tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53841910729996479922024-03-05T00:48:38.189-05:00ALIVE STRUCTURESecological design - focusing on the local and unique.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-14138338229705312692013-08-16T09:02:00.000-04:002013-08-16T09:02:09.107-04:00Enormous Joe Pye WeedOn a green roof in Fort Greene. Taller than me!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-7638795133217847982013-07-28T10:19:00.002-04:002013-07-28T10:19:59.362-04:00Plants on Vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's suddenly cloudy and cold in Rhode Island. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are in Little Compton, an area that could be under water, and stay under, with the changing weather in the next 20 years. For now there are masses of Clethras with their candle blossoms spilling over the road, Bayberrys arch over sand dunes showing old gnarled trunks, their leaves somewhat upturned and whorled and decorated with small pale berries. A greatly underused shrub in our gardens. One that can be made to look quite elegant with time and pruning.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There are many Lilium superbums with flaming petals and tall stalks. Asclepias incarnata, Hibiscus, and swaths of Joe Pye Weed and Cattails and Rush.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Of course the wild grape, Japanese honey suckle, and knotweed loom large. The whole forest floor is covered with Euonymus. But I try to focus on the beautiful plants I love, enjoy seeing them in nature and not get depressed that all this habitat is being crowded out.....</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-12606378742702768732013-07-22T11:00:00.000-04:002013-07-22T11:00:06.034-04:00Queen of the Night - night-blooming cereusI was lucky enough to come across the beautiful bloom of the night-blooming cereus. The cactus blooms just one-night of the summer and dies as the sun rises. With its strong, sweet scent, it attracts nocturnal creatures like Sphinx moths (sometimes called the hummingbird moths because they resemble the bird as hover to feed) and bats to be its pollinators. I captured a bit of the magic here.<br />
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And, thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can see it too:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Zbzi8XydHQc" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-6423345561541243402013-07-18T13:30:00.000-04:002013-07-18T13:30:01.179-04:00A bit more about that Tax Abatement ExtensionA few weeks ago S.W.I.M. announced the extension and improvement of the NYC green roof tax abatement. I thought I'd go into more detail about changes to the abatement and how it helps you to build a green roof now!<br />
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Let's start with a <a href="http://swimmablenyc.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SWIM-Green-Roof-Assessment_paper.pdf">quick summary</a> of the current abatement from S.W.I.M.'s coordinator Rob Crauderueff:<br />
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Financially, the old abatement just didn't cut it. The reduced rate of $4.50/s.f. was too low to be appealing to private building owners, the amortization schedule reduced the value, and perhaps most disappointing, the administrative costs to implement a green roof could add $7.50/s.f. for a 10,000 s.f. green roof to about $19/s.f. for a 1,000 s.f. green roof.<br />
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Oh, and don't forget about all that time it takes to jump through those administrative hoops! Crauderueff sites that 3 out of 4 successful applicants spent over 100 hours of staff time on the process.<br />
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The abatement required that 80% of the roof must be covered with vegetation one year after application and specifically sited sedum as the go-to filler. Now, don't get me wrong, I think sedum is a beautiful and productive plant, but I stick with the Benjamin Franklin model - everything in moderation. Using pre-grown vegetative mats also increased costs.<br />
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Finally, non-profits and affordable housing owners couldn't benefit from the abatement, cutting out an interested and willing population.<br />
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<a href="http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S4802-2013">The extension</a> does not address all of the problems that Crauderueff and partners suggested, but there are some exciting improvements.<br />
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The definition of 'green roof' was expanded to allow for the inclusion of a controlled flow roof drains, specifying that if the depth medium is less than three inches, a controlled flow drain or other preventative drying method can be added.<br />
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New native and agricultural plant species were added to the list of "live plants" that can be used to meet the requirement of the 80% vegetation coverage. Opening the abatement up to rooftop farms and plants other than sedum.<br />
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The amount of the abatement was increased to $5.23/s.f. beginning July 1, 2014, which actually was just meant to keep the abatement in line with pricing increases, but we'll take it. Also the maximum was raised to $200,000 (up from $100,000), mostly meant to help out the more expensive rooftop farms.<br />
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The bill from the state legislature does not mention improving administrative procedures, so our fingers are crossed that some streamlining will happen with the implementation of the extension.<br />
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The point of these new incentives is part of a larger green infrastructure program in the city to capture the first ince of rainfall on 10% of the impervious areas in combined sewer watersheds through detention or infiltration techniques. But, because green roofs have so many other sustainability benefits, the abatement is open citywide.<br />
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Which makes me think, wouldn't it be great if individuals could register their own tiny improvements as part of the city's goal - registering window boxes, street planters, gardens, and native plants not only for tax credits (one can dream) but also to create a wider community around conservation efforts.<br />
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Here's to hoping. If you'd like to get involved, <a href="http://swimmablenyc.info/?page_id=641">become a member of S.W.I.M.</a> The group just announced their July meeting (Wednesday, July 24) where they'll discuss the Green Roof Tax Abatement in more depth.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-73575568404974040292013-07-16T09:30:00.000-04:002013-07-16T20:34:03.276-04:00Surviving the Heat Wave<div>
Ugh. This entire week promises to embroil the city in a disgusting heat wave. Hot and humid. </div>
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There are tons of Mosquitos. Remember - you can reduce mosquitos in your backyards by making sure there are no
pots or barrels collecting water, and that your gardens drain well.
Geraniums and catnip supposedly repel mosquitos, but not sure that really works....</div>
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Many
plants leaves droop in the heat even if they have enough water, like
dogwoods, some hydrangeas, and also clethras. Make sure anything in pots
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Wish we had more dragon flies and frogs to eat the buzzard!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-14118427731171815612013-07-12T14:00:00.000-04:002013-07-12T14:00:01.447-04:00Native Appreciation: Shady LoveIn this weather, its hard to believe anyone could have a problem with shade. Heat waves one minute, giant storms the next, it all makes me want to run for cover! But shady backyards can pose a problem for the best city gardner.<br />
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Enter twinleaf (<i>Jeffersonia diphylla</i>). Its a great native plant that can thrive in the shade. When it flowers - don't blink, you might miss it - it has a single white flower. You'll notice that it's leafless stalk is topped by, you guessed it, a leaf divided lengthwise into two twin halves. It is a short plant that will add a lush green to your space.<br />
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<a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/jeffersonia_diphylla.shtml">On a historical note</a> - the plant was named for Thomas Jefferson by his friend, William Bartram, and, besides the United States, is only found in Japan. Native Americans are said to have used the roots to ease cramps, treat liver problems & urinary infections, and as a gargle for sore throats. Early Americans also used it to cure many of the same ills, but don't get any ideas - the plant is now considered poisonous!<br />
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It is <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=JEDI">listed as endangered</a> in Georgia and New Jersey, and threatened in Iowa and here in New York. Planting it in your garden not only adds beauty but also helps keep this little guy around.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-56132393891925098822013-07-10T14:00:00.000-04:002013-07-10T14:00:01.854-04:00River to River - Artists Take On Water<div style="text-align: right;">
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This week is the last of the <a href="http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/">River to River Festival</a>, a celebration of Lower Manhattan and a collaboration between cool partners working to foster conversations about the environment, art, and sustainability.<br />
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The neighborhood's flooding during Sandy was a shocking, poignant image from the storm and still pops into my head when I think of climate change or <a href="http://alivestructures.blogspot.com/2013/07/red-white-hot-chasing-ice.html">read about new plans</a> for the city's water infrastructure (the image to the right is from the <a href="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1195171.1351719541!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/gallery_635/hurricane-sandy-floods-manhattan.jpg">DailyNews'</a> coverage after the storm, a throughly disturbing series of images). <i><a href="http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/artists/fluid-construct/">Fluid: Construct</a></i> is a gathering of pieces created by four artists that addresses the city's relationship with water. It reminds me that sometimes its good to take a break from the world of architectural and design drawings to see planning work in a different light.<br />
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The festival goes through this weekend, but the exhibit will be open until August 2.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-75475886238984385312013-07-05T13:30:00.000-04:002013-07-07T12:38:46.902-04:00Fields of YellowChecking in on a project from last fall & I was transported to a sea of yellow!<br />
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We installed these pre-grown sedum trays at <a href="http://www.nyhq.org/">New York Hospital Queens</a> (NYHQ) - 15,000 SF in all. The sedum will help to regulate and capture stormwater runoff during wet weather, so we've been watching it do its job all week. The roof is visible from many patients' rooms, so this golden oasis can add a bit of brightness to these grey days!<br />
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Sedum is a water-holding plant that also has drought tolerance. It can grow in many colors, but ours grew in with the cheery hue of sunshine! It has a special type of metabolism called "Crassulacean Acid Metabolism' (CAM) which, during draught conditions, allows it to open its leaf pores at night rather than during the day, making it more efficient than non-CAM plants. We got our trays from <a href="http://www.liveroof.com/">LiveRoof</a>, a great network of green roof growers.<br />
