I know I know…your not suppose to have favorites…but, of my 7 gardens this one is my favorite. It is a courtyard garden on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The buildings are @ 100 yrs old. There were the two trees, the headless lady and the stained glass, so I kept them. Everything else is new this season (the last few weeks). I will just keep filling in all season, can’t wait! I wanted it to seem kinda fairy like and tranquil….what do you think?

How lucky am I? I went from no gardens to 7! One is our Community Garden of course. It was established when we came upon it. The old members were slow to release any space to the newbie’s. They had been through a lot, with the new construction and loss of some old plots. Getting the old members together to discuss the new plot assignment seemed like a lifetime to a gardener…my tomato was waiting for a plot… sitting in a small plastic container. The end of May we got word what was ours to share, between 10 new gardeners (well it is Manhattan). After discussing it with the majority of the new gardeners, I did some landscaping (with what we have).

We had decided that terraced or stepped bed would serve us best. So far we have a tomato, basil, jalapeno pepper, Echinacea, assorted flowers, a bleeding heart, and I am hoping a yellow rose & hydrangea.  

It is the journey you know…

I so love Mother Nature and all her glorious colors! I cannot believe that it has been a month since I have blogged! I have been busy as you will see. I have been gardening, 7 separate ones to be exact. I have started then all from scratch this year. Turning the soil and fortifying it with some nice rich compost, top soil, food and mulch. As many gardeners know, now it is off to the races! I must confess, when it comes to plants and flowers…I am a total shop-aholic! I just cannot control myself.

I will spend my last dollar on some plant that I simply must have, right then and there! The worst/best part of this is that it happens all season long! I will buy till the frost….mums are great then, such a burst of color! So here I am in the beginning of my favorite dance. Off to the various nurseries and farmers markets looking for that special plant, you know the one that is calling you by name.

‘pssst carol, hey look over here….here I am….wouldn’t I look great in that empty corner…or over by that lattice?’ next thing ya know you are carrying it off with a lighter pocket and a smile on your face… But wait there’s more… the joy of actually working the soil, if can remember I do put my gloves on but sometimes…I just cannot wait even that long and I dig right in to the soil bare handed!

Ahhh gardening, it is a great way to lose yourself and find yourself at the same time.