What's Blooming Now- Mid Spring Edition

Happy spring, everyone! Last weekend was oh so lovely. Hopefully the warm weather picks up again soon and we can all get out and enjoy the sunshine. 

Our plant friends are finally all waking up and bursting into action.

This is our first installment of 'What's Blooming Now'. I've gotten to wander around our lovely city and here are some of the beautiful plants I've caught blooming into action! 

Cherry Tree, Prunus spp. - Kensington, Brooklyn

Forsythia, Forsythia x intermedia - Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

Hellebores, helleborus spp. - Prospect Heights Community Farm, Brooklyn

Saucer Magnolia Tree, Magnolia × soulangeana - Park Slope, Brooklyn

Tulips and Daffodils, Tulipa spp. and Narcissus spp. - Bryant Park, Manhattan

Weeping Cherry Tree, Prunus subhirtella - Park Slope, Brooklyn

Star Magnolia, Magnolia stellata - Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

These are some of the awesome plants in action right now. 

A few that are also in bloom right now that I didn't catch are:

Crocus, Crocus spp.

Flowering Pear Tree, Pyrus calleryana

Hawthorn, Crataegus spp.

Pansy, Viola spp.

Witchhazel, Hamamelis virginiana

Keep your eyes peeled for some Redbuds, Cercis canadensis  and Flowering Dogwoods, Cornus florida. They will be bursting into action soon along with many more!

Get outside and enjoy those beautiful flowers while they are here! Soon enough leaves! glorious leaves! will be back. (:

The History of Earth Day

In 1968, Apollo 8 gave the world a photo  of our planet from space, Earthrise. For the first time humanity was able to view their tiny place in space from afar. Seeing our home as a whole allowed people to grasp just how small and fragile the Earth is. It was said to be the most influential environmental photograph ever taken. The following year the United States put a man on the moon. This new perspective of our planet helped generate a push from the public for environmental protection. 

This push led to powerful environmental acts such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. It also led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the first Earth Day. 

People began to realize that it is our ethical duty to protect our environment.

The First Earth Day  

The first Earth day was organized on the 22nd of April 1970 using the collective energy of the time and is seen as beginning of the environmental movement.

This came at a time when industry chugged away polluting our skies, rivers, lakes, and oceans without consequence. Leaded gas was pumped into cars. Oil spills were common and a river caught fire! But it was also a time when young people were taking to the streets to protest the wrong they saw in their country and the world. There was an incredible energy put out by the youth for the Anti-War Movement and the Civil Rights Movement. 

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, saw this energy and used it to spread awareness of the environmental issues of the time. 

Denis Hayes, national coordinator, in the Earth Day campaign office (AP)

The first Earth Day was organized as a national "teach in" on the environment. It was a grassroots event that, once the plan was announced in the fall of 1969, spread through college campuses all over America. 

"On the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values." EarthDay.org

In New York City, a portion of fifth avenue was shut down and a rally was held in Union Square.

Children sweep Union Square on Earth Day 1970.

A major shift in shared perception occurred in the late sixties and seventies. Young people revolted against the conservative social norms at the time and demanded change. From this came the Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-War Movement and the Environmental Movement. 

Today, more than ever, a major shift needs to occur again! Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time and we all need to do our part. Join an Earth Day event and see how you can help, not only on this special day but everyday.

Earth Day events this year in New York City:

Wednesday, Earth Day 22 April 2015

TEDC Earth Day Celebration - Earth Matters: Designing our Future, John L. Tishman Auditorium, University Center

10:00 am to 8:00 pm (FREE)

Educators Inspiring Sustainability and Justice , BK Farmyards

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (FREE)

Earth Day NY is hosting a 5K Walk and Green Tour event, Union Square

(Come visit me, Dana, at the Hort stand. We will be making seed bombs!)

Earth Day Craft & Mini Garden Tour - Queen's Botanical Garden

3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (FREE w admission)

Hattie Carthan Herban Farm: Earth Day Celebration- Bed-stuy

11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (FREE)

April 24-26, 2015

Green Festival Expo, Javits Convention Center

Future GrowNYC Stop'N'Swap - Community Reuse events

     Thursday, April 23 - Brooklyn

     12pm-3pm, Brooklyn Borough Hall

     Saturday, April 25 - Bronx

     12pm-3pm, Westchester Square

     Sunday, April 26 - Queens

     11am-2pm, Central Queens Y

Saturday, 2 May

Earth Day Rockaway, Rockaway Beach

12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (FREE)

Pollinators

Pollinators are very important to our environment and our food systems but their populations have been on a sharp decline. 

Planting a pollinator garden is a great way to help pollinator populations!

First, let's start with the basics. 

What is pollination?

Pollination occurs with angiosperms, flower bearing plants. It is the act of transferring pollen from the male part of the flower, the anther, to the female part of the flower, the stigma.

This is how the ovary of the plant is fertilized to create seeds to pass on their genetic information to future generations of plants.

Who are pollinators?

Animals and insects which transfer pollen from one plant to another are considered pollinators. This transfer is an unintended consequence of the pollinator passing by or visiting a flower. The pollen becomes attached and when they visit or pass another flower, the pollen is transferred. 

According to the Great Pollinator Project, bees account for 68 percent of visits to flowers in New York City parks and residential neighborhoods. Other pollinators important to NYC's urban landscape are flies, wasps, butterflies, beetles, various nocturnal pollinators, and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.1

Why are pollinators important?