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The roof will be monitored by Manhattan College students, who will be measuring its impact on local water systems. Making it not only a beautiful site, but also a learning space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05fwidFEtB5Gu6PwH02jJNjJ9IwCQRWwfuzesZ68me98_MoGndMZkwV5YqApLzdYB-qB0XD_ysNjlSKgkKsXlh-8O5OUzg9OkjdLl8X7aLVTV9lN1DYenYt0XEqJ89Py7OmaiHpfaUIEA/s1003/NYHQ_6_2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05fwidFEtB5Gu6PwH02jJNjJ9IwCQRWwfuzesZ68me98_MoGndMZkwV5YqApLzdYB-qB0XD_ysNjlSKgkKsXlh-8O5OUzg9OkjdLl8X7aLVTV9lN1DYenYt0XEqJ89Py7OmaiHpfaUIEA/s320/NYHQ_6_2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The greenroof at NYHQ was just one aspect of the hospital's plan to reduce their environmental impact. They also replaced old equipment with newer high efficiency models, began a recycling program - the hospital was the first to meet Mayor Bloomberg's challenge to NYC hospitals, universities, and businesses to reduce overall carbon emissions by 30 percent over ten years. <a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2013-04-24/Front_Page/NYHQ_Goes_Green.html">NYHQ met that goal in just two!</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ss0IJYSXmI1c-nk8w_Fek5z6pBtSkN_HYK-wqqqbygTesFzevzJdqo-EHVSuJZRnqaVNTxWnuSu-cmdWc_jV2ad3xiHJ-6djHildDSdpFbOwTv8ad8vFCWVocKSoOEBPzZW5LyzNJOGh/s1003/NYHQ_6_2013_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ss0IJYSXmI1c-nk8w_Fek5z6pBtSkN_HYK-wqqqbygTesFzevzJdqo-EHVSuJZRnqaVNTxWnuSu-cmdWc_jV2ad3xiHJ-6djHildDSdpFbOwTv8ad8vFCWVocKSoOEBPzZW5LyzNJOGh/s320/NYHQ_6_2013_2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-78132404422890377382013-07-03T16:00:00.000-04:002013-07-03T16:00:03.843-04:00Red, White & Hot - Chasing Ice<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-16c451f6-7a5b-a3b2-4f9d-3b7b0f11f87b" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;">On this eve of the 4th of July, I find myself in a contemplative mood. The weekend promises to be hot, sticky, and maybe a little rainy. As I plan my little family's weekend festivities outdoors, I can't help but wish I could pack a giant cooler of ice, at the ready for whenever the sun beats down. Which led to me thinking about those giant mountains of ice in the </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Arctic</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">I recently watched the beautifully poignant and absolutely terrifying film, </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.chasingice.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Chasing Ice</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The film follows James Balog, an environmental photographer, as he
shifts from skeptic to missionary through his bold and brutal multi-year
project to capture the changing landscape of the Arctic. The result is
haunting. As he compresses the years into seconds, ancient mountains of
ice disappear right before your eyes. I wanted to go there immediately
and at least hug the beautiful peaks goodbye. It also made me think that
I need to move to higher ground. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.chasingice.com/see-the-film/james-balogs-photo-gallery/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOroKJlvJcHM5F-_9j3ieY8LiB-3m-jBk7J8gxn2ZImhn2DfYjOP9h7x7NpW-ad40Uwq7Q29dNjZ0XqzdAN0m40suZ_OwnXFK94_XmDOrhc5AgI8Khl1ID-SMcId8ut2N9bvyO5lZPt9cT/s320/chasing-ice-8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.chasingice.com/see-the-film/james-balogs-photo-gallery/#!prettyPhoto" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJexFOOwMfTC5nRymyuMax7BNJT59rLuCyqAzMe_qyzOTM99i0rqzZshQkEaCfNWDZdoeiTGfjlD5wEgp09uN2ajsLN_AbqPfCZQkJjPiNuAv00Gqgmo-pkGIi9nUWdqWEn2fMAAwAlTwW/s320/cn_image.size.chasing-ice-alaska.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mayor Bloomberg recently produced his Coastal Protection Plan, a 430-page report, where he recommends the
construction of levees, floodwalls, and other developments that would
prepare the city for climate change. The report highlights the
devastating effects that rising water and temperature levels could have
on the city, making bold recommendations that would need to be
implemented over many years (and with the support of next
administration). You can listen to the mayor’s speech and learn more
about the plan with </span><a href="http://www.wnyc.org/people/jennifer-vanasco/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Jennifer Vanasco's</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> piece at </span><a href="http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2013/jun/11/mayor-details-climate-plan/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">WNYC</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbqN3nEewfdn0rKACkI7QcLfZ05GMXzSVWmHrlXfw0ioNLOVRTIeNHsn_SohVs7nfb0-s7jfzvdSZdEM0Zy_5xUptG1ttonFDZ3heZ5mqAsdSd4guWcXZixO6jHj3GNkHsIXNRnRRbWOf/s1600/coneyisland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbqN3nEewfdn0rKACkI7QcLfZ05GMXzSVWmHrlXfw0ioNLOVRTIeNHsn_SohVs7nfb0-s7jfzvdSZdEM0Zy_5xUptG1ttonFDZ3heZ5mqAsdSd4guWcXZixO6jHj3GNkHsIXNRnRRbWOf/s320/coneyisland.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-16c451f6-7a79-7205-33ef-57226d3b0c65" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">(</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">Rendering shows Coney Island Creek wetlands and tidal barrier proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg</span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m
not sure I agree with all of the mayor’s plans, but I was happy to see
the conversation beginning. Cheers for a happy and safe holiday weekend - full of Red, White, & Blue fun! My only wish is that all of those folks lucky enough to head up to rooftops to gaze up at those fabulous colors exploding over the Hudson were also able to look down at a greenroof at their feet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Want to see exactly where and what is
proposed? Check out this great interactive map from the WNCY Data News
team: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #ffea00; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="785" scrolling="no" src="http://project.wnyc.org/planyc-map/" width="100%"></iframe></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-14870273712989736272013-06-28T18:00:00.000-04:002013-07-07T11:33:35.287-04:00Green Roof Happy HourSpent the morning cultivating our planters on a Brooklyn rooftop. The Wine Cups, <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=cain2" target="_blank">Callirhoe involucrata</a>, are radiating a magic magenta and absolutely overflowing!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkYugu1LaI8YOjIsTbwtTKUNkSHCwTpdAyfDhij5x2EFidB_d9N2_UKQWWEnIqZkq1vEOICYbHxkHNEqA8gh3yaokS3ISODtSRK5OMdH9gveg5EEMP8dMCNxCYlI5MDBAhw8kd01JKsAl/s1600/withwinecups.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkYugu1LaI8YOjIsTbwtTKUNkSHCwTpdAyfDhij5x2EFidB_d9N2_UKQWWEnIqZkq1vEOICYbHxkHNEqA8gh3yaokS3ISODtSRK5OMdH9gveg5EEMP8dMCNxCYlI5MDBAhw8kd01JKsAl/s320/withwinecups.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvReHAfNM95uDXLWbBDZaZeBX8LGn7tqsHjHh-qwaQgQrrRh8RaDwo2udK3Yz3hTFffJETyK0O4aml6M70Ebulyro9Wchu7IMfpHjLXntsk20nDHivj3KW96a85H7stVq_A9ApUSodmCig/s1600/with+bklyn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvReHAfNM95uDXLWbBDZaZeBX8LGn7tqsHjHh-qwaQgQrrRh8RaDwo2udK3Yz3hTFffJETyK0O4aml6M70Ebulyro9Wchu7IMfpHjLXntsk20nDHivj3KW96a85H7stVq_A9ApUSodmCig/s320/with+bklyn.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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You'll notice the native prickly pear, our own <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ophu" target="_blank">Opuntia humifusa</a>, is now in bloom for a limited time engagement. After this it will just go back to being a prick, so enjoy it now!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_R_Gl47c5nFHaHBQqqecpLBAfRtUZW1ACZpstImEFjCxo2agvCGwtSbz8FcdbF2Nu1r-JSdclksJuqhL9uuryGH3O83FavOffz6ONjtXclBbQyKawXuZ5H60tGAUa7_pgUea5kDyfv7ul/s1600/Opuntia+in+bloom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_R_Gl47c5nFHaHBQqqecpLBAfRtUZW1ACZpstImEFjCxo2agvCGwtSbz8FcdbF2Nu1r-JSdclksJuqhL9uuryGH3O83FavOffz6ONjtXclBbQyKawXuZ5H60tGAUa7_pgUea5kDyfv7ul/s320/Opuntia+in+bloom.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We'll still love it though - prickly pear can have a lot of uses, but our favorite on a Friday afternoon is the <a href="http://feedyourvegetarian.blogspot.com/2007/05/prickly-pear-cactus-mojito.html" target="_blank">Prickly Pear Cactus Mojito</a>. Happy Friday!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-47961761968181021672013-06-25T18:00:00.000-04:002013-07-07T11:34:34.049-04:00Exciting News - Green Roof Tax Abatement ExtendedThe New York State legislature extended and improved the NYC green roof tax abatement! New changes allow the maximum value to be doubled, which means property owners can save as much as $200,000 per project. It also encourages the use of biodiverse plants (we love!)<br />
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Our friends at <a href="http://swimmablenyc.info/" target="_blank">S.W.I.M.</a> broke the news and we couldn't be happier! They've also shared their independent evaluation of the <a href="http://swimmablenyc.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SWIM-Green-Roof-Assessment_paper.pdf" target="_blank">NYC Green Roof Tax Abatement report</a> which assesses the efficacy of the abatement.<br />
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Proving its a good time to go green!<br />
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<a href="http://alivestructures.com/home" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodbkruKZLjtSH_8M4Fw5xpebt-jw5V5qR1PMyumA4JrGWiBtnjJbHiRRkxq0GtSwuib9U9XLwgX95vz-tX6XmkKiBF8aylmLLzhdSCka7_dpb7vSfuR2SknNHl7BBfxrLLEJf9CsWnLel/s320/coneflower.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-66368560443912622832013-06-21T16:46:00.000-04:002013-06-21T16:46:16.992-04:00The Grass Is Greener<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-16c451f6-686f-f006-b760-0f1acf933b54" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Today
is just the perfect Friday, and while this is perfect weather for many
of you and many of your plants, it is unfortunately also the perfect
weather for weeds too. Remember to get out there and stay on top of
weeding before the mugwort has reached 10’ high!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Its
also a good time to cut back tall plants that look better a little
shorter: coreoposis, eupatoirum (Joe Pye Weed), Balloon flower, and
Asters. We’ve been tending to one of our very lush green roofs in
Brooklyn - you can see the Mexican Feather Grass is thriving!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGWd8kVhSNv9TqZBtleYMQ4sqJr8MlUt3TY7KGq5zjLrCjko7X1LY0Tkvy1a4s1WoqwMxcOEQJpSQpFs7cEP8Olpd0NPpHP451zjJKigdPc_8jj8ZcaUK49qmBu36xEbIttjGKd3dcOic/s1600/253Carlton_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGWd8kVhSNv9TqZBtleYMQ4sqJr8MlUt3TY7KGq5zjLrCjko7X1LY0Tkvy1a4s1WoqwMxcOEQJpSQpFs7cEP8Olpd0NPpHP451zjJKigdPc_8jj8ZcaUK49qmBu36xEbIttjGKd3dcOic/s320/253Carlton_3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6pryMSxZShxoq4NYPzMz7LlrR__88seyMZnUlACFpU-bi0QSAgu8fuGCXNvk5T87rlV0RTWaUko46ev5-IWJ2L8i8aGfrzBNF8UMVmTLnkL-kFiEg4_WSEZMKkENei0NR5iw8vio5mzf/s1600/253Carlton_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6pryMSxZShxoq4NYPzMz7LlrR__88seyMZnUlACFpU-bi0QSAgu8fuGCXNvk5T87rlV0RTWaUko46ev5-IWJ2L8i8aGfrzBNF8UMVmTLnkL-kFiEg4_WSEZMKkENei0NR5iw8vio5mzf/s320/253Carlton_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Including
another green roof in Tribeca where the same grass is looking
beautiful. We’ve experimented with potting this grass in planters before
with fatal results - the drainage was just not good enough and there
was way too much irrigation. Green roofs are perfect for this grass,
they provide excellent drainage and are generally dry, sunny landscapes.
