Mid-May: Purple Reign

The entire garden is awash in purple right now. Light purple tulips and purple allium under a hops arbor greet visitors.

Right now the entire Summit Street Community Garden is awash in purple of various shades, from light purple tulips to deep purple allium to lilac…lilacs. It’s also the time of year when things change quickly. The tulips and daffodils of early spring have given way to late spring blooms, like irises, while hosta shoots have unfurled to full leaves. I had an unexpected hospital stay for a week and when I stopped by the garden yesterday on my first day out, I wondered, “How long was I gone?”

Plants have suddenly sprung up. This appears to be some sort of magic beanstalk.

The garden of a week ago is completely different from the garden now. Plants have shot up, as if the rain made them instantly grow.

If you have the opportunity, please sniff the lilacs! (Unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t offer a scratch-n-sniff plugin for the garden blog.)

Lilies of the valley are also fragrant.

It’s also a fragrant time in the garden. If you have the opportunity, sniff the lilacs in the back corner. There are also a few lilies of the valley. Visitors might also smell lemon mint in the borders, particularly at the corner of Summit and Columbia streets.

Alliums and irises are blooming throughout the garden, in the borders and in personal plots.

In other rain news, this past weekend’s chilly and rainy weather caused the cancellation of the garden tag sale. Stay tuned for a new date. In the meantime, here are some photos from the community garden in mid-May.

Alliums of varying heights are throughout the garden.

I swear my bleeding hearts were pink and white earlier. Maybe the rain washed out the pink.

If these flowers turn into strawberries, it will be my biggest strawberry harvest ever.

Purple flowers are blooming throughout the garden.

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April at the Summit Street Community Garden

Tulips and daffodils at the Summit Street Community Garden in late April.

According to the saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” This past month brought plenty of both to the community garden.  Following are some photos of the Summit Street Community Garden in April.

There’s a particular emphasis on my own plot, since I’ve been photographing it as much as possible. Every year, I make plans for what my plot will look like when I plant tulips in the fall, and every year, it’s not quite what I planned. This spring has been more of a classic spring palette on one side of my plot, with a gathering of grape hyacinths and  yellow and white daffodils, as well as tulips in yellow, pink, red and white. On the other side of my plot, I’d intended for mainly blue and white tulips, but the “blue” tulips are actually purple.

Some of the earliest flowers at the Summit Street Community Garden in early April: a red tulip and a yellow daffodil.

On one side of the plot, I’d planned for a more subtle palette of white and blue tulips, but it’s purple and white right now.

Apricot Beauty tulips

Daffodil

Yellow tulip with hints of red

The community garden on a rainy day with color from some blue garden chairs and spring flowers under a Washington hawthorn tree.

Tulips and daffodils in the community garden.

Sunlover tulip in the rain

Sunlover tulip in the sun

A community garden plot with pink and red tulips, as well as grape hyacinths and yellow daffodils.

Community Seed Exchange at the Red Hook Library on April 21

The Red Hook Library at 7 Wolcott St. is hosting a Community Seed Exchange on Saturday, April 21, from 2–3:30 pm. Bring seeds to exchange for seeds from fellow gardeners and for donations from Gowanus Nursery and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. No seeds to bring? No problem. According to the event’s Facebook page, “Everyone is welcome, with or without seeds. Bring what you can, and take what you need.”

First Garden Meeting of 2018: March 25

Some of the first crocuses of 2018 were up on March 1.

Spring is here! Well, not officially, but the crocuses and snowdrops are up, and the hellebore blooms aren’t far behind. The first garden meeting of 2018 is set for Sunday, March 25, at 11 am, followed by a workday. There will most likely be some light snacks. Subjects to be discussed will be open hours, box availability, a welcome to potential new members, the children’s box, the garden blog and social media, fundraisers, upcoming meeting dates and workdays and other topics. After the meeting, we’ll do some garden clean-up and early spring chores.

If you’re interested in becoming a new member, please attend the meeting for an orientation. It is free to join; members simply must keep the garden open a certain number of hours during posted times and take part in some garden events. Boxes are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please read our membership FAQ section for more information. Enjoy some early spring photos below!

Snowdrops are often the first flowers of the season.

The somewhat shy gray and white cat who shows up in the garden was inspecting the plots in early spring.

A group of purple crocuses emerge in the side garden beds.

Small crocus clumps provide color in the early spring.

A cheerful bright yellow crocus heralds the impending spring season.

Leaves of other plants are emerging as well, including lambs’ ears.

Pale yellow blooms of crocuses and green tulip shoots provide a cheerful contrast in early spring against the brown leaves of the previous fall.

A Look at the Summit Street Community Garden Site in the ’80s

The corner of Summit and Columbia streets in the 1980s, before the lot was the Summit Street Community Garden. Photo from 80s.nyc

The  80s.nyc website is like a Google Street View that lets you glimpse into New York City’s past. Over a period of five years in the 1980s, the City of New York had every property in the five boroughs photographed for use by the city’s department of finance to estimate property taxes. These photos are compiled on 80s.nyc and organized  into a searchable map view.  Since these photos were of taxable property, vacant lots were photographed as well, so many sites of the current community gardens were also photographed. Check out the corner of Summit and Columbia streets, current home to the Summit Street Community Garden, in the 1980s.

