx, get to know the Bronx River, and enjoy the art and music sponsored by the Bronx River Art Center. Saturday, June 21st 2nd Annual...

Maria Three great Bronx institutions have great stuff planned this weekend. Help out Sustainable South Bronx, get to know the Bronx River, and enjoy the art and music sponsored by the Bronx River Art Center. Saturday, June 21st 2nd Annual Hunts Point 5k Race Hunts Point Riverside Park (Edgewater Road & Lafayette Avenue) 9am Support the Bronx Greenway!! Proceeds from this race go to urban forestry efforts along the route including: tree planting, tree maintenance, green walls, planted medians and other vegetated surfaces. For more information or to register for the race, click here . Bronx River Alliance Saturday, June 21st Bronx River Festival River Park (E. 180th St. & Boston Road) 11am - 3pm Celebrate Bronx Week with canoe trips, arts and crafts, food and live entertainment featuring Gerry Segal and Sonia Manzano (Maria from Sesame Street). For more information on this event and upcoming Bronx River Alliance events, click here for a full calendar. Bronx River Art Center Saturday, June 21st Bronx River Sounds Cool Hot & Blue featuring Latin Jazz Group Insight Drew Gardens (E. Tremont Ave bet. West Farms Rd. & Devoe St.) 4pm For more information on Bronx River Art Center, this event and upcoming events, click here . ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.344 2008-06-17T02:20:02Z 2008-06-17T02:49:25Z

Columnist Barry Estabrook from Gourmet.com takes on the tomato scare in his column and Pablo Neruda celebrates its essence. How the hell does salmonella get inside a tomato? Pull Quote: Excuse the bluntness, but that question has been much...

Maria Columnist Barry Estabrook from Gourmet.com takes on the tomato scare in his column and Pablo Neruda celebrates its essence. How the hell does salmonella get inside a tomato? Pull Quote: Excuse the bluntness, but that question has been much on my mind this week in the wake of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) warnings against eating raw red tomatoes. The agency took action after 145 diners in 16 states were sickened by tomatoes tainted with salmonella, a bacteria carried in the intestines of animals and humans. Ode To Tomatoes by Pablo Neruda The street filled with tomatoes, midday, summer, light is halved like a tomato, its juice runs through the streets. In December, unabated, the tomato invades the kitchen, it enters at lunchtime, takes its ease on countertops, among glasses, butter dishes, blue saltcellars. It sheds its own light, benign majesty. Unfortunately, we must murder it: the knife sinks into living flesh, red viscera a cool sun, profound, inexhaustible, populates the salads of Chile, happily, it is wed to the clear onion, and to celebrate the union we pour oil, essential child of the olive, onto its halved hemispheres, pepper adds its fragrance, salt, its magnetism; it is the wedding of the day, parsley hoists its flag, potatoes bubble vigorously, the aroma of the roast knocks at the door, it's time! come on! and, on the table, at the midpoint of summer, the tomato, star of earth, recurrent and fertile star, displays its convolutions, its canals, its remarkable amplitude and abundance, no pit, no husk, no leaves or thorns, the tomato offers its gift of fiery color and cool completeness.]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.343 2008-06-14T20:55:28Z 2008-06-17T02:50:28Z

It has been hot, hot, hot in New York City and I've been worried about all the plants wilting. I've heard lots of people tell me that their plants looked great, until August, and then mysteriously, while on vacation,...

Maria It has been hot, hot, hot in New York City and I've been worried about all the plants wilting. I've heard lots of people tell me that their plants looked great, until August, and then mysteriously, while on vacation, everything died. Well, it feels like August now, and I'm working on a design for a rooftop garden that has no water source. It's exposed to full sun and wind, yet has absolutely no irrigation. There's a drainpipe for run-off we wanted to attach to a rain barrel, but this too is set up so close to the door, and runs about 1 inch off the ground, so that nothing can be put around or under it, and it can't be altered. So while researching self-watering containers, gel water crystals, and drought tolerant plants, (unfortunately, the client doesn't like yucca), I've come across some articles of interest. The Los Angeles Times published an article, How do his veggies grow? The no-dig way , about Pat Marfisi who has raised beds of layered alfalfa hay, straw, blood and bone meal, and compost, and it doesn't require much watering, and very little digging. The Seattle Post Intelligencer weighed in last week with Green Gardening: I'll take my garden dry, on the rocks , and the key here is deep, gravel mulch. Foilage is planted in topsoil and compost, and then mulched with about a half-inch of crushed gravel. The author, Ann Lovejoy, wrote "Because these gardens are not watered (after the initial planting year), weeds rarely trouble them. The deep gravel mulches make pulling the few weeds that do appear a snap.... Why is gravel depth so important? Like any mulch, it is supposed to moderate soil temperatures and keep soil evenly moist. A 2- to 3-inch deep gravel mulch also will prevent weed seeds from germinating. A skimpy half-inch deep mulch won't. Dry garden pathways often are trenched 12-18 inches deep, then filled with 3/4-inch crushed gravel. Like French drains, such paths pull excess water away from raised beds in winter, allowing plant roots to get plenty of air. This helps prevent the root rots that carry away so many plants during our long wet winters." Last year, Slate.com published a good article, On Dry Land, which not only describes drought tolerant plants, but also tells how to prep the soil to retain rain water run off. The author, Constance Casey, advises, "Make the water percolate down to plants' roots. Don't till the soil; bare plowed soil loses water to evaporation. Leave organic material lying on the soil surface or plant groundcover (a cover crop like clover or alfalfa in the case of farmers). Midwestern farmers are now leaving corn plants up after harvest to catch the snow and protect the soil. Encourage worms, whose tunnels, about the diameter of a pencil, direct water down to root level." If you're looking for drought tolerant plants, one of the best known suppliers is High Country Gardens ]]> tag:www.citydirt.net,2008://1.342 2008-06-12T22:44:57Z 2008-06-17T02:49:25Z

The rise in gas prices aren't all bad. Victory Gardens are proliferating, car manufacturers aren't making anymore gas guzzling SUV's or Hummers. What's next--public transportation in America? Bike lanes? But back to vegetables... Newspapers from around the country have...

Maria The rise in gas prices aren't all bad. Victory Gardens are proliferating, car manufacturers aren't making anymore gas guzzling SUV's or Hummers. What's next--public transportation in America? Bike lanes? But back to vegetables... Newspapers from around the country have been reporting on surge in vegetable gardening--it's officially a trend, and hopefully one here to stay. On June 11th, 2008 the New York Times ran the article, Banking on Gardening that profiles people who have decided to grow their own because of rising food prices. On June 5th, 2008 The Wall Street Journal published The Vegetable Patch Takes Root , which discusses not only costs, but also this is the most reliable way to get organic produce. On the heels of this reporting, The San Francisco Chronicle weighed in on June 7th, 2008 with the article Easy foods for beginners, Homegrown craze brings bumper crop of fresh, veggies, healthy bodies where not only high food prices and concerns about the environment, but the growing "foodie" movement is spurring gardeners on. ]]>