I haven’t done much work on the sidewalk garden in the last couple of weeks, so it’s looking a little bedraggled — I really ought to set aside an hour some time soon to get out there with some snips and do a little pruning…

Sidewalk Greenspace on New York's Upper West Side
I haven’t done much work on the sidewalk garden in the last couple of weeks, so it’s looking a little bedraggled — I really ought to set aside an hour some time soon to get out there with some snips and do a little pruning…

Thanks to the many dozens of people who came by our garden party / meet-your-neighbors / community-building shindig here on West 106th Street Friday night — I quickly lost track of how many people stopped by, but it could easily have been more than a hundred.
It was great to see so many folks talking and making connections across different branches of the fractal networks that bind our city together.
Special thanks to Karin, Brenden, and Jamie for taking photos — I was too busy talking to people, and never took my phone out of my pocket until it was all over!







We’ll be hosting a micro-block-party in garden on Friday, September 18, from 7:00 until at least 9:00 or so.
It won’t be fancy — no bouncy castle, no fried dough — just a pitcher of fruit punch, and a few snacks, and a chance to chit-chat with your neighbors.
If you live in the neighborhood, you’re invited! Feel free to swing by, say hello, and celebrate the coming of the fall!
(If it’s raining on Friday, we’ll reschedule to Saturday.)

Another bench has been donated to the sidewalk garden — with thanks to our generous neighbors.

Today’s downpour provided some much-needed moisture, although it can be a little hard on the tender blossoms.

I added some patio lights along the fence for the party earlier this month, but the general reaction has been positive, so we’ve decided to leave them up for a while.

It turns out that the hose is good for more than just keeping the plants hydrated…

We’ll be hosting a small social event in our sidewalk garden next week, and if you live nearby or are a friend of the garden, you are welcome to come and socialize with neighbors from the block.

Earlier today we spotted an online “curb alert” from a neighbor who had seen a small gargoyle sitting in a sidewalk trash pile, spurring me to dash out in the middle of a video call and snag it for addition to our sidewalk garden.
It’s currently surveying the herbs, but next week I might move it to sit among the sunflowers…

I finally got around to putting up a little sign with the name of our tiny sidewalk garden, and a link to the website for folks who might like more information about the various plants.
