Metropolitan Gardening

Columbia Waterfront Public Art Dedication COLUMBIA WATERFRONT DISTRICT, BROOKLYN Photo Credit:  Rafi Magnes Nobuho Nagasawa stands beside her etching of a  Sweet Gum Tree at Columbia St. near Baltic St. Brooklyn Greenway Initiative (BGI) announces the public art dedication of TIMECAST by artist Nobuho Nagasawa on Saturday, May 19th, 2012 in the Columbia Waterfront District.  Nagasawa’s art was commissioned in 2004 by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs under its Percent for Art Program and the NYC Department of Transportation as part of the Columbia Street Reconstruction project, which included the Columbia Street segment of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Nagasawa received an Excellence in Design Award for TIMECAST from the City of New York Art Commission in 2007.

Check out the Skillshare class, "Urban Gardening: Tips and Tricks for effective city growing." Help spread the word: http://skl.sh/Kusc6e Here's the details: Watch the video introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=273O4VKNERE The challenges of gardening in the city require a grab bag of tips and tricks to manage the urban landscape. Join Dimitri Gatanas and Bryan Ogden as they provide a series of hands on workshops and focused leaning experiances located in the heart of Harlem at the Urban Garden Center.

T rish was getting a tree with her sister from the NYRP and Urban Garden Center free tree giveaway. She explained that she was getting the tree for a new community garden that she was starting. There's a lot going on with Trish and design / urban greening - more than meets the eye - so I asked her for an interview and found she is also working with the Brooklyn Grange on a Farm Store in Brooklyn. That story is going to have to wait, and I'm going to get to the bottom of her work as an interior designer as well but here's what Trish has to say about the community garden that she is starting. We were getting the trees for a community garden/event space we are building in the lot next to our design studio. We call the project Design. Plot. It all started when we found out our landlord was going to concrete in the space and turn it into a parking lot. We freaked as it was the last bit of green left on our industrial street. We signed the lease and set out to transform th

T he Urban Garden Center is creating a consumer center for sustainable living and life style. The design of the center it's self is a great challenge because of the location under a train trestle. On the other hand the plant selection and prices as well as the shopping experience is top notch. This past weekend the center teamed up with New York Restoration Project to give away 100 trees for free. I spent the day wandering among the plants and meeting with the folks that came to browse and hang out. In addition to the "Green House" showroom for shabby chic housewares and plants - there's a patio area with seating and a planned lunch menu from neighbors Labodega Gourmet @LaMarqueta. I'll be working with Dimitri on some community education workshops in the weekends to come. This spring and summer the trestle will offer a shady garden in the heart of Harlem.

T he Five Boro Bike Tour rolled through the south bronx on 138th street Sunday May 6, 2012. It boasted 32k riders!

T he Urban Garden Center in Harlem is teaming up with the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) to give away 100 trees to help green the community. This sort of support from a retail garden center is unprecedented. The giveaway is happened Sunday May 6.  Here is a link you may share to get your friends to register for their tree: FREE TREES EVENT FROM NYRP AND URBAN GARDEN CENTER . Fill out this form to reserve a tree at Urban Garden Center's MillionTreesNYC Community Tree Giveaway. Trees will be available for pick up at the garden center under the overpass located at 1640 Park Avenue in Manhattan. Limit one tree per household**. Signing up with this form will ensure a tree of the species you chose will be available between 10am-11am on Sunday May 6th. If a reserved tree is not picked up by 11am at Urban Garden Center 's Community Tree Giveaway your tree will be made available to attendees on a first come, first serve basis. Trees will weigh between 25-50 lbs and are betw

H odgson Farms from Walden, NY brings us pallets of amazing blossoms at the Union Square Green Market. It's so early in the season but these flowers are busting.  It's hard to believe that spring is here - it's true these temperatures are record setting and bode some concern, but let's just stop for a minute and look at the flowers.