T(h)ree bird houses

street tree on King Street

LaGuardia Corner Gardens (community garden)

Church of Saint Luke in the Fields, Barrow Street Garden

Saint Luke in the Fields gardens

We introduced you to the Church of Saint Luke in the Fields gardens in our post about two Centenarian Acer saccharinum (silver maple) trees.  Saint Luke is an Episcopal Church in the West Village neighborhood of NYC. The church has six gardens, one of which is the North Garden which has the very old silver maples. The other five gardens are: Barrow Street Garden (no. 1), the Contemplation Corner (no. 2), South Lawn (no. 3), the Allée (no. 4), and Rectory Garden (no. 5).

Barrow Street Garden

the Contemplation Corner 

I found the Barrow Street Garden to be a more contemplative space than the Contemplation Corner. The benches in the main garden are setback enough to provide refuge and privacy. On the other hand, the benches are close enough to paths and have sight lines to other benches, other parts of the garden, and to the entrance gate to provide prospect.

South Lawn

Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain good photographs of the Allée and Rectory Garden.  If you are in the area, visit the gardens.  The church address is 487 Hudson Street, NYC, 10014.

Mewsing around the Village

We chronicled our stroll around Washington Mews in September of 2009.  In the same essay, we wrote about Grove Court, a mews of sorts of of six houses between 10 and 12 Grove Street in the West Village.  Today, we would like to share with you a mews, an alley, a cul-de-sac, and a former stables, but first, a quote about the desirability of former coachmen houses and stables. 

From the AIA Guide to Boston by Susan and Michael Southworth (thank you!) writing about Acorn Street on the South Slope of Beacon Hill:

This cobblestone street is a charming remnant of early nineteenth-century life....These very desirable small homes were originally the residences of coachmen who served families in the nearby mansions and fine homes on Chestnut and Mount Vernon Street.  (2008, 2)

MacDougal Alley (private). According to Forgotten NY Alleys, the street "was built in the 1830s to access stables servicing nearby Washington Square North."

Former Grosvenor Private Boarding Stables on West 10th Street.

The cul-de-sac in this story is Patchin Place off West 10th Street.  It was deeded to Aaron Patchin by his father-in-law, Samuel Milligan.  The houses were built in 1848 and The Rough Guide to New York City informs us that the street was home to several cultural figures such as Djuna Barnes, e e cummings, Ezra Pound, and Eugene O'Neill.  Despite the illustrious figures who lived on the cul-de-sac, the folks at nyc-architecture write that the houses were threatened with demolition in 1963 but were saved via a community action and landmarked in 1969.  

The now gated 10-house community began its life as worker housing for Brevoort House Hotel (Fifth Avenue) employees, according to MCNY, but the cul-de-sac's Wiki entry points out that the hotel was not constructed until 1855.  A New York Times article about the street says the housing was built for "neighborhood workers."  What was once worker boarding rooms, in 2003, cost "between $1,400 and $1,800 for the same single room," according to the same Times article!

Opening day for Imagination Playground

Manhattan's "first new playground the parks department has opened downtown in about a decade" opens today at the Burling Slip at the South Street Seaport.  Last week we wrote about David Rockwell's Imagination Playground concept and child's play in NYC. We have included the essay below for your convenience. Will you be playing at the Imagination Playground this summer?

*** *** ***

Imagination Playground in a Box, High Line Park, May 2010

Playground design has been a hot topic this year.  It started with overheated metal domes at two Michael Van Valkenburgh designed playgrounds.  More recently, architect (and parent) David Rockwell's Imagination Playground (in partnership with the "saving play for America's children" nonprofit, KaBOOM!) has been the subject of a Leonard Lopate show and a New Yorker article.  Rockwell's playground consists of blue "giant foam blocks, mats, wagons, fabric and crates[that] overflow with creative potential for children to play, dream, build and explore endless possibilities" (pictured above).  In May of this year, High Line Park hosted an Imagination Playground.  Other sites around the city hosted the playground.  These mini "Imagination Playground in a Box" play days were enticements for the ultimate Imagination Playground opening at the Burlip Slip at South Street Seaport this summer.  