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Want some more tips? The lovely </span><a href="http://www.gardenista.com/about/jeanne-rostaing" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Jeanne Rostaing</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> featured one of our recent projects in Fort Greene, and </span><a href="http://www.gardenista.com/posts/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-urban-garden-hint-you-have-a-roof-too" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">I sat in for some Q&A</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-83184069658147225682013-05-06T12:04:00.003-04:002013-05-06T12:07:01.868-04:00Pfizer Goes Green!<br />
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The former Pfizer building located in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn is getting a green roof paid for by the Department of Environmental Protection Green Infrastructure Grant. Alive Structures partnered with the buildings new owner, <a href="http://www.acumenny.com/">Acumen Capital Partners</a>, to apply for the grant, and we received it! The roof will be 28,000 SF of sedum and native plants, there will also be a section for agriculture.<br />
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The building where Viagra was once manufactured is now an incubator for hip Brooklyn food start ups like <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.mcclurespickles.com/" style="color: #004276; text-decoration: underline;" title="McClure’s home page">McClure’s Pickles</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://brooklynsodaworks.com/" style="color: #004276; text-decoration: underline;" title="Brooklyn Soda Works home page.">Brooklyn Soda Works</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://stevesicecream.com/" style="color: #004276; text-decoration: underline;" title="Steve’s home page.">Steve’s Ice Cream</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><a href="http://www.madecasse.com/" style="color: #004276; text-decoration: underline;" title="Madecasse home page">Madécasse</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> to name a few. The building is perfect for food production with all of it's laboratories, sterile environment, and climate control storage. Acumen Capital Partners is committed to restoring old factory buildings and keeping them for local industry as opposed to making a quick buck and turning them all into "luxury lofts". We're hoping for a fall installation. Stay tuned for more news about it as we move forward. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">See the DEP press release to find out about all the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/press_releases/13-053pr.shtml">Green Infrastructure Projects</a> chosen for 2013.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Here we are at the opening ceremony which took place on the Pfizer building last week. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Marni in the middle of a sea of suits. On the Pfizer Building with DEP.</span></i></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-30137704209996951142013-04-09T14:25:00.001-04:002013-04-09T14:26:54.337-04:00Coldspring to Heatwave <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCHsa6LfA5tQZYIZ8m-h5DojrG5c3x_UsyQ9NUK1yF2noQrYflxEWu1DUCc8ta59U5ZJivFxUH4k_PkpiAvD-yd1Yfeb033WPBOs5g8xj_l9zdZducDllwBbnH2qvdmJoWqrIE7jjedJm/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCHsa6LfA5tQZYIZ8m-h5DojrG5c3x_UsyQ9NUK1yF2noQrYflxEWu1DUCc8ta59U5ZJivFxUH4k_PkpiAvD-yd1Yfeb033WPBOs5g8xj_l9zdZducDllwBbnH2qvdmJoWqrIE7jjedJm/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Star Magnolia in full bloom at 23rd St. </span></i></td></tr>
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It's 80 degrees this April 9th and you're freakin' happy though possibly overdressed and hating your office job. Even though you might not care on this glorious NYC day, climate change is eliminating spring......and your plants do mind.<br />
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This is your plant this past month:<br />
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'It's snowing, no way I'm gonna come out now.'<br />
'Nice, finally! I'm going to send out some new growth.'<br />
'Still nice. Sweet! I'm gonna bud.'<br />
'Damn! I'm freezing my buds off! My owner's going to think I'm dead now. And I might be....'<br />
'Oh, good. I'm still alive, and it's nice out again. I wish my owner would water me and stop thinking I'm dead.'<br />
'Damn! It's hot!!!! Water! Agua! Eau! What language do I need to speak to get you to water?!'<br />
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Remember to water your gardens, green roofs, and especially potted plants, even when it goes back down to 50 deg.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-28693039373913584152013-03-25T21:57:00.000-04:002013-03-25T22:06:42.020-04:00Coldspring / Hot Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Natasha and Marni Majorelle, March 2013, Prospect park- Forest School!</i></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So our blog is back after a year of hibernating, just in time for spring! Even in this very un-spring like spring we're having. The excuse for not blogging, if there can be such a thing, is having a baby! And now that she's 10 months old and can fend for herself, I can blog all I want. Proof of baby posted above. You can tell she's mine because she's already dirty.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first thing I'm doing is returning to the office - at good old <a href="http://33flatbush.com/">33 Flatbush</a>! A few things have changed, like a gigantic tower built next door and this terrifying crane. Other than that it's still the great old place it's always been with amazing people and businesses. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;"><i style="font-weight: normal;">Witchhazel in bloom in Madison Square Park.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Besides doing things like taxes, there's work to be done outside the office as well. Somethings we're doing, and you might want to as well in your own garden, is pruning, cutting dead things off, mulching, adding a layer of compost, and enjoying the beautiful blooms of Witchhazel, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 15px;"><a class="l" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamamelis_virginiana" style="color: #1122cc; cursor: pointer;"><em style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;">Hamamelis</em> </a> . </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 15px;">These unusual blooms look like yellow fire crackers or shooting stars. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 15px;">So even though you're freezing and haven't finished your taxes, <a href="http://gardening.about.com/od/rose1/a/RosePruning.htm">prune your rose </a>(learn how!), cut down the grasses (if you haven't already in the fall), remove all those unsightly leaves surrounding the gorgeous blooms on your hellebore, add some mulch and compost, warm up, and then have a beer and gulash! It will be 90 degrees before you know it. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-81551393900806493682012-02-21T12:03:00.000-05:002012-02-21T13:23:15.028-05:00Tell the EPA to raise water quality standards!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxmLeWDBJoYIbMglmVAoFDulBdflQsfKSUBLK0ASMSpyjLzWscAK-bSitdBwq5VHdtW8BTznxyIZHloG-HNJE4cSjknQtMJSSjBRAHQ0bjjst3zOkAmCefWJlyAExHPVMhqchaL_lm1wo/s1600/image.jpeg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxmLeWDBJoYIbMglmVAoFDulBdflQsfKSUBLK0ASMSpyjLzWscAK-bSitdBwq5VHdtW8BTznxyIZHloG-HNJE4cSjknQtMJSSjBRAHQ0bjjst3zOkAmCefWJlyAExHPVMhqchaL_lm1wo/s400/image.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711652348448355714" /></a><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center; "><span><span style="text-align: left; ">People swimming at Coney Island in 2010. Image <a href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-07-18/local/27070249_1_heat-wave-rolls-new-yorkers-paddling">via</a>.<br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; "><span><span style="text-align: left; "><br /></span></span></div><span><span style="font-size: 100%; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Everyone at Alive Structures got into the field of green infrastructure for a number of reasons, but for all of us one of the most important of those is improving local water quality. So we really appreciate that the folks at <a href="http://swimmablenyc.info/">S.W.I.M. Coa</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 100%; "><a href="http://swimmablenyc.info/">lition</a> (Storm Water Infrastructure Matters) are on top of policy issues that affect water quality and safety. Currently, the EPA has a renewal of their beach pollution regulations on the docket, last updated in 1986.