Norma Desmond may have been over the hill, but here in early July some of the stars of Battery Rooftop Garden are in their prime.

Nature at landscape scale, such as the views of New York Harbor from the roof, can be sublime and inspiring. But I am convinced that the most profound appreciation of the natural world grows out of close observation.

The scale of the smaller vegetable garden, and especially a roof top garden, is particularly conducive to this kind of intimate interaction.   All urban spaces are compressed, and the forced communion with plant life in a city garden is qualitatively different from the way we interact with plants in the open spaces of the country.  My advice, look closely.

Ready for their close-up? You betcha . . .