This is what the Summit Street Community Garden site looked like in the 1980s. Photo from 80s.nyc

Of course, the founding members of the Summit Street Community Garden remember this lot. As documented on the garden’s history page, in 1993, neighborhood residents began moving trash and rubble out of the lot, which was then approved  for a lease as a community garden from GreenThumb in 1994. Here are a few more recent photos of the corner of Summit and Columbia streets today.

The Summit Street Community Garden entrance.

The gate of the Summit Street Community Garden decorated for a birthday party.

People browsing at the 2016 Summit Street Community Garden Tag Sale.

A spring view of the garden with the flowering crabapple and hawthorn berry trees.

The garden in June 2015.

The garden entrance in early spring.

A view from inside the garden looking out toward Columbia Street.

The corner of Columbia and Summit streets as seen from inside the garden.

While looking through the 80s.nyc website, you might see some other familiar community garden sites.

The corner of Van Brunt Street and Hamilton Avenue, where the Backyard Garden is today. Photo from 80s.nyc

The corner of Van Brunt and President streets, where the Urban Meadow is today. Photo from 80s.nyc

Sackett and Columbia streets, where the Human Compass Garden is today. Photo from 80s.nyc

To learn more about the origins of NYC community gardens, check out the WNYC  story about New York City’s first community garden, which now bears the name of Liz Christy, founder of the Green Guerillas. In 1973, Christy decided to brighten up an abandoned Lower East Side corner lot at Bowery and Houston Street and enlisted volunteers to haul out trash and debris, lay down topsoil, install fencing, and put in plants. Five years later, GreenThumb began, and this program is how more than 600 community gardens in New York City exist today.

 

 

Thank You for Supporting the Tag & Bake Sale

Baked goods at the Summit Street Garden Fall Tag & Bake Sale.

Thank you to all the members of the community who bought baked goods and tag sale items from our fall fundraiser on Sunday, September 20! With your helped, we raised money to beautify the garden and buy supplies. We also always enjoy the opportunity to talk to our neighbors and eat baked goods!

 

The carrot cake and blueberry yogurt cake went really fast. but we managed to snap this photo before digging in.

Some stuffed animals modeled the baby furniture for sale.

Stuffed animals awaiting their new homes.

Fall Tag and Bake Sale on Sunday, September 17

Join us for the Fall Tag and Bake Sale on Sunday, September 17, from 10 am–3 pm!

Farewell to the Forsythia

The forsythia blooming in 2013.

For many years, the blooming of the forsythia heralded the arrival of spring at the Summit Street Community Garden. However, after several seasons of decline, it became clear that the forsythia wasn’t going to recover and bloom again.  Shawn cut down the forsythia this Saturday. “It’s time to say goodbye to a plant that’s been a beautiful part of the garden for a long time,” says Claire.

Forsythia branches

The forsythia’s vibrant blooms provided contrast with the pale yellows of the early daffodils in 2014.

Summer Solstice at the Summit Street Community Garden

Peach galette. Photo: Sondra Fink

The Summit Street Community gardeners kicked off the season June 21 with a solstice celebration. About 24 members of all ages showed up to share foods that evoked the summer: deep red borcht served with sunny hard-boiled egg halves, grilled rum pineapple slices topped with ice cream, bright seasonal strawberries, flaky peach galette, and other delicious fare. Both longtime and new members had a chance to socialize in the garden, and some of the youngest members played in the children’s area, a box designated this year for play and discovery. Check out some of the photos below!

Gardeners gathered for a solstice feast under the arbor. Photo: Claire Merlino

Gardener Amy made a deep red borscht to celebrate the solstice. Photo: Sondra Fink

The borscht was served with hard-boiled eggs, which looked like little suns. Photo: Sondra Fink

Gardener Claire made grilled pineapple served with ice cream and rum sauce. Photo: Sondra Fink

Fresh fruit was served to celebrate the arrival of summer. Photo: Sondra Fink

The solstice gathering gave a chance to both new and long-time members to enjoy the garden. Photo: Sondra Fink

Some of the youngest garden members (and their parents) had a chance to garden and play as well. Photo: Sondra Fink

Summit Street Community Garden members got some gardening in, while some young members played in the new children’s box. Photo: Sondra Fink

The Summit Street Community Garden has a box dedicated for children’s play and discovery this season. Young gardeners at the solstice celebration were delighted to find a worm. Photo: Sondra Fink

Gardener Sondra enjoys some seasonal fruit. Photo: Claire Merlino

Gardeners hanging out in the Summit Street Community Garden. Photo: Sondra Fink

Summer Solstice 2017 in the Garden

Weather permitting, there will be a Summer Solstice celebration of the longest day of the year on June 21 from 5:30 pm onward at the garden. This potluck celebration is a casual affair, so if you’d like to attend, just show up with something to share or grill. In the event of rain, the event will be cancelled, though it looks like we’ll have a nice, sunny day. 

Speaking of sun, the plan is for midsummer-appropriate foods that evoke the sun (think: yellow, orange, red, round), as well as seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs. Gardener Sondra, who headed up the celebration this year and last year, says, “The Solstice is also a traditional fire festival, so grilling is on point!” Check out photos of last year’s solstice potluck.