</span></span><div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmYFZvsQM4HAJyH1VyVx0l08XObhC3C9iyOt8zL7GO5kXWI952n1JPz6AeX1zm3kUMj2_IW6JIZ_Ayfb02m1_xN8nvou2egLpfGmqbWBDuPFZsw0AeNQT0kxOtgbNOXQ2HF8xtHbuAhDt/s1600/kids-beach-blog.jpeg"></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span>The proposed standards are not strict enough. They allow for 90 averaging of pathogen levels, a period almost as long as New York City's beachgoing season. As S.W.I.M. put it in their email, "<span style="font-size: 100%; ">Under the proposal, the pathogen levels could be unacceptably high every Saturday during the beach season but the 90-day average may still meet the standards." And this does happen - Riverkeeper, a New York non-profit, tests water quality at a variety of locations around New York City. Their <a href="http://www.riverkeeper.org/water-quality/locations/nyc-hudson-bergen/pier-96-kayak-launch/">Pier 96 at West 56th St testing location</a> is a boat launch and recreational kayaking spot for New Yorkers. Enterococcus counts (fecal pathogens) at Pier 96 failed water quality standards on four of the six testing days in 2011, and got as high as seven times the limit on one dirty day in May, but if the tests in the ~90 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">are averaged the water quality </span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">was acceptable. </span></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">Gross. </span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; ">National Resources Defense Council has a <a href="https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2667">petition to the EPA</a> urging them to make these regulations stricter. Today's the last day to comment so we hope you'll <a href="https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2667">sign</a>! </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span><div style="font-size: 100%; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmYFZvsQM4HAJyH1VyVx0l08XObhC3C9iyOt8zL7GO5kXWI952n1JPz6AeX1zm3kUMj2_IW6JIZ_Ayfb02m1_xN8nvou2egLpfGmqbWBDuPFZsw0AeNQT0kxOtgbNOXQ2HF8xtHbuAhDt/s1600/kids-beach-blog.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmYFZvsQM4HAJyH1VyVx0l08XObhC3C9iyOt8zL7GO5kXWI952n1JPz6AeX1zm3kUMj2_IW6JIZ_Ayfb02m1_xN8nvou2egLpfGmqbWBDuPFZsw0AeNQT0kxOtgbNOXQ2HF8xtHbuAhDt/s400/kids-beach-blog.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711648699335346610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: Times; "><span>Kids are particularly vulnerable to getting sick from dirty water. Image <a href="http://www.familyvacationcritic.com/blog/index.php/category/family-travel-deals/page/2/">via</a>.</span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center; "><span><br /></span></div></div></span></div> </div>Margo Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875479685071384200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-45845940267477950492012-02-15T14:36:00.000-05:002012-02-15T14:59:09.181-05:00More Terrariums, if possible....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mkaYBwRQo5jo8is698BpqD2FxGcxDgAft9qyA3GgEi25DZCX2vKO7aTGxOi02QPyy6II4_vD6KgxOut49z2U7LNlav2CAR94_9s3F6VVS9K4toCkftDbhe0xqlscgUvBM6VJbcSJV5Pp/s1600/photo2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mkaYBwRQo5jo8is698BpqD2FxGcxDgAft9qyA3GgEi25DZCX2vKO7aTGxOi02QPyy6II4_vD6KgxOut49z2U7LNlav2CAR94_9s3F6VVS9K4toCkftDbhe0xqlscgUvBM6VJbcSJV5Pp/s400/photo2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709454041748607810" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I know the design world is gaga about terrariums. Maybe they've become so trendy, that they're actually no longer in style. This sentiment is expressed in the blog site I was sent by an architect friend : <a href="http://fuckyournoguchicoffeetable.tumblr.com/">fuck your noguchi coffee table</a>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">which states "fuck your terrarium lamp" with image below. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFzTJqVLoKv9QB1MeJVM0xk5MFzWFCD_6iWMeY9JlaNvDdh1wM3LVpO7cN4LmCDa3lU3lWfo55BYeMDzix_x543otZJWU5NuHer9HTmr9us7YNnMuUgZPjlqH62wT-OeqdP1K-2a0scY2/s1600/tumblr_lzeqjgLkWK1qfudpoo1_500.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFzTJqVLoKv9QB1MeJVM0xk5MFzWFCD_6iWMeY9JlaNvDdh1wM3LVpO7cN4LmCDa3lU3lWfo55BYeMDzix_x543otZJWU5NuHer9HTmr9us7YNnMuUgZPjlqH62wT-OeqdP1K-2a0scY2/s400/tumblr_lzeqjgLkWK1qfudpoo1_500.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709452134076561410" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">Nonetheless, my enthusiasm for terrariums is actually just now blossoming.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I'm attaching some images of a terrarium we built for a client using a vessel made from recycled glass. The vessel was pretty expensive because of it's elegant shape and lightweight material. But there are plenty of glass jars and pre-existing terrarium like containers which could be used for free or for little cost. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">What's fun about building terrariums is the creation of another world and experimenting with different types of plants. I built this one with my mom which was fun. But also getting the plants through the bottleneck and into the soil can be a bit nerve racking. Anyway, nothing is very satisfying unless there's challenge involved. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-chidTrSOZpSnQ_jm8NEdsCI8SqSoH8ArJqQnInWdl14Eg7CelWRQ2TBhkcosF7D0_mtEv29PF_19pb8gRct841RbWTWinDbm2TDhS3OVF9IWmDbcWl7HHYfazy_2UAy5IdtUXerXMTN/s1600/photo4.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-chidTrSOZpSnQ_jm8NEdsCI8SqSoH8ArJqQnInWdl14Eg7CelWRQ2TBhkcosF7D0_mtEv29PF_19pb8gRct841RbWTWinDbm2TDhS3OVF9IWmDbcWl7HHYfazy_2UAy5IdtUXerXMTN/s400/photo4.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709453972758179186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFZXQF9NJBAGq0wP8HczcQvlfN79NHo3cYdZMEGvq75eWzV1kgUHjwtzGwBBRqCBvxhDuYUn2t6ba_RKFSZ5RvMjm_8cpzrJZyYQU_pE54G1uTyG7rwGhm1HeC3BWmVRhIAEd8HA4v7Cs/s1600/photo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFZXQF9NJBAGq0wP8HczcQvlfN79NHo3cYdZMEGvq75eWzV1kgUHjwtzGwBBRqCBvxhDuYUn2t6ba_RKFSZ5RvMjm_8cpzrJZyYQU_pE54G1uTyG7rwGhm1HeC3BWmVRhIAEd8HA4v7Cs/s400/photo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709453861150095266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqnpkjWTrIgHKtgmCgthNPw-lasZUqiWL8N0dXjrJb4XfISmCEya734JXdAwzv0IPgYvlLBgkcK4BzOqoTZa4EkZNdqZqjEZmkgB1TCUgQQrbEdeby8Mm4V7U0X__dfRkMkiLhizF818B/s1600/photo3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqnpkjWTrIgHKtgmCgthNPw-lasZUqiWL8N0dXjrJb4XfISmCEya734JXdAwzv0IPgYvlLBgkcK4BzOqoTZa4EkZNdqZqjEZmkgB1TCUgQQrbEdeby8Mm4V7U0X__dfRkMkiLhizF818B/s400/photo3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709453742794370098" /></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-70917114887292130062012-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:002012-01-20T13:51:07.394-05:00Sharks! Stingray! Lion Fish!! Palm Trees!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUUntq7alpsoPEIgcwq5UGBv9vhP8PsaqZenSd_WbwauuYss043dJMPJ_8jmOj9zYTOo07MUr4oo2qcc0ywErsDPsAgD7oX6oRNzGiIiOAHaFcHpNc72tNxbMmHD8XxtRGHh7RAwbgA-B/s1600/Guanica_12.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUUntq7alpsoPEIgcwq5UGBv9vhP8PsaqZenSd_WbwauuYss043dJMPJ_8jmOj9zYTOo07MUr4oo2qcc0ywErsDPsAgD7oX6oRNzGiIiOAHaFcHpNc72tNxbMmHD8XxtRGHh7RAwbgA-B/s400/Guanica_12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699782220861190930" /></a>Blogging about a recent trip to the caribbean is not intended to make anyone jealous, but simply to share interesting ecological information-but, yes, my tan looks great, thanks :)<p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">My family and I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>stayed for one week in <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=guanica+puerto+rico&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8c1d36d60cdfb98b:0xca7912cf282fe451,Gu%C3%A1nica,+Puerto+Rico&gl=us&ei=9aUZT8PeHKLy0gHhi4jRCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA">Guanica, Puerto Rico</a> beside the largest remaining tract of tropical dry coastal forest in the world, which was declared an International Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO because of its biological diversity. The forest feels both tropical and desert. Walking on it's trails, one is surrounded by low growing twisted shrubs, barrel cacti, cactus trees, but also palm<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>trees and the turquoise ocean (also a few nice gay beaches if anyone's interested).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1CWPbUjD130gxhb3U5c_mivF1a6naRvq0FxkPusChhZO1figB0oXFQckQpJwFxVXOoHpOdb9QiPWBqkAFeoReqlvS31n2j2QIYjZ734u-59z8XseYyXAwCjqG53BiklRiK0v3iownmj4/s1600/Guanica_10.