Child's play or movement is on the President's agenda, too.  Just this morning, NPR's Pam Fessler reported that President Obama "has pledged to end childhood hunger by 2015."  The other side of the hunger story, in America, is obesity.  First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! is one approach to resolving childhood obesity.  Let's Move! is "engaging every sector of society that impacts the health of children to provide schools, families and communities the simple tools they need to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy."  Being more active can be achieved via "active families", "active schools", and active communities.  Let's Move! argues for the role of access to playgrounds in increasing physical activity.

To increase physical activity, today’s children need safe routes to walk and ride to school, parks, playgrounds and community centers where they can play after school and be active in sports, dance or fitness programs that are exciting and challenging to keep them engaged.

Lawn-tennis and volley-ball games as played by girls in the William H. Seward Park, 1905.  Source: NYPL Digital Gallery 806207

Before Rockwell's "loose" blue playground, Michael Van Valkenburgh's sophisticated playgrounds at Union Square and Brooklyn Bridge parks, and even Richard Dattner's 1972 Adventure Playground in Central Park, there was "the first permanent municipally–built playground in the country", constructed in the Lower East Side's Seward Park in 1903.  But even before the advent of municipal playgrounds, another public space was used for play.  Streets.

...a wave of immigration more than doubled the population of New York City, from 720,000 in 1865 to 1.8 million in 1895. Overcrowded tenement districts on the Lower East Side and the neighborhood on the west side of mid–town Manhattan known as “Hell's Kitchen” teemed with children, many of whom worked long hours in factories. Around the turn of the century, child labor laws began to improve life for many youngsters, but the only place they could play outdoors was the street, alleyways, or vacant lots. In response to these deplorable conditions, leading reformers of the Progressive era in New York City lobbied for the creation of a new kind of small park for children— the playground.   (Source: New York City Department of Parks and Recreation -- Playgrounds in Parks)

Playing in streets could be informal (above) or sanctioned as in the Summer Play Streets established by the Police Athletic League in 1914.  The goal of these play streets, as described on the PAL website, is to provide "children safe, supervised and fun-filled places to play and learn. Play Streets offer prevention education, sports and games and cultural arts activities."

Mulberry Street, north towards Houston Street

Between the 1940s and the 1980s, a modern, informal play street existed on Mulberry Street between Prince and Houston Streets.  According to a commemorative plaque across from St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, the children who played on the street were Italian American and one of the games played was spaldeen, the "most exciting street game ever played by New Yorkers."

We frequently walk along Mulberry Street -- a library branch is located at Mulberry and Jersey Streets -- but have yet to see any youth playing spaldeen or any other games.  I think much of the youth play has moved indoors.  For example, St. Patrick's Old Cathedral sponsors indoor youth soccer and basketball at its Youth Center on Mulberry Street.  

So, where did you play as a young person?  Yard, park/playground, or street?  If you have children, where do you encourage them to play?

Finally, Woolly Pockets

This spring I felt like everyone had seen a Woolly Pocket garden, except me!  Well, I finally saw one; the garden is installed on the west-south-west side of the William F. Passannante Ballfield at Houston and Sixth Avenue in the Village.  (Click here for a photograph of the garden in progress at the Woolly Pockets blog.)  In a nutshell, the company describes Woolly Pocket products as "flexible, breathable, and modular gardening containers. They`come in two styles: those designed to be placed on horizontal surfaces, and those designed to be hung on walls for vertical gardening."  Chain link fence never looked this good!

(now known as) School Garden

A Wally

What's growing in this Woolly Pocket Garden? Thank you!

Note: this post was edited for clarity on June 16, 2011.

The week in trees, July 18-23, 2010

Styphnolobium japonicum (formerly Sophora japonica) trees are blooming. 

Related post: 3 ways to identify a Styphnolobium japonicum in NYC.

