That’s no moon — it’s a giant purple allium!
Author: Matthew
Donation Appreciation
While I am generally happy to provide the limited funds needed to cover the garden’s operations, neighbors do occasionally donate supplies, for which I am very grateful.
My thanks go out to the following for items received this spring:
- Peter Arndtsen for his gift of two young evergreens and numerous cuttings.
- A couple in 217 W 106th who provided dozens of flower starts and two large bags of potting soil.
- Someone who had discarded a metal “grow” sign which I rescued from the garbage and attached to one of the treebeds.
- An anonymous donor who left three hanging baskets on the steps this morning. [Update: I got the backstory on these after the fact; a neighbor collected these from a scrap heap after another garden decided they had ordered more than they needed.]
Northern Yellow Sac Spider
I came across this pale spider spinning a web on the fence.
Mark Your Calendars…
Oiling Planter Crates
Out on the sidewalk, coating the new planters in linseed oil, and nary a gullible youth to be found to Tom-Sawyer into doing it for me…
Spring Floral Additions
We took a trip to Metropolitan Plant & Flower Exchange in Fort Lee and picked up a bunch of bedding flowers to be added to the garden planters and the treebeds here and around the neighborhood, including the following:
- Petunia — Starlet White; Tritunia White; Tritunia Plum; Tritunia Veined Mix
- Marigold — Taishan Mix
- Dwarf Snapdragon — White; Yellow; Pink Rose
- Dianthus (“Sweet William”) — White; Pink Mix
- Celosia (“Cockscomb”) — Glorious Mix
- Verbena (“Vervain”) — Obsession Blue with Eye; Obsession Pastel Mix
- Lobelia — Hot Brilliant Blue
- Lantana — Bandana Rose
- Calibrachoa — Conga Red
- Bracteantha (“Strawflower”) — Mohave Basket Yellow
- Coreopsis (“Tickseed”) — Beauty Sunrise
Flowering Bulbs in Full Bloom
Squills, daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips — nearly all of the flowering bulbs have emerged to put on a show.
Crocuses
I snapped this photo of this pairing of crocus flowers for my wife, as her colors are purple and white.
Grapevines Coming to Life
As grapevines swell with new growth, old bark splits and peels to reveal new bark underneath.
Daffodils
Our daffodils are still going strong.