A hearty thanks are due to all who came out today, the most gorgeous day of the year so far, to clean, till, plant and mulch the tree pits along and around Flatbush Avenue from the Zoo on down to Lenox. Dozens of young volunteers from around the borough participated. The Q and family were stationed at Lenox and I never ventured north of Winthrop, so I haven't had a chance to see everyone's handiwork. But let me drop an action pic on you, and say that me and little miss Q had an absolute ball, and the people we met were all lovely. Some of the names that I know offhand who provided amazing leadership: Skei, Amy, Seth, Naomi, Sheila, Rudy, Carmen...feel free to chime in with more names!
Naomi and I were treated to a peek at a garden behind the first northside building on Lenox Road I think the number's 15. The super there, appropriately named Flor, saw what we were up to and invited us back for a tour of his garden. He's growing (fully leaded) vegetables galore, and cooks for his family out back from the fresh pickins. What a sweet dude, making great use of a once-abandoned backyard. We were understandably Flor'd.
If you feel like sending a message to the organizers, it's plgcivic@yahoo.com. Now we got to take care of those trees. Adopt one! Water it! Love it!
5 comments:
leaded?
A garden on Lenox, how awesome!
Yes, unfortunately most urban and even suburban soil has high levels of lead, just by its proximity to buildings,car exhaust, etc. I had the soil tested at my apartment building on Clarkson and it was dangerously high. The solution is to plant edible plants in containers, not right in the soil; or you can build a "raised bed", meaning build a bed with new soil on top of the existing soil. It's ok to put ornamental plants (non-edible) directly in the leaden soil. There are ways to reduce lead content in existing soil but it takes many seasons. For helpful article, see http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/garden/14lead.html?pagewanted=all . I highly recommend Brooklyn College's soil testing service; they're also responsive to emailed questions.
Also want to thank Sophie, Jessica and Eric from Prospect Park. Barbara, Frannie and Lou from BBG. Jamey from NYC Parks Dept. Senator Adams, Medgar Evers College, and Susan Kornacki from NYC Million Trees. And of course Lowe's for all the flowers!!
So those vegetables grown in the "leaded" soil are dangerous to eat? :(
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