New York Spring: at the Union Square Farmers' Market

Muscari (grape hyacinths) at the farmers' market.


After a cancelled appointment this morning I took myself to Union Square where I met up with Chris to buy some new spring flowers for the pots outside our Holly, Wood and Vine office on Forsyth Street. The previous clay pot was wacked, trashed, stomped on, in short, decimated, and I had sworn to replant.

Spring has kicked in at the farmers' market, which is slightly confusing. All this plant material has been forced in green houses, so bulbs planted in the ground last fall are way behind these guys. On the street and in parks and gardens, daffodils are only now peeking out, as the crocuses are finishing up. Tulips are nowhere near blooming. But here everything is a riot, and perfect for instant spring bling - it smells good too.

Below, fat, fragrant hyacinths; little tete-a-tetes, the small daffodils; tulips beyond,

Of course, having burned the candle at both ends, their lives will be short. About three weeks, and it will be time to move on to annuals for colour. But they are fun; a pleasure after dull months.

So, we'll see how long the spring pots last this time. In a few weeks I'll turn them into early summer pots - the locust trees will leaf out soon, making our sidewalk deeply shady, and much of the colour in the pots will come from interesting foliage.

Bottom left are thin spiky crocus; white hyacinths beside them; middle left, parrot tulips; tete-a -tetes on their right, and daffodils behind. Primrose far right. I tried to find flowers still in bud, rather than open, giving us as long a bloom-time as possible.