Don't water a tree's trunk!  This practice can lead to fungal decay at the root collar. Also, sprinkler irrigation can lead to "surface compaction created by water hitting the soil surface and dispersing the soil aggregates" (ISA Arborists' Certification Study Guide, 2001, 40).

I think the tree (Zelkova serrata) pictured is dead, but it is being watered (with a Treegator® Slow Release Watering Bag).  So, perhaps the tree dropped its leaves because the soil is very dry because of the current heat wave.  It does not help that it is located within a hot plaza.  I could not determine if the cambium is green -- a way to gauge if the tree is alive.  

These trees are overwrought! There is a tree guard to protect the tree trunk (from gnawing horses -- a historic reason for installing trunk guards), a tree pit guard (to discourage lax dog owners, among other things), and a car door barrier.

Tree protection zone installed for construction work at the 6th Ave/W. 3rd playground.  The International Society of Arboriculture recommends protecting at least one foot (1') from the trunk for each inch (1") of trunk diameter.  The protection zone pictured above does not adhere to this standard but it is protecting the trunk and exposed soil surface.  What is New York City's policy for tree protection for trees in/near construction sites?  Can I find the information online?  Related post: Manhattan's parks as green infrastructure.

Blue Spots shade Santa Monica's bus routes

Distribution of Blue Spot shelters.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

Los Angeles-based architecture firm Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA) with Bruce Mau Design (BMD) won the City of Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Shelter and Branding Package. BMD's task was signage and information while LOHA's was bus shelter design. The firm's shelter concept was "the Blue Spots."  In plan view, the shelters resemble spots of blue on the landscape (above). Santa Monica's 360 bus stops were analyzed by boardings per day resulting in four categories of stops:

• “Type 1” High Volume, 100 – 999 boardings per day, 54 stops
• “Type 2” Moderate Volume, 50 – 99 boardings per day, 42 stops
• “Type 3” Lower Volume, 49 or less boardings per day, 259 stops
• “Type 4” Special High Volume, over 1,000 boarding’s per day, 1 stop

Blue Spot configurations of  shade canopy, mount, and seats.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

LOHA's shelter, composed of three elements, can be configured for each stop type.  The three components of the Blue Spot are a circular shade structure, a pole mount, and individual seats.  Santa Monica's Department of Public Works described the Blue Spot as follows:

The flexible and adaptable design allows sites to be individually calibrated according to solar orientation, varying site conditions, and to provide maximum shade at each site throughout the day.

Elements of the shelter site.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

Additional features of the Blue Spot include transparency to preserve business visibility, solar technology to power lights and signs, trash and recycling bins, as well as signage and information. Interestingly, a stormwater runoff reduction component was researched but "not recommended due to redundancy with the existing Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility system, tree requirements that might be in conflict with the City’s list of approved tree list, added costs of roughly 70% the estimated cost of the bus shelter, and greatly increased construction time."

(According to Fast Company, "rain isn't really a big problem in Santa Monica"; the  average annual precipitation measured at the Santa Monica Pier is 12.89 inches.  (Compare to yearly averages in Seattle (36.2 inches), San Francisco (19.5 inches), and New York City (40.3 inches).)  However, despite relatively low rainfall, additional runoff reduction measures might be necessary.  In their study of the effects of Santa Monica's street and park tree cover on rainfall interception, Xiao and McPherson (2002, "Rainfall interception by Santa Monica’s municipal urban forest") found that Santa Monica's tree pruning practices might reduce crown volume, leaf area, and stem area resulting in reduced rainfall interception rates.)

LOHA's design process yielded a spectacular set of data, information and graphics, some of which are pictured below.

Pre-existing shelter design.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

Daily ridership peaks.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

Sun-shadow studies.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

Distribution of daily and seasonal shadow.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

Site-specific geometry.  Source: Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA).

Tell us about your city's bus shelters!

Related posts:

Daytime parasol, evening soft light

Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle

Thanks to Andrew Hall of LOHA for the images used in this blog post.  Hat tip: Frances Anderton's Design and Architecture show on KCRW via Emily Green's Chance of Rain blog.

