Suddenly, miraculously, it seems we've stumbled into high summer here in New York City. July 4th has come and gone, we're plunging our way through yet another heat wave, and plants everywhere are panting for more water. This kind of weather can be hard on city-dwelling plants. They live in an oven of concrete, metal, gas, and exhaust. People swim by, lost in their own fog of sweat and deadlines. Even with all of this--given time, attention, care, and lots and lots of water-- the growing things of New York can thrive.
I present to you, our garden.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Difference a Month Makes
Just about over a month ago Kelsey and I decided we were ready to send our little indoor seedlings out into the world. We planted two straggly tomatoes and one squat king pepper. This was my first foray into large container gardening and frankly I wasn't completely convinced the plants would thrive. This how they looked when we first set them out:
By mid-June the city was gripped in heat. Kelsey and I succumbed to the greedy gods of the electric bill and put in our air conditioner. Each day after work I'd trudge out to water the increasingly dusty soil until I finally began waking up early to tend the garden. I had dreaded this point in the summer-- that thick transistion into high summer when I'd have to haul out to water my own plants before I dragged myself into Manhattan to water other people's plants all day long. In truth, this has become a precious part of my day. Watching my garden grow into the morning sunlight opens up a stretch of me that often closes the moment I step out of my house and begin the grind of pushing my way from one subway to another. There is not even a word for it. But there are pictures.
Since we set out our seedlings they have sprawled, ballooned, climbed, and exploded their way into something incredible. Look-- this is the difference a month makes.
Makes me think-- maybe we all grow that much, that fast, that raucously... there just might not be any pictures to prove it.
By mid-June the city was gripped in heat. Kelsey and I succumbed to the greedy gods of the electric bill and put in our air conditioner. Each day after work I'd trudge out to water the increasingly dusty soil until I finally began waking up early to tend the garden. I had dreaded this point in the summer-- that thick transistion into high summer when I'd have to haul out to water my own plants before I dragged myself into Manhattan to water other people's plants all day long. In truth, this has become a precious part of my day. Watching my garden grow into the morning sunlight opens up a stretch of me that often closes the moment I step out of my house and begin the grind of pushing my way from one subway to another. There is not even a word for it. But there are pictures.
Since we set out our seedlings they have sprawled, ballooned, climbed, and exploded their way into something incredible. Look-- this is the difference a month makes.
Makes me think-- maybe we all grow that much, that fast, that raucously... there just might not be any pictures to prove it.
by: Asia
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