The Footbridge Garden update: Now... and Then!

As the heat of the summer seems to have lessened a bit, it's time to see which plants have survived. During my time away, a host of waterers added the precious liquid to the plants - who continued to be battered by the punishing sun, with over 90 degrees most days. Thanks to all who gave their time and rolled those barrels of water over the often rocky pavement to get near the garden.

One sad thing to note is the loss of plants - not due to lack of care - but to the nearby weed spraying of chemicals by the LIRR, whose fence we have as a boundary. Those plants near the fence started looking a little bad - reported one conscientious waterer - but on inspection yesterday, I saw all the weeds directly next to the garden on their side of the fence were dead, taking with them several nearby plants. Alas, but, that's the risk, I guess. Now we know.

Enjoy the photos I took right before leaving on vacation. Be sure to use the magnifier to see the photos at their best. It's been great to see the progress when looking back over the three and a half months since it was a 'vacant and untended lot'. Soon there will be more additions, as a trip to Home Depot yesterday insured. Next post!

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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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