Edmonston's 7 elements of a green street

Edmonston, a small town in Maryland, has big plans for its streets and its rain runoff.  The town's Green Street project will transform its major residential street, Decatur Street, into "a fully environmentally responsible street [utilizing] the best sustainability practices from across the country - from the tree canopy overhead to the storm water system underground.  It will be first street of its kind in Maryland, and perhaps the on the east coast."  This street is a big deal.  At its groundbreaking on November 24, 2009, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Congresswoman Donna Edwards, among other officials, were in attendance!

The seven elements of Edmonston's Green Street plan are:

1. Native tree canopy
2. Street lighting with clean energy
3. Walking, Running and Biking
4. Recycled Materials
5. Storm water Bio Retention and Filtration
6. Open Process and Public Engagement
7. Education and Replication

The elements are self-explanatory but visuals are always welcome.  Here is Decatur Street, un-greened.

Courtesy of the Town of Edmonston

The existing tree canopy is composed of "non-native and low growth trees [that] reduce habitat and contribute to "urban heat island" effect" (1). The street is lit by "inefficient" and coal powered sodium and mercury vapor street lights; also, since the lighting is located above the trees, the sidewalk is poorly lit (2). In terms of accessibility, the sidewalks are narrow and broken, possibly violating ADA requirements (3). The street is wide which "promotes speeding, making it even less safe for bikes and pedestrians." Furthermore, there are no dedicated bike lanes (4). Finally, stormwater runoff is directed towards local waterways via the sewer system, negatively impacting "fish and other wildlife, promot[ing] illness among people, and contribut[ing] to the death of the Chesapeake Bay" (5). 

The ideal Green Street design for Decatur Street will look like the following:

Courtesy of the Town of Edmonston

The transformation is stark! The new canopy will be composed of large stature native which will "increase habitat, clean air, and cool street, sidewalks and homes" (1). L.E.D. light fixtures will be installed; these are "extremely efficient, and will be powered by clean wind energy. [Also] the lights will be closer to the street to maintain effectiveness to public safety" (2). Wider sidewalks of 36 inches will be ADA compliant promoting "wellness, walking and community" (3). Well-signed bike lanes will be installed and will also promote "safety, wellness, an alternative to cars, and offer connectivity to bike trails and transit." In addition, bump-outs create "wiggle" streets, "slowing traffic for bike and pedestrian safety" (4). And perhaps the piece de resistance, bioretention gardens and tree boxes will capture stormwater runoff; "the water is then naturally filtered of pollutants and debris, helping restore our rivers and the Bay" (5). 

Tell us about your city's efforts to create greener, safer, more accessible streets!

Thank you to Michelle Rodriguez, Edmonston's Town Clerk, for permission to use the photographs posted on the town's website. Hat tip: ASLA The Dirt blog.

Child's play in New York City and the nation

Imagination Playground in a Box, High Line Park, May 2010

Playground design has been a hot topic this year.  It started with overheated metal domes at two Michael Van Valkenburgh designed playgrounds.  More recently, architect (and parent) David Rockwell's Imagination Playground (in partnership with the "saving play for America's children" nonprofit, KaBOOM!) has been the subject of a Leonard Lopate show and a New Yorker article.  Rockwell's playground consists of blue "giant foam blocks, mats, wagons, fabric and crates[that] overflow with creative potential for children to play, dream, build and explore endless possibilities" (pictured above).  In May of this year, High Line Park hosted an Imagination Playground.  Other sites around the city hosted the playground.  These mini "Imagination Playground in a Box" play days were enticements for the ultimate Imagination Playground opening at the Burlip Slip at South Street Seaport this summer.  

Child's play or movement is on the President's agenda, too.  Just this morning, NPR's Pam Fessler reported that President Obama "has pledged to end childhood hunger by 2015."  The other side of the hunger story, in America, is obesity.  First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! is one approach to resolving childhood obesity.  Let's Move! is "engaging every sector of society that impacts the health of children to provide schools, families and communities the simple tools they need to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy."  Being more active can be achieved via "active families", "active schools", and active communities.  Let's Move! argues for the role of access to playgrounds in increasing physical activity.

