NYC 2008

http://publish.photobox.co.uk/TravelerC/New-York-Sept-2008.html

I hadn't been to the allotment for three consecutive weekends prior to this weekend as we went to New York for an Autumn break.
Our recent trip to New York city was going to be the trip of a lifetime; I had never been there before and M hadn't been since he was 18 in 1964 . He was there at the time of the World's fair and there are photographs to prove it; but not on this slide show. However; our trip was marred somewhat by a ghastly bug I picked up on the plane; I was ill for the whole time we were away. Nevertheless we still managed to do a lot but, site seeing was a something of a trial rather than a pleasure. Having said all that I loved New York and really want to go back.
We were lucky enough to go to Queen's, M's cousin lives here and he took us on an extensive tour on our first day in NYC. he took us to see the Queen's Botanical Garden; not as well known as the Bronx Botanical Gardens; but no less interesting for all that. The entrance is a wonderful sculpture of a tree to commemorate the 9/11 disaster victims; we had our picture taken here. The gardens were quite extensive and were divided into different areas; notably there was an allotment for Seniors, quite a lot smaller than a full size allotment that we are used to. There was a separate area for wedding photographs and there was a research centre too. We saw squirrels scampering about in the trees and an abundance of insects including the biggest bees I have ever seen.
We saw New York at ground level, walking, from a bus and by boat, and aerial views from the top of the Empire state building and other high vantage points. On the second day we saw "Ground Zero" both from the water when we took a boat trip and also from the land when we went downtown by bus. On subsequent days we visited The Met, The Guggenheim and MOMA museums of art. We went shopping in Macy's Bloomingdales and Sak's.
I took as many pictures as I could and some of them turned out OK; the best ones I have made into a Tableau and slide show which can be viewed either by clicking here or on the title or the link.
As I came back ill from NY; I wasn't able to go down to the allotment for about three weeks. in spite of this it wasn't too bad when I went this Sunday as people had been very kind and looked after it for me, also it is quite near the end of the season too so there isn't much going on. A friend visited me from York and she gave me a hand getting barrow loads of the municipal compost that had been delivered in the week for communal use. You have to get in quick, otherwise it's gone before you look round. It is marvelous stuff and is a really good soil improver; essential for my extremely heavy clay soil. One of the things I aim to try is a no dig system; for this loads of compost is required every year.

Wet and Windy Saturday

Today is a wet and windy day I had wanted to get out in the garden and do some more clearance. After losing my ancient apple last year on the day we were about to leave on our annual holiday to Brittany, my garden died along with the tree.

My garden was my pride and joy and was always much admired by visitors to our house. Small as it was and not necessarily always kept immaculately; nevertheless it was a haven for wildlife and had pretty flowers for much of the year.

The season starts with the bluebells, which I pull up every year but which come up in spite of my efforts to eradicate them. Forget-me-nots follow again in spite of all efforts to remove them, roes including a short flowering season of a Rosa Mundi with glorious scent and stripy flowers; given to me by my cousin on a unique visit, who I remember as a result of the flowers which appear every year, for however short the period. The rose given to us by my parents-in-law, Pink Peace, also flowers annually even though the plant is a martyr to chocolate spot. The great cabbage like blooms in the deepest pink are always stunning and appear just outside my kitchen door so that I can admire them in the morning.

On the sunny side there are Penstemons, firecracker? a deep magenta and a pale pink variety the name of which I can't recall. The black grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens') and Stipa appear on this side too. Along with lilies and phlox all now lost in the jungle or some other mysterious reason. The clematis I have planted are all gone. I have tried and tried with so little success over the years. they flower for a season and disappear, even when they reappear, as one did this year, I managed to pull it up in my zeal on clearing the weeds, which had taken over the flower bed completely.
All the pots filled and overflowing with annual bedding; each year with a different colour theme. My best year was when I planted love lies bleeding which sent out its striking red tassels in profusion in each of the four pots stationed by the steps leading up to the grass patch from the patio. My fig tree given to me for my 50th birthday in the huge blue ceramic pot also a gift for the same birthday always bears fruit but has never given me a single edible fig in spite of all of my efforts, I feed and water it assiduously and still no success. My aunt gave me a peach one year, also in a pot tended carefully too. This has fruited once in all the years I have had it; yielding four magnificent white peaches of a deliciousness never before experienced and, regrettably never since experienced.


There are all sorts of shrubs I have planted too, too many to mention most of which are gone, but I have a Myrtle which is currently in flower; I can't ever remember it flowering before, and my geraniums (pelargoniums) seem to flower all year long. I have kept them for at least four years without transplanting them or overwintering indoors.

However these successes are far outweighed by my failures. My next project is to remodel the garden completely; to get rid of the grass, as this just grows and hardly ever gets mowed. The loss of the tree may prove to be a blessing in disguise but not for this year. It may be that the apple overpowered them all and that this is the time to celebrate new opportunities to develop a completely new planting.

My garden is truly a disaster area. But I still have memories of it when it wasn't.