Wednesday, April 1, 2009

The Oldest Community Garden in New York

...is the Liz Christy Community Garden on East Houston between the Bowery and 2nd Avenue. New development which squashed some very old buildings next door has created an unpleasant glare that did not exist before, and I wonder how the climate in the garden has changed.

Above Prunus subhirtella "Autumnalis Rosea", I think - very early blooms.

Above and below, my friends the bloodroots! I was very surprized to see a little plaque declaring this narrow patch right on East Houston a bona fide offshoot and outpost of the BBG! And it was at the BBG that I saw bloodroot last April, in the Native Garden, for the first time. They are adorable, anemone-like flowers with leaves that curl around their buds and stems like protective cloaks.

Below, though I have used Mahonia (Oregon grape) in garden designs before, and spoken of its sweet scent, that scent-knowledge was theoretical and book-gleaned. I put my nose - along with many bees' noses - into this heavy bunch of flowers yesterday and inhaled the most glorious perfume. I will plant more. Louise, of thisismypatch, writes of it, too.

The Magnolia soulangeana has opened behind it, too.

Soon it will be time for violets.

4 comments:

  1. Wonderful garden! Bloodroot and mahonia are very powerful medicinal herbs.

    'Keli'i

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  2. How demure is the Bloodroot! It made a big impression on me.

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  3. I used to spend a lot of time in this garden in 1989-1991 when couched surfed, primarily on 2nd btw. A and B. It was a place to come to have a coffee and butered roll (brunch, we called it) before rushing off to be editorial peons, model waitresses/actors poet/temps. Then, at in the early evening, it was a place to sneak a drink, hidden behind the green, wondering, but not too loudly: is this the City for me?

    Pritha

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  4. Violets are in my garden right this moment. Thanks so much for the link to my blog Marie. Your plants are new on me, well except the Mahonia that is! x

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