To increase physical activity, today’s children need safe routes to walk and ride to school, parks, playgrounds and community centers where they can play after school and be active in sports, dance or fitness programs that are exciting and challenging to keep them engaged.

Lawn-tennis and volley-ball games as played by girls in the William H. Seward Park, 1905.  Source: NYPL Digital Gallery 806207

Before Rockwell's "loose" blue playground, Michael Van Valkenburgh's sophisticated playgrounds at Union Square and Brooklyn Bridge parks, and even Richard Dattner's 1972 Adventure Playground in Central Park, there was "the first permanent municipally–built playground in the country", constructed in the Lower East Side's Seward Park in 1903.  But even before the advent of municipal playgrounds, another public space was used for play.  Streets.

...a wave of immigration more than doubled the population of New York City, from 720,000 in 1865 to 1.8 million in 1895. Overcrowded tenement districts on the Lower East Side and the neighborhood on the west side of mid–town Manhattan known as “Hell's Kitchen” teemed with children, many of whom worked long hours in factories. Around the turn of the century, child labor laws began to improve life for many youngsters, but the only place they could play outdoors was the street, alleyways, or vacant lots. In response to these deplorable conditions, leading reformers of the Progressive era in New York City lobbied for the creation of a new kind of small park for children— the playground.   (Source: New York City Department of Parks and Recreation -- Playgrounds in Parks)

Playing in streets could be informal (above) or sanctioned as in the Summer Play Streets established by the Police Athletic League in 1914.  The goal of these play streets, as described on the PAL website, is to provide "children safe, supervised and fun-filled places to play and learn. Play Streets offer prevention education, sports and games and cultural arts activities."

Mulberry Street, north towards Houston Street

Between the 1940s and the 1980s, a modern, informal play street existed on Mulberry Street between Prince and Houston Streets.  According to a commemorative plaque across from St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, the children who played on the street were Italian American and one of the games played was spaldeen, the "most exciting street game ever played by New Yorkers."

We frequently walk along Mulberry Street -- a library branch is located at Mulberry and Jersey Streets -- but have yet to see any youth playing spaldeen or any other games.  I think much of the youth play has moved indoors.  For example, St. Patrick's Old Cathedral sponsors indoor youth soccer and basketball at its Youth Center on Mulberry Street.  

So, where did you play as a young person?  Yard, park/playground, or street?  If you have children, where do you encourage them to play?

Creating a Drought Tolerant Landscape Plan

Kimberly Madrigal of GreenLandlady.com has generously shared her essay on drought-tolerant landscaping with us.  The original post can be read here.

Comprehensive Drought Tolerant Landscape Plan

Landscaping often accounts for up to 30% of a property’s water consumption, but with proper maintenance and planning you may be able to bring that percentage closer to zero. Before considering what every property manager should do, let’s say a word about what you should not do: don’t pave over green space in an effort to conserve water. Paving over previously green spaces disrupts the natural cycle of water and sends water into the sewer system instead of allowing it to percolate or filter through to the natural underground aquifer from which the city draws a portion of its water. Put simply, sending water off of your property into the streets where it’s funneled into the city’s sewage system is a recipe for higher water bills.

Los Angeles receives an average of 12 – 13 inches of rainfall per year, concentrated during the winter months. We receive virtually no rain for at least six months of the year; therefore, the best type of landscaping here is drought tolerant or xeriscaping that requires little to no water once it is established.

Observe Your Property

The first step of any landscape plan is to take a look at your property and what you’ll want to take note of are changes in elevation: does your lot have a slope to it? If so, remember that water travels downhill and the plants at lower elevation will receive more water than the plants higher up. What is the orientation of your building to the sun? You might wish to draw a diagram of your property. Could you plant trees along the South and West sides that provide shade in the summer, but allow the sun to warm the building in the winter?

