You can see why one of the common names for dianthus flowers is “pinks” — some of them are such a hot pink my phone camera doesn’t know what to do with it.
Author: Matthew
Rose In Flower
Our little rose bush is going full blast.
Developing Sunflowers
This looks like it could be some kind of scary monster, but it’s just the growth tip of a flower emerging in one of my planters.
First Rose Buds
The little rose bush a neighbor donated to the garden last year has just bloomed for the first time this season.
Giant Allium
That’s no moon — it’s a giant purple allium!
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