Central Park Spring

I had an hour to kill between an Upper West Side rooftop appointment and West Village townhouse garden appointment. Two very different spaces needing gardens. Wild, windy and sunblasted. Cool, dark, shady.

But before taking the subway downtown again I walked into the park, opposite the Natural History Museum, taking bites of a $2 hot dog as I went. The park belongs to Cornelian cherries at the moment, the earliest of the dogwoods. I now see their point: planted en masse, the Cornus, er, mas, make absolute sense. Alone they are lost. In threes and sixes they are stunning clouds of pollen-yellow.

There was a lot of the Lonicera fragrantissima. It has followed me about for two days and the lemony-sweet scent is delicious. Below, one can see how nondescript the bushes are.

Daffodils. Much of the woodland is fenced off and I am sorry for it. It spoils the view and one loses the idea of wildness.

More Cornelian cherries near the Conservatory Pond.

And...a BUNNY! This rabbit made my day. I totally forgot to ask his name. He was being walked on the lawn on his leash and his owner was also sad about the fences. He was friendly, unstressed and very soft to stroke.

The pond looking back to Central Park West.

Rather icky water near the Plaza, on central Park South.

Blue squill, I think, in the leaf litter.

Birds and birdsong abounded. Squirrels too. And tourist taking squirrel pictures. I always wonder about those.

I'll be back.