Observe What Grows Naturally Nearby

You might consider taking a hike in the nearby hills or state parks to see what flowers, shrubs and trees grow well with no irrigation. Visit public gardens with drought tolerant installations. Take a camera with you to help you remember, research and communicate your ideas to others who may become involved in the process.

Make a Plan & Start Small

You may wish to contact your local nursery or a qualified landscape architect to help you map things out. Start with small, manageable plants. They will be less expensive and you can move them, if necessary.

Keep Water Where It’s Needed

Be aware that trees should not be planted on mounds but rather in “wells” that allow the water to seep down to the roots instead of running off. Drought tolerant plants that are watered regularly by sprinkler systems do not develop the deep root systems they need to actually be drought tolerant. Therefore, once the plants have been established, water them deeply every two weeks at most.

When heavy rains arrive, plan to trap the water onsite by making sure your tree “wells” are sufficiently large and interconnected through many pathways. Provide small water barriers in a zigzag pattern and this will force any uncollected stormwater to meander. Remember by slowing it down, you give it a chance to sink into the soil and water your landscaping.

Keep Moisture from Evaporating

Be sure to mulch and use groundcover where appropriate. This will help ensure moisture retention when it’s dry and helps water infiltrate better. Never leave a patch of dirt if you can avoid it, because water tends to pool, not sink, on bare earth.

You may also feel ready to contact a landscape architect and ask for a free consultation. Local nurseries generally have good referrals, by the way, as they are the ones who get the complaints when a poor plan promotes landscaping struggles.

Choosing a professional that can guide you toward drought tolerant garden that requires no water after the first year or two may pay for itself in the long run. It may also help you meet current and future water reduction mandates.

Resources:

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Vol.1 by Brad Lancaster from which much of this material was adapted. Brad Lancaster lives and works in Tuscon, AZ which receives about as much water as Los Angeles does.

The Dry Gardening Handbook: Plants and Practices for a Changing Environment by Olivier Filippi goes into depth on types of plants one should choose.

What has been your experience with climate-appropriate gardening?

Kimberly Madrigal, CSBA, LEED GA brings over a decade of experience in property management to bear as an educator and consultant. She is also the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of GreenLandlady.com, an on-line resource dedicated to sustainable multi-family operations and property management.

Read our latest Human Flower Project essay - Mercer Street, You Could Be Cooler - at humanflowerproject.com.

7 Links Challenge

Darren of ProBlogger challenged his readers to "publish a post that is a list of 7 links to posts that you and others have written that respond to the following 7 categories,"or in other words, a "sneeze page."  Here goes!

1. Your first post
• What else?  It was about the mission of the blog.
2. A post you enjoyed writing the most
• A post About the Ginkgo biloba which was precipitated by a question from a friend's father.
3. A post which had a great discussion
• The first time we hosted Festival of the Trees -- No. 33.
4. A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written
• Just one?!  Most recently, Metropolitan Field Guide's video post about Unexpected Habitat: roundabouts, vacant lots and community gardens.
5. Your most helpful post
• A description of the 10 most common street trees in New York City.
6. A post with a title that you are proud of
• A post summarizing the results of a survey was titled "Survey says...more parks, open spaces, trees" (like the old t.v. game show "Family Feud").
7. A post that you wish more people had read
• Our essay about five parks we visited in the Pearl District neighborhood of Portland, Oregon.

Before & After: Largest green roof in NYC

Update, July 19, 2010: Thank you to @NYCWW for information regarding the plant palette of the green roof.  We gathered information about the project's plants from several news sources and a USPS fact sheet.  The plants on the roof are not native.  From NYC Wildflower Week: "re: largest green roof in NYC: those are NOT native plants. They are the names of cultivars of exotic sedum."

One of our readers alerted us to the presence of a green roof on the Postal Service mailing facility at 341 9th Avenue. The green roof was revealed in July 2009 and was covered by several news outlets such as Fast Company, City Blog, Tree Hugger, Inhabitat, and Environmental Leader.  The 2.5 acre site provides passive recreation for postal employees as well as environmental services.  What environmental services does the roof provide?