According to the USDA, "Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. More than 3,500 species of native bees help increase crop yields. Some scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat exists because of animal pollinators like bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, and beetles and other insects."2

Why are pollinators on the decline?

Habitat loss is a major threat to all species. It is important to have a diversity of species to have a healthy working ecosystem. This is sometimes hard to come by in urban environments. The overuse of pesticides has had a large effect on populations. Pesticides are meant to kill off 'pest' insects but they do not discriminate and they kill off beneficial insects as well.

How can we help?

Plant a pollinator garden!

Here are a few tips for your pollinator garden:

• Choose native pollinator-friendly plants. Choosing native plants is very important because these are the plants that pollinators chose to visit. Years of evolution have made local species of plants and pollinators adapt to one another for mutual benefits. The plants provide food and habitat for the pollinators and the pollinators.. well they pollinate!
• Have a variety of plants. Diversity is key for a successful garden. Choosing plants with different blooming times will allow pollinators to visit all season long.
• Don't prune away all plant damage. It may be hard to leave that dead stem or branch but these damaged areas may provide habitat for butterfly and moth larvae. 
• Eliminate pesticide use as much as possible. Try incorporating  plants that will attract beneficial insects for pest control. For example, adult ladybugs can eat as many as 50 aphids per day. Each hatched ladybug larva will eat some 400 aphids before entering its pupal stage.3 They are attracted to flat white or yellow flowers such as yarrow, dill, or marigolds.

Here are some beautiful options for your garden:

Trees and Shrubs - These are great options because they provide pollen or nectar, or both, early in spring when food is scarce. 

Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds, and bees

Tulip popular, Liriodendron tulipifera

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, hummingbirds, and birds.

Lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds and bees. (And a yummy treat for humans!)

Staghorn sumac, Rhus typhina

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds and bees.

Herbs - The list goes on and on for beautiful flowering native herbs.

Black–eyed susan, Rudbeckia hirta

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, birds and bees.

Black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis 

Enjoyed by bees. (Another yummy treat for humans too!)

Blazing star, Liatris spicata

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, hummingbirds and birds. 

Common milkweed, Asclepias syrica

Enjoyed by butterflies & moths, and bees.

These are just a few options of some beautiful pollinator plants for your garden. 

If you want a full list, a good resource for natives can be found at the Greenbelt Conservancy website. 

1 http://greatpollinatorproject.org/pollinators/

2 http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/#sthash.k3F3g4w8.dpuf

3 http://www.finegardening.com/attracting-beneficial-insects

Before & After: Prospect Heights Backyard Garden

The Prospect Heights, Brooklyn backyard featured in this post is a big space (by Brooklyn standards) that needed some big changes.

Our challenges: removing invasive Japanese knotweed, building a bluestone patio, creating a sense of borders without constructing a fence, and designing a kid/adult/pet friendly space that the whole family could enjoy.

Our solutions: curvaceous planting beds to soften the "rectangle" and balance out the lawn, tons of non-toxic native perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees for 4 seasons of interest, a raised vegetable bed, and a natural play area with re-purposed local tree stumps.

Check out this project and more on our website.

Selecting Trees for Rooftop and Terrace Gardens

City gardeners and landscape designers know that choosing the right tree for a rooftop or terrace garden can be quite the challenge! Environmental factors range from the amount of sunlight and wind exposure to the amount of space available and the rooftop's weight limitations. There's a lot to consider, and frankly, a lot that won't work.

Look at it this way: Got a rooftop garden on the 12th floor with no other tall buildings around? That's sort of like a mountain top – full sun and high winds – think pine trees or birches. What about a smaller, shadier space with a taller building or two around? This is more like the edge of a forest – partial sun, can't get too big, very cold – think dogwoods. Imagining what naturally occurring environment most closely resembles your outdoor space can be a big help in selecting plants, and hopefully save you a lot of headaches and $$ spent on replacing dead stuff. 

Here's a list of trees that grow well on rooftops:

- Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis "Vanderwolf's Pyramid")

Loves full sun, and can handle high winds and harsh winters. Bonus, they're evergreen!

- River Birch (Betula nigra)

Full sun is best, and being multi-branched helps it handle wind well. Small leaves offer dappled shade and turn golden yellow in autumn. *Might experience some leaf-drop in summer, but that's normal.

by rkla studio

- Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperis virginiana)
Another great evergreen with pretty berries to boot. They tend to stay narrow and upright, so good for small spaces. It prefers full sun, and can handle a lot of wind. Do not plant it near your apple trees.

- Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.)
Due to a mix of climate change and the propagation of some hardier cultivars this pretty flowering large shrub/small tree is now usually able to handle NYC's challenging climate. They love full sun, grow pretty quickly, and have a long blooming period later in the summer (flowers come in a multitude of colors and have a lovely fragrance). Their fall color is also awesome.

- Flowering Dogwood Tree (Cornus florida), Kousa Dogwood Tree (Cornus kousa)
These gorgeous spring-flowering (white or pink) trees can do full sun or part shade. They have a wider spread, so give them space. Awesome red fall color, and pretty berries keep them showy throughout the seasons. Birds love them too.

Staghorn NYC also designs rooftop gardens – check out some of ours on our website or email us for a no-fee initial consultation.