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1CWPbUjD130gxhb3U5c_mivF1a6naRvq0FxkPusChhZO1figB0oXFQckQpJwFxVXOoHpOdb9QiPWBqkAFeoReqlvS31n2j2QIYjZ734u-59z8XseYyXAwCjqG53BiklRiK0v3iownmj4/s400/Guanica_10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699782620346990210" /></a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">The dry forest has 700 plant species of which 48 are endangered and 16 exist nowhere else. Its forest hosts the greatest number of bird species on the island, including the Puerto Rican Emerald Hummingbird which pollinates the flowering barrel cacti in the winter months.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsl_I7NL1UAUrRjlyV16pCK1-TIbyXOJFXmLCjz55fIRgiFz19fSm5c3o6Oh1oNQkR3298ONvUd4r7cyewJcowNseVz2o7vx9zLWLxDZhWdm8Mev4KwE3lgD3Sw51l1uHVlJYmYNk_29L9/s1600/Guanica_8.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsl_I7NL1UAUrRjlyV16pCK1-TIbyXOJFXmLCjz55fIRgiFz19fSm5c3o6Oh1oNQkR3298ONvUd4r7cyewJcowNseVz2o7vx9zLWLxDZhWdm8Mev4KwE3lgD3Sw51l1uHVlJYmYNk_29L9/s400/Guanica_8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699782951596598514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-L0aJDyVtmk7yWYONDgpho9s5qMNi_OeO375PLN953xTtA5wHgBDps8yKfFi4m2OHJ8jYad6De7zw8ChXHunuLy_75IO8AOE-I8BAhePUEab_FhqckgIWfDLMdsLiPqWHQFb-MR1WJrX/s1600/188155424_RX3M6-S.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-L0aJDyVtmk7yWYONDgpho9s5qMNi_OeO375PLN953xTtA5wHgBDps8yKfFi4m2OHJ8jYad6De7zw8ChXHunuLy_75IO8AOE-I8BAhePUEab_FhqckgIWfDLMdsLiPqWHQFb-MR1WJrX/s400/188155424_RX3M6-S.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699783002787786162" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">In the same region are lush mangroves and coral reefs. Home to manatees, nesting sites for Hawksbill turtles, and crested toads. While we didn't see manatees, we did see many beautiful fish and coral. (Beautiful underwater image of elkhorn coral by my brother Joshua Horwitz) See one of my favorite quirky fish, the Spotted Trunkfish.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wH2ePI0AMUAS0NBhOkj49eyYAXT_Uly0HQEhrUBv1NYJilr13dE69mj0jwjgAAcbLiq-ADqw_5v61QqJU-QpMRntIVI3R_g2XCZ8sEtsF8GAMRX1WjkUL3qb-fcdbdlb9XelnPGor5hN/s1600/IMG_5734.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wH2ePI0AMUAS0NBhOkj49eyYAXT_Uly0HQEhrUBv1NYJilr13dE69mj0jwjgAAcbLiq-ADqw_5v61QqJU-QpMRntIVI3R_g2XCZ8sEtsF8GAMRX1WjkUL3qb-fcdbdlb9XelnPGor5hN/s400/IMG_5734.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699784226326333154" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6pTfL0p5t9-J6UxhhDkgw8OV7Z5N2PU5v3tp7NCQ_FhV9GTrBKnXTjky_afhYgcCHFzxdJKdRcTzS_hnwOAcaPSR4yhehWJbo2CyVjtbMXxyZd0PsJudp0ENu1zmRCgqUnzv529i8xQv/s1600/SpottedTrunkfish.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6pTfL0p5t9-J6UxhhDkgw8OV7Z5N2PU5v3tp7NCQ_FhV9GTrBKnXTjky_afhYgcCHFzxdJKdRcTzS_hnwOAcaPSR4yhehWJbo2CyVjtbMXxyZd0PsJudp0ENu1zmRCgqUnzv529i8xQv/s400/SpottedTrunkfish.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699783872708081106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgu5ncWVV4NhqjJUdCNDYVcBF_Bp1b4QT1X6wF5DS2gKpUR7oAVTsTARP0pJtcrbQuSjL9yhiVefX-2Dyy-PtMFUTCVJJw_XteY62b4FgqObn_7fw-WfQvcaPN5_VoUMyCh74D8rIcOeo/s1600/La-Parguera-Mangrove.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgu5ncWVV4NhqjJUdCNDYVcBF_Bp1b4QT1X6wF5DS2gKpUR7oAVTsTARP0pJtcrbQuSjL9yhiVefX-2Dyy-PtMFUTCVJJw_XteY62b4FgqObn_7fw-WfQvcaPN5_VoUMyCh74D8rIcOeo/s400/La-Parguera-Mangrove.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699783695183816930" /></a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">Nearby, is a rare Bioluminescent Bay, which we did not visit but heard lots about. In this bay are 720,000 single-celled organisms that glow when they are agitated. This illumination is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>a defense mechanism by the tiny plankton that will dim and disappear if you hold completely still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These bays are scarcely found internationally because of the delicate ecological balance they require. Unfortunately, visiting this bay and experiencing a bit of it's magic probably damages it more since people wear mosquito repellent and carry other pollutants into the water.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:black;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHZKetjBKUia-a1rFP9KHpg4BdgpEE8nCuNKetPoioTEi_Wn4MXyj4cjEoljvXDM7CHEHlsSw_Ci7ZR14G6pI2ii0OjWGQ1jxbvdlc8lT_XY23IsJ55onLGMD0QfNyg3yQbDHrOahNTWg/s1600/pargue1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHZKetjBKUia-a1rFP9KHpg4BdgpEE8nCuNKetPoioTEi_Wn4MXyj4cjEoljvXDM7CHEHlsSw_Ci7ZR14G6pI2ii0OjWGQ1jxbvdlc8lT_XY23IsJ55onLGMD0QfNyg3yQbDHrOahNTWg/s400/pargue1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699785086442830530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PVaMzx2mX_oXyuWh8Xa3h_AgVQVk9fXv8WOyAZCPXMTaSEDYhI7vxt1W1KAe81c1DimYc-r94WSuVSxAqoUTCN-anNDgiGwo9Q4O_KJB7SsnMBzcUmsVJgdVy98uLkwmsNvIUUwBSDeh/s1600/Phosphorescent-Bay-La-Parguera.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PVaMzx2mX_oXyuWh8Xa3h_AgVQVk9fXv8WOyAZCPXMTaSEDYhI7vxt1W1KAe81c1DimYc-r94WSuVSxAqoUTCN-anNDgiGwo9Q4O_KJB7SsnMBzcUmsVJgdVy98uLkwmsNvIUUwBSDeh/s400/Phosphorescent-Bay-La-Parguera.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699784997735157762" /></a><br />Coral reefs, which take centuries to form, are also damaged by people's visitations. Coral is often broken by careless snorklers, motor boats, and pollution. But the larger threats to reefs are global warming and ocean acidification. According to Environmental Health Perspectives a heat wave starting in 2005 left roughly 60% of the coral cover in the Virgin Islands and 53% in Puerto Rico’s La Parguera Natural Reserve dead. This is an unprecedented tragedy.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">Coral reefs consist<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>of a variety of colors shapes and textures. Sometimes they echo the landscape on the ground, looking like a tall cacti , but many of the shapes you never find on land, like coral fans.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDy4Pp14JPrueQxVXCNr3CSMACxKp86IzZBK_ANPIoYJXIOJSXO76PWUICn3TmMn-vZ1zSl1xp6WC98ABaQtGDMf7wwpufcs9AXKRcTAP-zMl6a0_3yGG_Cyr70gadvCBabJcqcIoBAa37/s1600/sea+fan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDy4Pp14JPrueQxVXCNr3CSMACxKp86IzZBK_ANPIoYJXIOJSXO76PWUICn3TmMn-vZ1zSl1xp6WC98ABaQtGDMf7wwpufcs9AXKRcTAP-zMl6a0_3yGG_Cyr70gadvCBabJcqcIoBAa37/s400/sea+fan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699786086073618354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcSyom2gFPzbI428Du5RHKgmCiggDDHvdp1dtOfhapJRMd4QDMhuIhyywL58NkwAVJblBaWUJMr7GTlqzCkqY8YXSArQh-PsVYU7uYs8_4ExUelWxU33KOaHU8s1R5IwR-Y8kfAqKBvz8/s1600/figure1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcSyom2gFPzbI428Du5RHKgmCiggDDHvdp1dtOfhapJRMd4QDMhuIhyywL58NkwAVJblBaWUJMr7GTlqzCkqY8YXSArQh-PsVYU7uYs8_4ExUelWxU33KOaHU8s1R5IwR-Y8kfAqKBvz8/s400/figure1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699785937493284306" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGw9TvHGUJTR8ONWnG8Up3HlrwvO7lPU3KJ_knW9JSXUerDS-nXCtW43x-lXD-dKzf4jnvIJ8HRA-OgNGdhfVhKozSJrLyfO5BT_oevjz8yd_xJvgqJa7Dj3_b4XdHY1uJYW6ed0lTFsg/s1600/Coral-Identification-Types-of-Coral-Elkhorn-Coral.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGw9TvHGUJTR8ONWnG8Up3HlrwvO7lPU3KJ_knW9JSXUerDS-nXCtW43x-lXD-dKzf4jnvIJ8HRA-OgNGdhfVhKozSJrLyfO5BT_oevjz8yd_xJvgqJa7Dj3_b4XdHY1uJYW6ed0lTFsg/s400/Coral-Identification-Types-of-Coral-Elkhorn-Coral.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699785838370980418" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_8dKeAbbE2wOZrjcHKJVA2691gGGUQzWoC8eV6-8bKvs1n8Ygy86uQQdeMO32DNOq4JCw-A6YhjaS1wnSDUVVlnx6wRn4gDKtNPuIXESXmAQ5XczN3oy2YvhMznAcQEa0reRN7xG3fVF/s1600/coralreefs.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_8dKeAbbE2wOZrjcHKJVA2691gGGUQzWoC8eV6-8bKvs1n8Ygy86uQQdeMO32DNOq4JCw-A6YhjaS1wnSDUVVlnx6wRn4gDKtNPuIXESXmAQ5XczN3oy2YvhMznAcQEa0reRN7xG3fVF/s400/coralreefs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699785772420013618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyeWSRVdo-T6jiCUNMGCjl3LMbU8vTWMkj6TLY9sZu7PTlTbulcwZyxJvCsB4FDwxVRi_2Y1aeEWgndZ75dZBT3FOlaSjLyQjJLdZkVpVDdLeIZOjYj8EBmGK1-pmQNFDUWnaTYakKEnR/s1600/caribbean-coral-die-off_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 277px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidyeWSRVdo-T6jiCUNMGCjl3LMbU8vTWMkj6TLY9sZu7PTlTbulcwZyxJvCsB4FDwxVRi_2Y1aeEWgndZ75dZBT3FOlaSjLyQjJLdZkVpVDdLeIZOjYj8EBmGK1-pmQNFDUWnaTYakKEnR/s400/caribbean-coral-die-off_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699785657382497026" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sJpyCnz9SzbvfADNPA-nanyUYgQvj3w3-ctNgp1qdlg1w9bcny71joe3tXUsAe6Wq3Yt31gCtzGpEHM9BKFW3X3AbYbsLr7U6X_MHY8v7ljPxUiqYTLpYcEGBrfwFvBCgc3W6hxav5j5/s1600/1299543525T191E9.