• 75% reduction in stormwater runoff during the summer (Fast Company; Environmental Leader)
• up to 35% reduction in runoff in the winter (Environmental Leader)
• $30,000 savings in heating and cooling costs (Fast Company) or 30% energy reduction by 2015 (Environmental Leader)

Before (screen capture of Google Maps)

According to a USPS project fact sheet, the plant palette is comprised of regional native species several non-native sedum cultivars such as Coral Carpet, John Creech, Weinhenstephaner, Immergrunchen, Fudaglut, and Red Carpet. The Times City Room blog reported that the cost of the project was $30 per square foot (engineered soil costs $120 per cubic yard compared to $2-$3 per cubic yard for normal soil). The landscape architecture studio for the project was Elizabeth Kennedy Landscape Architects of Brooklyn, NY.  World Landscape Architect interviewed Elizabeth Kennedy in July 2009.

After (Image courtesy of a reader)

Bloom Day in Beverly, MA

Astilbes.  Ferns and daylilies.  Linden.  Mountain laurel.  Rose.  Salvias.  Stewartia.  All photographed on June 20 in Beverly, Massachusetts.  See May Dreams Gardens for other July GBBD entries.

Seattle's Pollinator Pathway

Seattle's 2nd Ave NW got a pilot stormwater street (Street Edge Alternatives project) in 2001. This year, Columbia Street will get the Pollinator Pathway initiated by Sarah Bergmann.

Columbia Street's Pollinator Pathway, in progress.  Source: Images created by Studio Matthews in collaboration with the University of Washington design program. http://studiomatthews.com

In an interview with GOOD magazine, Bergmann remarked that "lawn grass has almost no ecological value for pollinators." Using the existing framework of city-owned planting strips maintained by adjacent property owners, Columbia Street residents will create pollinator-friendly gardens by removing grass cover from the planting strip and replacing the lawn with mostly Northwest native flora. Two gardens along the mile stretch have been completed.

Source: Images created by Studio Matthews in collaboration with the University of Washington design program. http://studiomatthews.com

Pollinatorpathway.com provides, among other resources, garden templates and descriptions of the species of bees (Western bumblebee, Orchard Mason bee), butterflies (Pale Swallowtail butterfly, Persius Duskywing), birds (Rufous Hummingbird), and bats that will benefit from the new habitat.  

The Pollinator Pathway, as imagined by Bergmann, is not an island.  It will link Seattle University which "has a long history with sustainable landscaping methods, and houses a pollinator friendly garden" and Nora’s Woods, a 0.35-acre city park "that hosts many native, pollinator friendly plants."

Hat tip: "Pollinator Pathway: Vital Ecology in the Emerald City," Theo Schell-Lambert, GOOD magazine.

Centenarian Acer saccharinum

The two Acer saccharinum trees (silver maples) in the North Garden of Saint Luke in the Fields are 100 years old according to the church's garden pamphlet.  Saint Luke was built in 1821 on a two-acre city block.

In future posts, we'll describe other garden areas at Saint Luke: Barrow Street Garden (no. 1), the Contemplation Corner (no. 2), South Lawn (no. 3), the Allée (no. 4), and Rectory Garden (no. 5).

Then & Now: Golden Swan Garden

We first learned about the Golden Swan from The Rough Guide to New York City. The garden site formerly housed a bar, The Golden Swan Bar, "variously called The Hell Hole, Bucket of Blood, and other such inviting names" and was frequented by playwright Eugene O'Neill who "drew many of his characters from the bar's personalities" (p. 106).

According to the Parks website, the Golden Swan was demolished in 1928 to make way for the Sixth Avenue subway line. In 1934, the City was assigned jurisdiction of the parcel was deeded to the City and in 1935, a playground was opened. (Parks did not receive official ownership of the parcel until 1953.)  In 1999, Mayor Giuliani and Council Member Christine Quinn allocated capital funding to transform "this formerly bedraggled open patch of asphalt and concrete into" the garden one sees today. The tree list includes number of trees such as the Japanese dogwood ( Cornus kousa), Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), Serbian spruce (Picea omorika), Japanese maple (Acer japonica), Dawn redwood (Metasequora glyptostroboides), and Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana).  Read about the trees in another small park in the area.

