Nature In The City: Begonia Still Lives!

Just a quick note to say that one month after taking her home, Begonia is still alive and flowering. If you knew how many plants I've killed in the past, you'd be hooting too. I'm like a new mother, sticking my fingers in her soil every few days to ensure she's getting enough water, but not too much, moving her from one side of the windowsill to the other, so she can bask in the summer rays. I worry about her leaning tendencies, but she's still flowering, and she's my very own bit of green in this concrete jungle, and that makes me happy.

A Little Walk In The Rain

It's gloomy and wet today, payback for the glimpse of summer we had last week. I went to Minas Shoe Repair to pick up my shoes during my lunch hour. I really do love that place. Chatted Minas up today and discovered a few facts: he started his apprentice in shoe-repair when he was 12 in Greece. He's 67 now. The shoes were beautifully, perfectly done, of course.

I decided to swing by the Bowling Green Greenmarket on the way home, but got distracted by the news Ruben's Empanadas on Bridge St. Those plump little turnovers stuffed with meat were calling my name. I picked up an Argentinean Sausage empanada with a side of hot sauce and wolfed it down for lunch. Yum.

But I digress. I figured the Greenmarket, which is open on Tuesday and Thursdays right outside the Bowling Green 4/5 stop, would be anemic today b/c of the weather. Sure enough, there were only two vendors--both selling baked goods and potted plants.

Funny thing though. In recent weeks, I'd been talking about getting a plant for the house. We have no plant or animal life, other than ourselves, in this apartment. So, I ask the guy running the booth from the Orchards of Concklin for some recommendations on house plants. The guy was just so nice and helpful. I think he got a kick out of my confession that I've killed every plant I've ever owned (with one exception, which I beqeathed to my aunt when I left LA).

So, I brought a little red begonia home. Isn't she sweet? Also, brought home some banana muffins and honey harvested from bees on the Orchard. It felt good buying local. I know local's all the rage, but I confess, I'm so addicted to the Whole Foods experience. But that's b/c New York City is a tough city for grocery shoppers, and WF makes it easy for me. Still, when I lived in LA (you're going to hear this phrase a lot), I went to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market every Saturday. I loved it. Maybe I'll start getting out the Greenmarkets more regularly. I wonder...can a house plant make a difference in my life? Can a bottle of honey from a nearby farm?

Stay dry until next time...

Nature in the City: Signs of Spring

It's perfect in New York right now. In a few weeks, it'll be hot and muggy, and we'll deal with that then, but right now, at 70-80 degrees, I'm right in my element (I'm from sunnier lands) and in the mood to stop and smell the roses...tulips in this case.

I love that the City has put massive red pots planted full of tulips right outside the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Yes, those vehicles whizzing past the red steel railing have just survived the underwater trek from Brooklyn. Apparently this is part of a NYC Dept of Parks and Recreation effort called PlaNYC, which "includes a number of groundbreaking greening initiatives, including planting street trees in all possible locations, creating 800 new greenstreets."

P.S. I was wondering why the city chose such gargantuan planters (might not come through in the picture, but they really are massive) for this little area outside the Rector Street stop, and City Guy says he's noticed that for years, the city tried to beautify the place with sculptures or other kinds of wimpy vegetation, but these decorative items would get blown away by the massive winds this area seems to funnel. Can you imagine? You're a tourist just minding your biz and get hit by an airblown pot of tulips. So, I guess someone figured massive concrete planters were the way to go.