Cottonwood Tree: RIP

My suspicions arose in early March, when I noticed the link fence that seemed to protect the magnificent old cottonwood tree (my very first post in this blog), had been ripped open. I remember thinking, why would someone do this? So, in some ways, I was prepared - unfortunately.

March 14, 2010. It was a Sunday, and I was driving down 51st Avenue, as usual. As I rounded the corner from 25th Street, I could see the scene up ahead. No graceful branches about to bloom. Nothing but a truck, a cherry-picker, a shredder and a saw mill sitting right in the middle the street. I screeched to a halt. Surprised at my anger, the three guys working said, 'Well, it was causing problems in the building - and has to be cut down'.

I stood in shock. They'd already taken the top branches and ground them up. They were working on the larger ones, and seemed annoyed anyone was questioning this.

I was so upset by the site. It's as if I'd witnessed a murder. The men were cavalier and dismissive. 'The rest of it will have to go another day. This thing is too big for one day's work'.

After looking at the pieces sitting there waiting for the shredder, I hurt all over. It just did not seem right. Was it REALLY causing a problem in that little cinderblock building? I did not know what the business was, but thought it was a recycling company, or a printing facility. The entrance was on Borden Ave, and I'd never seen the gates open to the front of the yard where the cinderblock building sat. Another day, I told myself.

That day was for mourning.

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The Footbridge Garden 2012

Oh, what a journey it's been. In the last post - nearly a year ago - I made a to-do list for this blog. We were so busy watering and pulling weeds, it's taken a back seat. But not the plants. We are proud to be in our third year. Yes, we have LOTS of photos to post, however, it's a problem we all have these days - sufficient time! View from the footbridge looking down, where spare tires were dumped among the liquor bottles. Recapping the season : Many good things, new plants and mega growth - and two bad events. I'll post some pictures here to show how lovely things are in general, and then, a few showing the two downers. This year, no natural wind storms, no drunk garden vandals, but spray from the LIRR weed killers (who did not see our weathered garden signs), and a very sad visit from the DOT, who cut and pulled ALL the sunflowers along the parking side of the footbridge. They should have been heading for the underpass of the LIE. What sho...

Summertime 2018!

Summer 2018 and we're still going strong! With help from the community, we've got lots of new plants, and the familiar and much loved sunflowers are just beginning to blossom! So far, the LIRR has not sprayed (they did extra last year) and the DOT is not working on the bridge right now. Things are changing in the neighborhood, however, and new faces emerge who are interested in the garden, and the new businesses. Check back soon for a compendium of the best photos of the last few years. If you need to reach the garden hostess, please call: 917-727-7132, and leave a message. Sunflowers are coming. Now in its 9th year, we're still growing!

Could THIS be a garden?

Hunters Point Footbridge As one goes down the steps from the footbridge over the LIRR tracks, after passing under the LIE, there's a sliver of land the shape of a skinny piece of pizza. Since I'd been making the short trek from the No. 7 train on days I did not drive, I'd noticed this little parcel of land. How very sad; underutilized and barren. Until a clean up in early May (I've later learned it must be the MTA who cleans here periodically), it had been a dump for tires, for cans and bottles and goodness knows what else. It was truly ugly. So, until May, I thought the idea of a garden was impossible. All those tires, all those cans and terrible weeds. Then one day, the place was cleaned up, leaving it more or less with nothing there. Few weeds had begun to peek through the broken glass and metal in the soil; nothing was visible except rocks and broken glass buried in the earth. Why not make this into a garden? Well, at least, try. But how? No water in sight. A week...

Gravel to Green

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