Category Archives: Ornamental Plants

Sandy

Posted on November 1, 2012 by

Your correspondent returned to lower Manhattan today, fearing that, like Icarus, he had dared to fly too high, to grow food where nature did not intend, and that he would find his presumption rewarded with a thorough smiting at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Blueberries, Broccoli, Chard, Cold Frame, Fruit, Kale, Ornamental Trees, Photos, Weather | 13 Comments

Contrast

Posted on April 25, 2012 by

We all know what a powerful thing it is to take man out of the city and into nature.   When an urban hipster – adapted to the ecological and cultural niche of Chelsea or Greenpoint – spends a week in … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Non-edible Bulbs, Ornamental Plants, Peaches, Photos, Rhubarb, Seen From the Battery Rooftop Garden | 1 Comment

What zone is this?

Posted on January 31, 2012 by

One of the first things that gardeners learn is their plant hardiness zone, a helpful construct of the USDA based on the expected low winter temperature.   Plant and seed catalogs helpfully tell us the coldest zone in which a plant will … Continue reading →

Posted in Alpines in the Secret Garden, Chard, Kale, Ornamental Plants, Photos, Secret Garden, Weather | 3 Comments

Après le déluge

Posted on September 1, 2011 by

Plants on rooftop gardens are far more exposed to the elements than their ground-level cousins.   With Hurricane Irene heading directly for lower Manhattan, it was alarming to hear the experts explain that 75 mph winds at ground level translated to … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Failures, Malabar Spinach, Nectarines, Peaches, Photos, Roses, Structure, The Visionaire, Tomatoes, Weather | 4 Comments

Beets and Berries for Breakfast

Posted on July 26, 2011 by

When we eat from the industrial food system, we generally plan our meals in advance, or simply cruise the refrigerator.   With roof-top agriculture, one starts each meal with no pre-conceptions about the menu.  Instead, meal preparation starts with a pleasant … Continue reading →

Posted in Beets, Berries, Blackberries, Cooking and Eating, Meals and Menus, Ornamental Shrubs, Roses | Leave a comment

Have a seat . . .

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

One of the unexpected pleasures of BRTG is the unusual experience of being seated in close proximity to plants.  In most ground-level gardens, we experience plants as part of an over-all composition, such as a border, or only momentarily, as we pass … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Non-edible Perennials, Ornamental Plants, Ornamental Shrubs, Parsley, Photos | 1 Comment

Spring Surprises

Posted on April 29, 2011 by

Last year’s broccoli and cauliflower plants were left in the rear beds for winter interest.  Who would have known (actually, many of you, I suspect) that these plants would not only survive the winter, but the heads would separate and … Continue reading →

Posted in Apples, Blueberries, Ornamental Plants | 1 Comment

Fall Colors on the Roof

Posted on October 28, 2010 by

So far so good.  The Alpines in the “Secret Garden” survived the summer.  Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet,’ below, puts on a brilliant fall display. The Stewartia, also a risky move for a green roof, seems to have survived the heat, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alpines in the Secret Garden, Blueberries, Design, Non-edible Perennials, Ornamental Shrubs, Ornamental Trees, Photos, Secret Garden | Leave a comment

The Secret Garden

Posted on September 27, 2010 by

Tucked in the extreme south east corner of the Battery Roof-top Garden is the Secret Garden, a refuge separated from the rest of the garden, with a cozy bench for two, oriented to the view over Battery Park and Brooklyn … Continue reading →

Posted in Alpines in the Secret Garden, Design, Non-edible Perennials, Ornamental Shrubs, Photos, Secret Garden | 1 Comment

Callicarpa — Beautyberry

Posted on September 27, 2010 by

Anyone who doubts that Callicarpa (“Beautyberry”) will thrive on a green roof, need only have a glance below.   On the Battery Roof-top Garden, this handsome specimen of Callicarp dichotoma (Early Amethyst Beautyberry), separates the main cocktail area from the Secret … Continue reading →

Posted in Ornamental Plants, Ornamental Shrubs, Secret Garden | Leave a comment