Unpermitted renovation at 142 Bleecker Street, former Senor Swanky's Speakeasy and Mexican Cafe?

July 8, 2010

Building renovation is not something covered on local ecologist but an incident today spurred us to do so.  I was pushing my son in a baby carriage and happened to cross the LaGuardia Place and Bleecker Street intersection to find the sidewalk completely blocked by wooden beams laid across a trash can and a rickety old chair.  Three men, two workers and a "foreman," were attempting to removed the metal awning above the doorway to the former Senor Swanky's restaurant.  I asked them to create some space on the sidewalk so I could pass.  The foreman remarked, "I know the baby is not yours but it's not safe to pass here," to which I replied, "He is my son and I'd like you to make space for me to pass.  I don't see a permit for the work you are doing," to which he replied, "Don't be selfish.  Think about the baby."  He reluctantly adjusted the makeshift barrier, allowing me to pass.  Once passed, I called 311 and reported the illegal blockage of the sidewalk.  NYC 311 allows residents to "get information, report problems, and request services."  Unfortunately, I did not photograph the sidewalk blockade.  Later in the day, I took a video of two workers cutting the metal awning on the sidewalk without personal safety equipment and without safeguards for passers-by.  I will continue to document the renovation of 142 Bleecker Street.

Update, 7/12/2010: Work on the exterior of the former restaurant resumed this morning.  A new awning is being installed.  Metals rods for the awning were cut with a circular saw on the sidewalk.  Scaffolds on wheels are being used.  Two ladders are propped on the exterior wall and two others, one of which is wheeled, are standing unsecured on the sidewalk.  As before, there are no visible safeguards for passers-by.

Update, 7/12/2010, #2: Enclosure of the renovation is in progress -- finally!

Eating the fruits of street trees

Olive tree harvest

We began eating the fruits of street trees (and of trees accessible from the public right of way) in Berkeley, California.  We also participated in Forage Oakland, exchanging our herbs and tomatoes for other herbs and fruits.  There were several public fruit options in Berkeley: plums, tree strawberries, olives, pluots, ginkgos, apples, crabapples, hawthorns, and loquats.  So enamored of our Berkeley experience, we're promoting edible urban forests via our Eat Street Trees! campaign.  Nut trees, too.  We've distilled nocino using sidewalk-grown walnuts.

Strawberries, strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)

It has been challenging to find edible street trees in our New York neighborhood though this spring we've eaten handfuls of serviceberries (but none from the High Line).

Ellen Spector Platt and Ellen Zachos of Garden Bytes from the Big Apple have had success foraging in the city.  Urban forager Ava Chin has written about sweet violet, dandelion, chickweed, and the day lily, but not tree fruits.  By the way, it is illegal to harvest plants (and their fruit) growing in city parks as Chin learned after posting about day lily harvesting.  

We'll stick to street trees. What edible fruit bearing trees are planted in the city's sidewalks? Five, based on the Parks Department's list of approved species of Street Trees for sidewalk and lawn planting sites.  Hawthorn, serviceberry, crabapple, Turkish filbert/Turkish hazel, and Ginkgo.  Read About the Ginkgo biloba for information about cooking the ginkgo nut.  According to Foodmapping there are mulberry trees growing in New York's sidewalks (hat tip: Serious Eats).

Here's a short list of foraging links:

• Fallen Fruit
• Forage Oakland
• Garden Bytes from the Big Apple - foraging
• Foraging for fruit gains popularity (article, New York Times)
• Philadelphia Orchard Project - orchard & gleaning links
• Public Fruit in Historical Perspective
• Public Produce: The New Urban Agriculture (book, Darrin Nordahl)
• Urban Forager

Tell us about your foraging experiences!