Since 1981, I've gardened in New York City. I've included plants native to eastern North America in in each garden since.
In 2005, we bought a home in the central Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatbush. By gardening with native plants, I've transformed a barren urban yard into lush gardens and wildlife habitat.
These slides accompanied my talk about these experiences at the Long Island Botanical Society on May 12, 2015.
3. Long Island
Bennington, J Bret, 2003. New observations on the glacial
geomorphology of Long Island from a digital elevation model (DEM).
Long Island Geologists Conference, Stony Brook, New York, April 2003.
HHm: Harbor
Hill Moraine
My Garden
op: Glacial
Outwash Plain
Rm: Ronkonkoma
Moraine
Rpm: Roanoke
Point Moraine
5. Flatbush: Etymology, Land Use History
Anglicization of old Dutch:
“vlachtebos” (vlacke bos, vladbos, flakkebos)
“wooded plain” (“flat woods”)
“Settled” in early 1600s
One of five townships consolidated into the City of Brooklyn (Kings
County) in 1890s.
Primarily used for agriculture: woodland -> pasture, meadow
Railways provided access from “the city” (Brooklyn) through “the country”
(Flatbush) to beach resorts, e.g.: Coney Island
1870s: Prospect Park
1880s: Brooklyn Bridge
Excursion railways converted to commuter lines
Last farms converted to residential in 1890s, early 1900s:
pasture/meadow -> savannah
10. Why I Garden
Beauty:
More than pretty flowers!
Study:
Learn the flora, practice my id skills
Experiment with garden uses of native plants
Practice observation, learn plant-insect associations, garden ecology
Education:
Demonstration gardens
Garden tours, e.g.: NYC Wildflower Week
Community workshops on botany, weed ID, pollination
Retreat, Balance
Contrast to day job!
Connection to something larger than myself
Genius loci – the spirit of a place
17. Plant List
Species, Family, Nativity, Habitat, Wetland Indicator
Date/Year acquired, Retail & Wholesale source
142 species native to Eastern North America
~90 species (64%) native to NYC, 7-12% of NYC’s Flora
26. Insect Visitors, and Residents
Hymenoptera: 36 species
Bees: 19 species
Wasps: 17 species
Lepidotera: 19 species
Butterflies: 13 species
Moths: 4 species (daytime only)
Skippers: 2 species
Diptera, Flies: 11 species
Coleoptera, Beetles: 7 species
Other insects: 4 species
41. Planting is meditation.
Weeding is meditation.
Watering is meditation.
There is spirit
In leaves
In insects
In soil.
Gardening is prayer.
- June 24, 1997 waiting for F train to work, ~9:45am