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sJpyCnz9SzbvfADNPA-nanyUYgQvj3w3-ctNgp1qdlg1w9bcny71joe3tXUsAe6Wq3Yt31gCtzGpEHM9BKFW3X3AbYbsLr7U6X_MHY8v7ljPxUiqYTLpYcEGBrfwFvBCgc3W6hxav5j5/s400/1299543525T191E9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699785567384393858" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><br />For a horticulturist, seeing the varieties of coral and the rich world it creates is like exploring a beautiful botanical garden. The problem is you don't want to get too close; you risk damaging the coral with your flippers and can get burned and scratched by it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">The amazing fish that would swim in and out of the coral were like watching people inhabit a busy building. Sometimes the coral was so busy and full of fish it was like Times Square. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none">One fish, though very beautiful, is quite dangerous, the Lion Fish. The Lion Fish is originally from the Pacific Ocean and has no known predators in all of the Atlantic. Their introduction is a result of hurricanes and tank releases during the early 1990’s. Due to their population explosion and aggressive behavior, Lion fish have the potential to become the most disastrous marine invasion in history by drastically reducing the abundance of coral reef fishes and leaving behind a devastated ecosystem. In Puerto Rico, the government offers $1 for every dead Lion Fish someone turns in. Also, some restaurants have started serving Lion Fish which is said to be tasty. I think dealing with invasive species through culinary strategies is a great idea!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzb_HHZzJDCMUFb7O33iWCZEpk1v_rnKQFgeX7TpJejTZ419AWwsBmFrsYnpTpgotdvLAWgj8fVhfxBoi_ffRjpdcTX-3YJrZSdXdhq_dXQ4kjnv1Aam9bGROjGxW_oJYfuujwANb3DQ6/s1600/IMG_5486.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzb_HHZzJDCMUFb7O33iWCZEpk1v_rnKQFgeX7TpJejTZ419AWwsBmFrsYnpTpgotdvLAWgj8fVhfxBoi_ffRjpdcTX-3YJrZSdXdhq_dXQ4kjnv1Aam9bGROjGxW_oJYfuujwANb3DQ6/s400/IMG_5486.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699787157106111506" /></a>Photo by Josh Horwitz!<br /><br />After a week in Puerto Rico, Eric and I traveled to St. Johns for a week. This will have to be a whole other blog, but I do want to share some images of the exciting larger wildlife we saw underwater, such as nurse sharks, reef sharks, spotted eagle sting rays, and green sea turtles. Scary but fun!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ8W1LsM4bU9vYd7zesWNEN7ipVlOP1Dv_eX764iBLxBKix4tHaG3CkA_ow7oeetHbns1GmQqeDDJzrig_YyogUYyFh_R5Fu8plhx7gb9coWYvHQlPxtDbxtaitz7406ywxoKh9_KNUml/s1600/green-sea-turtle_564_600x450.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ8W1LsM4bU9vYd7zesWNEN7ipVlOP1Dv_eX764iBLxBKix4tHaG3CkA_ow7oeetHbns1GmQqeDDJzrig_YyogUYyFh_R5Fu8plhx7gb9coWYvHQlPxtDbxtaitz7406ywxoKh9_KNUml/s400/green-sea-turtle_564_600x450.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699788097404335090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBMqQPWmhM7AfIrfXWzGl-niB2xLPbQM8tKdU_rofrbWAb5jnxq9fmwhJuRuiXduZtD5iGCLQFcTTWC7lZFyPQvR1-GjVekKWEKX1GA803lZPBKyJxZanSw3XlCeemNG1z1S2r01hr9RG/s1600/eagleraywiki.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBMqQPWmhM7AfIrfXWzGl-niB2xLPbQM8tKdU_rofrbWAb5jnxq9fmwhJuRuiXduZtD5iGCLQFcTTWC7lZFyPQvR1-GjVekKWEKX1GA803lZPBKyJxZanSw3XlCeemNG1z1S2r01hr9RG/s400/eagleraywiki.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699788004296708402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYvVJEZ8dQ9ESBKeUDzCopvefHHTANyWY0GfrAkfk4Yo0QxSAO_ENzSZ-3KmHe4POEVkY625EJ0DxZnL9yyRek8dub_R7MtIX_3t-dxzzFbvbJoDRw9PRx33-Gvwmbt4O4B0cmJNFsvDP/s1600/caribbean-reef-shark-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYvVJEZ8dQ9ESBKeUDzCopvefHHTANyWY0GfrAkfk4Yo0QxSAO_ENzSZ-3KmHe4POEVkY625EJ0DxZnL9yyRek8dub_R7MtIX_3t-dxzzFbvbJoDRw9PRx33-Gvwmbt4O4B0cmJNFsvDP/s400/caribbean-reef-shark-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699787935890182370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XTaqZqbxB3k67jHvKGLH4p3U0r3uK3DSGiu1znJrCZ5hgaeM5U0eQ9hnIPGDnvL0ejcD5yDKdBXPynl_WkzBnmWGz0peFCzG86XElkTrn1nJtrJTXitBymKAG6Wixno7BZTA4L2InGG_/s1600/4605_fido_nurse_shark_young_one.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XTaqZqbxB3k67jHvKGLH4p3U0r3uK3DSGiu1znJrCZ5hgaeM5U0eQ9hnIPGDnvL0ejcD5yDKdBXPynl_WkzBnmWGz0peFCzG86XElkTrn1nJtrJTXitBymKAG6Wixno7BZTA4L2InGG_/s400/4605_fido_nurse_shark_young_one.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699787819358538658" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-485868545387720662011-11-10T13:59:00.000-05:002011-11-10T15:15:32.245-05:00A trip to the New Jersey pine barrens:<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZu5umP__frp3rulkaE_AJYQgVz6b80Mgj7bZ0GfcBH9jhudeDKxBiBfczAn7uNgD5PYQTeKnwzSKGO4zacBFb37SdIq3pz8GJwWolGQhaad7iGqfhgECrxcPxWJwNRnTXQjQiq2SGTSfK/s1600/IMG_7051.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZu5umP__frp3rulkaE_AJYQgVz6b80Mgj7bZ0GfcBH9jhudeDKxBiBfczAn7uNgD5PYQTeKnwzSKGO4zacBFb37SdIq3pz8GJwWolGQhaad7iGqfhgECrxcPxWJwNRnTXQjQiq2SGTSfK/s400/IMG_7051.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673453037437855410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">About a three hour ride from NYC you will find some very pristine and unusual landscapes in our southern neighbor, New Jersey.</div> <p class="p1">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Barrens_(New_Jersey)">Pine Barrens</a> consist of about 1.1 million acres of protected land, with extreme environments that range from sphagnum bogs to sandy deserts. </p> <p class="p1">My mother and I went on this beautiful outing lead by Brooklyn Botanical Garden's Uli Lorimer, who has a wealth of knowledge about native plants and knew the pine barrens in and out (amazing job not getting us lost!). We were accompanied by landscape architect and native plant pioneer, Darrel Morrison. He's the designer of many sites in and outside New York City and has also recently worked on the expansion of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's <a href="http://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/native_flora_garden">Native Flora Garden</a>. </p> <p class="p2">The following images illustrate the type of moonscape that exists in this sandy environment. Some of the plants we saw flourishing here are:</p> <p class="p2">Broom Crowberry <i>Corema conradii </i> mixed with Bearberry <i>Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.</i></p> <p class="p1">These two species interspersed to create a beautiful low growing mosaic, the glossy leaves of the Bearberry reflected the light and Crowberry was like a red hairy mat. </p> <p class="p1">The dominant species is the Pitch Pine <i>Pinus rigida </i> that surrounded the sandy paths we walked on and provided a unique sense enclosure; trees only slightly bigger than us. The Pitch Pine is accompanied by the Scrub Oak <i>Quercus ilicifolia. </i></p> <p class="p2"><i></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6W2RVFbZUgloBXUROSYF1NFGYUMHZTNIBgYZdaTEfecw1TTv9Ig7OLGb7GtX2KiL3OcObc2xnvN7DrzMEr68sgRgpEGhJgQxCFcDhnneUm6pak5aO7PTZN7VAJOs3hlXs9mANohmck_96/s1600/IMG_7063.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6W2RVFbZUgloBXUROSYF1NFGYUMHZTNIBgYZdaTEfecw1TTv9Ig7OLGb7GtX2KiL3OcObc2xnvN7DrzMEr68sgRgpEGhJgQxCFcDhnneUm6pak5aO7PTZN7VAJOs3hlXs9mANohmck_96/s400/IMG_7063.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673453029941900354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p> <p class="p1"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIPWMjySKeRrzNwiX0F3Q1_Ui6oC8QDwJtC8DPEue8pJ0dHMCKakbdffrrQMlYbFbgbfX3lVi4zbBjykXwm0lXw0x1sMhUG9JAEp6NK92waPnyb7or6g-CxrYeR0FXnmXbx9mXijrtZJn/s1600/IMG_7061.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIPWMjySKeRrzNwiX0F3Q1_Ui6oC8QDwJtC8DPEue8pJ0dHMCKakbdffrrQMlYbFbgbfX3lVi4zbBjykXwm0lXw0x1sMhUG9JAEp6NK92waPnyb7or6g-CxrYeR0FXnmXbx9mXijrtZJn/s400/IMG_7061.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673453033990227618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><p></p> <p class="p1">At the next site we visited my feet got pretty wet and muddy, thankfully it was warm and it was so beautiful that I didn't really care. But for people going out there, definitely bring high boots! On the way to the bog we saw pine forests with an undergrowth of blueberries turned bright red. </p> <p class="p2"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4vtxj5oowmx_ySyYtXUkN9wmLWddt46q2tx_Eo_IAtafBNb6oZ1aWQbYpuU4wBjaNxCRMfplkaotRVOXRgqNxf75FbIBu4NNAZWSAF4vxChAt2Hko4uoy9SL4tGyhM14jaclZ-OgkQFr/s400/IMG_7082.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673453330720417010" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></p> <p class="p1">The bog was beautiful and tasty! I ate tart and refreshing cranberries. It was hard not to step on amazing plants, everywhere we looked there were carniverous Pitcher Plants <i>Sarracenia purpurea</i> . It makes sense there would be so many of these plants here, since the soil level is low in nutrients and high in acid, forcing plants to look for their nutrients elsewhere (namely, in bugs).