Tell us about your green thumb (or lack thereof)

[+ Just Chuck]

Do you have any plans for this Saturday’s World Naked Gardening Day?

 

[samhexum]

Vibrant Planters Adorned by Local Artist

Brooklyn-based artist Martha Antonelli transformed 16 drab-looking cement planters at Park Place and Fourth and Ninth streets.

The artist hand-painted vibrant, abstract botanical designs onto 16 cement planters as part of a Park Slope beautification project. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

https://www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/park-slope-fifth-avenue-artist-commission-planters-antonelli/

 

[samhexum]

The 11 Best Gardening Tools You Can Buy At Dollar Tree (And 4 You Should Avoid)

Dollar Tree's gardening range includes all kinds of stake lights, so you can illuminate your plot when the sun goes down, and colorful pinwheels that deter critters and delight children of all ages. There are also several standouts among the products that have been a hit with shoppers, as well as a few duds which were not.

https://apple.news/A0uAjMsqjQ4WXcerzmDKklw

 

[samhexum]

Hummingbirds Can’t Resist This Vibrant Flower—and Why Garden Experts Say It’s a Must-Plant

Plus, some additional gorgeous options to usher in all the hummingbirds.

https://apple.news/AO-QCAPLURuC8B4ZsmjzwtQ

 

Edited July 12 by samhexum
but he ain't gonna tell you why

[samhexum]

In partnership with the Parks Department, City Council Member Lincoln Restler’s office planted more than 300 trees this past year in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. 

The effort is part of an ambitious street tree plan launched four years ago to expand the tree canopy in every neighborhood throughout the district. The office has planted over 1,000 trees since 2022. 

Urban trees are most vulnerable during the first two years after planting, when the average mortality rate is about 12%, according to a study by the Center for Urban Resilience. In some previous years, however, Greenpoint and Williamsburg have seen mortality rates nearly twice that average. In 2014, for example, WNYC reported that more than 22% of newly planted trees in the area died.

The Parks Department recommends that newly planted trees receive about 20 gallons of water per week, especially during the hot, dry summer months. “If neighbors can help water new trees on their block, it makes an enormous difference,” said Eliza Relman, a spokesperson for Restler’s office, said in an email to Greenpointers. She also urged neighbors to keep tree pits free of garbage, road and sidewalk salt, and dog waste, all of which can contaminate the soil.

Another common mistake is adding extra soil to tree pits. “While it may seem helpful, excess soil can suffocate the tree, as well as provide a breeding ground for fungi and insects.”

There are a few different community volunteer groups for tree care. The council office supports any neighbors who want to help take care of trees, so anyone interested can contact them at [email protected]

[samhexum]

Greenway Botanical Garden: A New Era for the Naval Cemetery

Alyanna De Vera

Ten years ago, this landscape was opened to the public with a simple but ambitious vision: to create a place of pause along the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Guided by the stewardship of Brooklyn Greenway, the site has since evolved into something greater than was initially planted. Over a decade of growth, conservation, and care, a remarkable diversity of plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife has taken root here, transforming the landscape into a thriving ecological community.

© Marvel

Previously fenced off and largely forgotten, the Naval Cemetery's history and significance were known to few. The design by Nelson Byrd Woltz and Marvel sought to honor that history while reimagining the site's place within the city. A native meadow and pollinator habitat were established above sacred ground, while an elevated boardwalk allows visitors to experience the landscape without disturbing what lies beneath.

© Marvel

© Marvel

© Marvel

Recognized by Botanic Gardens Conservation International,

Greenway Botanical Garden gains international accreditation

the site now officially takes on a new name: Greenway Botanical Garden at the Naval Cemetery. This change marks the culmination of that first decade of growth and stewardship, and is the first-ever botanical garden in NYC to be accredited by Botanical Gardens Conservation International.

“This transformation offers a reminder that landscapes, like cities, are never finished. Along the waterfront—where land and water, history and ecology continually meet and adapt—this place stands as evidence that time, care, and thoughtful design can turn a forgotten site into a living garden, a public resource, and a monument to renewal.” -Scott Demel, Partner at Marvel, lead architect of the Naval Cemetery project, and BGI Board Member for many years.

a sustainable native plant sanctuary located at 61 Williamsburg St W in BrooklynMain features include a raised wooden boardwalk, a 50-species wildflower meadow, and a native black cherry tree grove

History and Design

• Former Naval Cemetery: Holds over 2,000 unmarked graves from the Brooklyn Naval Hospital.

• Raised Boardwalks: Built above the ground to protect the remaining human remains.

• Urban Ecology: Designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects to support local pollinators like bees, moths, and monarch butterflies

Visitor Information & Guidelines

• Access & Transport: Located along the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway with free bike racks on site (no car parking lot). You can check upcoming events on the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative Events Page.

• Strict Rules: Visitors must stay on the wooden boardwalks at all times, picking or cutting plants is prohibited, and animals or dogs are not allowed inside. 

[samhexum]

 

Throughout the summer at the Abib Newborn Garden in Brownsville, high school and college interns are learning what it takes to cultivate a vibrant community garden.

Abib is one garden part of the Learning Gardens program started by the nonprofit City Parks Foundation that seeks to reimagine hands-on learning about gardening, food, biodiversity, cooking and lifeskills. With 37 different crops to maintain in the garden, the summer internship is a big aspect of the program.

“These students are learning very personally what it means to be a community gardener, " said Chrissy Word, the City Parks Foundation Director of Education. “They are growing food. They are learning how to be urban farmers. They are interacting with community gardeners who are part of those gardens.”

The interns are mainly recruited through schools by Program Manager Katina Leier during the school year. They then go through interviews and a four month training program with Leier in the spring to learn about organic gardening, food justice and urban sustainability before becoming paid interns for the summer.

Interns complete plant checks, plant new seeds and teach workshops to younger community groups. A majority of the interns never worked in a garden before, according to Leier.

Read more:  https://www.bkreader.com/non-profit-community/brooklyn-learning-garden-helps-youth-dig-into-their-future-12605777