Sunday, October 25, 2009

a pop of color

When we were on our apartment search last spring, one of this apartment's features that we couldn't stop thinking about was the great view out the bedroom window. Instead of a cement wall or someone else's living room, there's a courtyard with a number of mature trees. It's like having a backyard (I say "like" because we don't have access to it).

Something about me that you might not know: I love gardening. Love it. And none of our apartments here have been conducive to such a hobby. Until this one. All summer, I'd been talking about putting some flowers out on the patio (aka fire escape), but we couldn't get out there since our old, nasty air conditioner was bolted in. But last weekend, everything changed. Our super came to put it out of its misery. It's true that having anything on your fire escape is against code, but once I was able to stick my head out the window, I could see that all our neighbors already have a pot or two out there. And, when it comes to having things I love (you know, like a fire-escape garden or a hedgehog within the five boroughs), if everybody jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, I'd be right behind them.

So, today we headed out to the farmers' market to get a few mums. It was quite an adventure (really, I could have fallen and died, you know).


The patio -- before. (What a view!)


Me, climbing out the window to start my project.


The photographer at the ready just in case the fire escape were to collapse.


(It didn't.)


Putting the mums in their new home.


Making sure nobody was going to fall over the side.


Relieved that I didn't fall to my death.


My first New York garden!


The patio -- after (and what I'll see every morning when I wake up!).


I could tell the mums were enjoying their new home on the patio so much, I thought I'd let Sprout play outside for the day. (He is our 3-year-old runty grapefruit tree that we started from a sprouted seed I found in my breakfast one day.)


I'm so, so excited to have the opportunity to grow something! Stay tuned...you may recognize the Thanksgiving centerpieces.

3 comments:

Edd said...

We'll give you a corner of our backyard!

Edd said...

You can have a corner of our backyard!

Mom D. said...

So glad you get to put that green thumb you inherited from your dad to good use! Love, Mom D.