</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCB_mWAXaChW50tBufgpphWMPzZkN2dcOO_V23g3nf11IqJo_jtgMrwkdO0TkD9SMRLnvP8caLTPubqI7CaDVn5EoUm77CYQVV-f_9cUXE_kd2XZ72SWBlSG0at0psak1FJghMOaHQ1p2X/s1600/IMG_7086.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCB_mWAXaChW50tBufgpphWMPzZkN2dcOO_V23g3nf11IqJo_jtgMrwkdO0TkD9SMRLnvP8caLTPubqI7CaDVn5EoUm77CYQVV-f_9cUXE_kd2XZ72SWBlSG0at0psak1FJghMOaHQ1p2X/s400/IMG_7086.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673454017743268754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCGTGUcGHVDahqVT6mi3C-xNEdq3CVWuElpP30x6D3UJ7AlOoU6WPEzWPqZlBajt8atZRNqDL9FHCMWYW1QxMwujgsxdqWDh0X7XyWPpSj2jNpDTS9AdpwNKTBftXwO7-2EpHyi-aWqYT/s1600/pitcher+plant+marni.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCGTGUcGHVDahqVT6mi3C-xNEdq3CVWuElpP30x6D3UJ7AlOoU6WPEzWPqZlBajt8atZRNqDL9FHCMWYW1QxMwujgsxdqWDh0X7XyWPpSj2jNpDTS9AdpwNKTBftXwO7-2EpHyi-aWqYT/s400/pitcher+plant+marni.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673454012306656178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><p class="p1">This set of <i>Sarracenia</i> are so red it looks like a crime scene!</p> <p class="p2"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0WlKj1x-CKpp3UwpJjkd3j_9cbKtALmCQUpoNT33_vxjHg39QXnx-lrnKLvtInvVB7UJY1tvRKrX6Z2LzSVhB3M_HFGooSlvvlFWxSaqQcZcMRJo3YG-iNn93QCg3xLDKpUzlFJypxp-/s1600/IMG_7090.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0WlKj1x-CKpp3UwpJjkd3j_9cbKtALmCQUpoNT33_vxjHg39QXnx-lrnKLvtInvVB7UJY1tvRKrX6Z2LzSVhB3M_HFGooSlvvlFWxSaqQcZcMRJo3YG-iNn93QCg3xLDKpUzlFJypxp-/s400/IMG_7090.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673454385408581026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p> <p class="p1">I think the most beautiful scene we saw was watching the Eel Grass <i>Zostera marina</i> flow in the current of a shallow creek. The grass was so bright in the sun and so graceful. It was very peaceful and quiet at that moment. </p><p class="p1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7y8_tcRRtqwBd0aiX0h8QwX52ESbanm243xYJoGKrGejmOc-TY6hoZNOHzOpIkuM8Hf_Jz2LcGZ-7-gnC_98rWisz7gIXFoXv6J1JJfHK6KqQGJNH7cjQF_qL0N-O8GjtlXtzgdq43RrC/s1600/IMG_7103.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7y8_tcRRtqwBd0aiX0h8QwX52ESbanm243xYJoGKrGejmOc-TY6hoZNOHzOpIkuM8Hf_Jz2LcGZ-7-gnC_98rWisz7gIXFoXv6J1JJfHK6KqQGJNH7cjQF_qL0N-O8GjtlXtzgdq43RrC/s400/IMG_7103.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673454672295904114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21KHFLG4cadfgT8WebfeqI61MN20oBbWSQr6EXF-HARSdLUHNkMNOs_vHiWg9NNOEWNGVMCrFwwheXD3RbovU3O3s283FladGoXtpB5B1JDmy92WaVb4qdNgnSrrlVUgT3EacQxsJHSFu/s1600/IMG_7101.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21KHFLG4cadfgT8WebfeqI61MN20oBbWSQr6EXF-HARSdLUHNkMNOs_vHiWg9NNOEWNGVMCrFwwheXD3RbovU3O3s283FladGoXtpB5B1JDmy92WaVb4qdNgnSrrlVUgT3EacQxsJHSFu/s400/IMG_7101.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673454675149285490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 316px; " /></a><p class="p2">Here are some photos of us collecting seeds and enjoying the day.</p><p class="p2"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9F01sa2cIhXDeYGegGvdFUbG8S89NGOrkFh_5yfrfS4qVhEIt12G4qs3qg1GMgOk3XA6PXlRyU7ADo7scJ_yxCi0On976QdDcrVzy7qy6xw91xZGG1zpSCm0fTdQAFINwT-p1WVZJc_6/s1600/IMG_7112.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9F01sa2cIhXDeYGegGvdFUbG8S89NGOrkFh_5yfrfS4qVhEIt12G4qs3qg1GMgOk3XA6PXlRyU7ADo7scJ_yxCi0On976QdDcrVzy7qy6xw91xZGG1zpSCm0fTdQAFINwT-p1WVZJc_6/s400/IMG_7112.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673455377739902130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1JJOctS8IKdQ89p53zwICLTGP9jReH_i-lgCSD3sbKWYOJHWWWZ15iKYsN-GMTHuwYO1EvU9e9kom531UbSZar-pDCJ0Y04l0lGoO-wAox3k5D-RkgGlojdGognYPrag_DPw8WkRlXzi/s1600/IMG_7129.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1JJOctS8IKdQ89p53zwICLTGP9jReH_i-lgCSD3sbKWYOJHWWWZ15iKYsN-GMTHuwYO1EvU9e9kom531UbSZar-pDCJ0Y04l0lGoO-wAox3k5D-RkgGlojdGognYPrag_DPw8WkRlXzi/s400/IMG_7129.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673455372093860418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxcJUlQWf9tf3oU-MES26gLoSesBpTvPKS-6KR-JikvUQnCxtUjuZIuVvKfZimWcQP37qANKokYKw2QFl1m5uswlcZUSrY2_HLlhG3f2wAtdkINKwpCP5-L3Tkx5s0KwAGVDLtavP_ZZj/s1600/IMG_7113.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxcJUlQWf9tf3oU-MES26gLoSesBpTvPKS-6KR-JikvUQnCxtUjuZIuVvKfZimWcQP37qANKokYKw2QFl1m5uswlcZUSrY2_HLlhG3f2wAtdkINKwpCP5-L3Tkx5s0KwAGVDLtavP_ZZj/s400/IMG_7113.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673455215636053170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYUQ3mdHFTRv7AhagrYEgRF06zizsXXEqahdiJCMjAC0cma01fAhmnd6P_ovq0AB8wkpbYKKIXYMltNP5mpH07_Md9HW__xJP-CeS6tV4rC3yAqQnQab7RrU24RSS00EOd8_moh27qkcN/s1600/IMG_7119.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYUQ3mdHFTRv7AhagrYEgRF06zizsXXEqahdiJCMjAC0cma01fAhmnd6P_ovq0AB8wkpbYKKIXYMltNP5mpH07_Md9HW__xJP-CeS6tV4rC3yAqQnQab7RrU24RSS00EOd8_moh27qkcN/s400/IMG_7119.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673455381869583330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a></div> <p class="p2"><i></i>This little blue flower is the <i>Gentiana autumnal,</i> commonly known as the pine barren gentian!</p> <p class="p1">I also wanted to write about another outing I had, that I believe is somewhat related. This was last week, on another beautifully warm day, to the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/environmental_education/newtown.shtml">Newtown Creek Nature Walk</a>, led by the <a href="http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/">Newtown Creek Alliance's</a> Kate Zidar. I can't believe I've lived in Greenpoint for ten years and not gone on this walk before. I think it had something to do with it lining the sewage treatment plant that's turned me off before, but now I know it's really beautiful. I also think the design, which features many native plants and natural rocks, is partially inspired by the Pine Barrens landscape. Definitely check it out for yourselves and keep your eyes out for it's expansion over the next few years. </p> <p class="p2"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoy3gnb7tom_VEAxjF7zuCJ4YCFuIapuTPD8cAeHzAoLu4EvajNSy_bIU1sHufKqdx_RXm23ZZmBo4cda0GORBYF7LSawOSrf0RUNgVfdOsFM838yLEDLoUff6AnUpUgquNHQ9Dn4lVJQ/s1600/IMG_6993.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoy3gnb7tom_VEAxjF7zuCJ4YCFuIapuTPD8cAeHzAoLu4EvajNSy_bIU1sHufKqdx_RXm23ZZmBo4cda0GORBYF7LSawOSrf0RUNgVfdOsFM838yLEDLoUff6AnUpUgquNHQ9Dn4lVJQ/s400/IMG_6993.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673456337192683250" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSKZazfBXkCiJjQSO8N1wQCX8FSPbN_e9E6JREJP_0GHUO33J-Cmnw7io-uj5kH86NpZzjR_-N8cA_a2TMibQxL1mPGYsPRJyddLaiuUC5r9HsLHChQtHYDyNhCoY9gjRaiJTvSOgB6bL/s1600/IMG_7004.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSKZazfBXkCiJjQSO8N1wQCX8FSPbN_e9E6JREJP_0GHUO33J-Cmnw7io-uj5kH86NpZzjR_-N8cA_a2TMibQxL1mPGYsPRJyddLaiuUC5r9HsLHChQtHYDyNhCoY9gjRaiJTvSOgB6bL/s400/IMG_7004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673456331514792562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Vflqgqkt9g9BbhSyrATjBTGd4QPZ2b-h6KF_EHxGAKcbh2Rs8DENZ-RtECYc8ERx33VkNMMbJ3HSr5-XFtXB9teBeFpaFeebnRLJVbAL6rGeCD-n0IHGtYveyJ8h_XnNjdHdkApZjkxy/s1600/IMG_7022.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Vflqgqkt9g9BbhSyrATjBTGd4QPZ2b-h6KF_EHxGAKcbh2Rs8DENZ-RtECYc8ERx33VkNMMbJ3HSr5-XFtXB9teBeFpaFeebnRLJVbAL6rGeCD-n0IHGtYveyJ8h_XnNjdHdkApZjkxy/s400/IMG_7022.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673456320375111714" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvHLMhy0XWO065ThdRCUSNkA99gTmzvdKRRNUmwaLX23vm1VXSv4hmkcgOmZGJpoHhTiogwnMn4GW5-aQsETIC7nbJrj9hVDvDc1GLN6U-JpB7a5_W25RjihxtHXku9fiwoeqRJupOfJT/s1600/IMG_7024.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvHLMhy0XWO065ThdRCUSNkA99gTmzvdKRRNUmwaLX23vm1VXSv4hmkcgOmZGJpoHhTiogwnMn4GW5-aQsETIC7nbJrj9hVDvDc1GLN6U-JpB7a5_W25RjihxtHXku9fiwoeqRJupOfJT/s400/IMG_7024.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673456319045201970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sxton27Y6oBD6cx_nABN8QSnne_iEAx8HVOaBifATsiuVrILDda-uu7dHd2ye_LW9kJmP09ypr23F0D4SMlVHMKBF3IM8U0HpT6md5HmBgcsaN0cP2OFpbOIBhBweIY5JM8VVIO3atDY/s1600/IMG_7028.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sxton27Y6oBD6cx_nABN8QSnne_iEAx8HVOaBifATsiuVrILDda-uu7dHd2ye_LW9kJmP09ypr23F0D4SMlVHMKBF3IM8U0HpT6md5HmBgcsaN0cP2OFpbOIBhBweIY5JM8VVIO3atDY/s400/IMG_7028.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673456314412963314" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a></p><div><br /></div><div>And last, though not least, a few weeks ago I spent a day with a reporter from Al Jazeera English on a tour of green infrastructure in the city for a short video piece they were doing. We visited the green wall at Hugo Neu Recycling in the South Bronx, the High Line, Eagle Street Farm, and one of the roofs we installed last year. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbh-SEHjZAo">The video is now online</a> and looks pretty good. </div><div><br /></div><div><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Kbh-SEHjZAo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-13849636647147905302011-10-19T18:23:00.000-04:002011-10-19T18:40:10.353-04:00End of Season Projects<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXj32A9Q2hDQJyZcCt8dQsQZJFtPTRcLvTGtckY0x1kOOxquDWmpqxYLQMKA8NJn3tHX1MZTLJgU7-RjuHGZVz0wgretX-HezmxmZO5WfcqbjiOw4kntWoCrAFwvfWfO8F_LbK07Fo6wy/s1600/photo-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXj32A9Q2hDQJyZcCt8dQsQZJFtPTRcLvTGtckY0x1kOOxquDWmpqxYLQMKA8NJn3tHX1MZTLJgU7-RjuHGZVz0wgretX-HezmxmZO5WfcqbjiOw4kntWoCrAFwvfWfO8F_LbK07Fo6wy/s400/photo-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665333533265853826" border="0" /></a><br />So the season isn't over yet, we're still working hard, but here's one of the most recent projects we've completed that we're super happy with. It's an intensive green roof for a residence in Brooklyn, with soil varying from 2" to 8". It's planted with mostly native grasses and wildflowers using Switchgass, Little Bluestem, Butterfly Weed, New York Ironweed, and the rare New England Blazing Star, all from our favorite Glover Perennials out in Long Island. There's also a vegetable bed, lavender, and lots of Sempervivum.<br /><br />Here are some pictures of the installation and one of the happy clients enjoying the roof after words!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG63kSFenAAZdcc_0QBn8vgQES7n5vE3V4HkSuIhw4hXClthaigxo1Q-NYwlNbKELXUPYKtRW15ZcwbllErgdpmvdZDyXe_3_QgmtplBigwxMvlBJN7OhZMqmXq8wSZVsfWKST-ASi_KzJ/s1600/photo-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG63kSFenAAZdcc_0QBn8vgQES7n5vE3V4HkSuIhw4hXClthaigxo1Q-NYwlNbKELXUPYKtRW15ZcwbllErgdpmvdZDyXe_3_QgmtplBigwxMvlBJN7OhZMqmXq8wSZVsfWKST-ASi_KzJ/s400/photo-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665333722993535858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlR2urwi4_44Hm68o9FmvViDCfB9MzCJ0_upJE9jk0uKJwWOXZfNsUkahP6fHiWAUMKN_eDEUPknvQmr4epKnL7VOm4QfOzICi0eTFu-UDiHQQ_dzdaKUCIcR-8JYpbWJ0c5Qq21Xm_-G/s1600/photo-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlR2urwi4_44Hm68o9FmvViDCfB9MzCJ0_upJE9jk0uKJwWOXZfNsUkahP6fHiWAUMKN_eDEUPknvQmr4epKnL7VOm4QfOzICi0eTFu-UDiHQQ_dzdaKUCIcR-8JYpbWJ0c5Qq21Xm_-G/s400/photo-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665333653330546546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipahtrg8oHC1GFleKsdiyheL7okEekZxXwT1YLtqw8OwKrfX_ngsYxMZTX08Or2GaL9Kfq4axogRn15HPSZbJJTOP1IJsxItWwWERoU22XCXEW-XHdB0A12JgYI4Cs1fERw6ssuziZ2QcY/s1600/IMG_6828.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipahtrg8oHC1GFleKsdiyheL7okEekZxXwT1YLtqw8OwKrfX_ngsYxMZTX08Or2GaL9Kfq4axogRn15HPSZbJJTOP1IJsxItWwWERoU22XCXEW-XHdB0A12JgYI4Cs1fERw6ssuziZ2QcY/s400/IMG_6828.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665336600486818562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0zQHYqgj7EP4cUy1TAYsHKwZ5aS1FF86mFr1fKlgtbirVNo1DUcFs3EDltloeJJ9OSWcxq6J8hzRqyLymKDMtX_gQX8H5kK7mrGM8fVefKMFSVMIseD5yZTSZuo72Lylr98xlBonpnC9/s1600/IMG_6843.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0zQHYqgj7EP4cUy1TAYsHKwZ5aS1FF86mFr1fKlgtbirVNo1DUcFs3EDltloeJJ9OSWcxq6J8hzRqyLymKDMtX_gQX8H5kK7mrGM8fVefKMFSVMIseD5yZTSZuo72Lylr98xlBonpnC9/s400/IMG_6843.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665336519994828370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo2k26DKqMLoLnOEbVneui7DUXjzJIq2nALTM9vdp0vQLlLhuvi1Li9uIOpYj03qQvkUMl-qzogcQvKtkU21CQo1TD5wbShE8wnyng-WO3OcBgGvOzD5NG4c4n_wi7jnKngyiUd-fXr0E/s1600/IMG_6848.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo2k26DKqMLoLnOEbVneui7DUXjzJIq2nALTM9vdp0vQLlLhuvi1Li9uIOpYj03qQvkUMl-qzogcQvKtkU21CQo1TD5wbShE8wnyng-WO3OcBgGvOzD5NG4c4n_wi7jnKngyiUd-fXr0E/s400/IMG_6848.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665336439908180594" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-71930663434322827552011-10-11T12:58:00.001-04:002011-10-12T15:27:00.352-04:00Rooftop farms and gardens.<div style="text-align: left;">We had a great time at New Green City in Union Square last week. The day was so gorgeous and we were happy to see a lot of interest in green roofs. In particular we noticed interest in rooftop farming, which was to be expected given the crowd and the clear vogue for rooftop farms in sustainability/food justice/urbanist fields at the moment. So here is a little post about rooftop farming that can hopefully answer some common questions on the subject.</div><p class="p1"><img src="http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Eagle-Street-Rooftop-Farm.jpg" alt="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 339px;" border="0" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://rooftopfarms.org/">Eagle Street Farm</a> in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.</span></p><p class="p1">Rooftop farms require more soil than regular, extensive green roofs. You need over six inches of soil to grow anything productively, so the part of the roof where you are gardening will have to to be intensive. This weighs more and costs more than an extensive roof, which has less than four inches of soil. I know you really want a cost estimate but this depends so heavily on the type of roof, location and size of the building that it is better to <b>just <a href="mailto:info@alivestructures.com">get a quote</a></b>. It could be somewhere between $25 and $60 per square foot.</p><p class="p1"><img src="http://www.manchesterpubnyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Brooklyn-Grange.jpg" alt="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 398px;" border="0" /></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.brooklyngrangefarm.com/">Brooklyn Grange Farm</a> in Long Island City, Queens. </span></div><p class="p1">The first thing on your agenda should be to <b>find out the load-bearing capabilities of your roof</b>. If there was construction done on your roof or a structural analysis performed in the last five years, you may already have this information. If not, contact a licensed structural engineer. In New York City, you can check the <a href="http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/PropertyProfileOverviewServlet?boro=0&houseno=&street=&requestid=0&s=A03C41B885B461E4F46BD08866A7430E">Department of Buildings database</a> to see what documents are on file for your building. This is one of those tools provided by the city, like the <a href="http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/template?applicationName=">NYCityMap</a> that I think everyone should know about because I use them all the time. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, your roof will need to safely carry upwards of <b>60-100 pounds per square foot</b>.</p><p class="p1"></p><p class="p1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqQsfgVHvcMxu50fVsEfCRb6wM6Mb6km0mA8IpWTiwSTWhemm1yrqNCXeX7XA4aPpg_rgNHUyymc54nybEl7M2P1cSFBH6fSYquqE5IpN_WHr9IAOD0YEb6JJ5K4tBv0R6w8MUXHZsx9N/s400/Screen+shot+2011-10-11+at+4.19.44+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662332078470707890" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" border="0" /></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;">Frieda Lim's sub-irrigated planters at <a href="http://www.slipperyslopefarm.us/">Slippery Slope Farm</a> in Gowanus, Brooklyn.</span></div><p></p><p class="p1"> If you've got that, you'll need to <b>find a <a href="http://alivestructures.com/">green roof company</a></b> to do the design and installation. This is the easiest part! Alive Structures is here for you. </p><p class="p1">We think the best system for green roof gardening is a combination intensive/extensive green roof, where most of the roof has a low soil depth and the gardening plot or plots have higher depths. If you can't install a green roof on your building for whatever reason, other options are planters, sub-irrigated or regular, or hydroponics. For information on how to build sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) yourself, see <a href="http://www.insideurbangreen.org/diy-sub-irrigation/">Inside Urban Green</a>. Keep in mind planters can also weigh quite a bit, so a structural analysis is really necessary for safety whatever you do. </p><p class="p1" style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://gothamgreens.com/img/header/ourgreenhouse.jpg?1311279692" alt="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 641px; height: 388px;" border="0" /></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://gothamgreens.com/">Gotham Greens</a>' hydroponic greenhouses in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. </span></div><p class="p1">Some other potential issues to consider when growing vegetables on a roof are nutrients and wind. The soils that are used for green roofs are engineered to be lighter than regular soil. They have a high amount of shale and are not designed for their nutrient content. Unfortunately, this means your veggies will be less nutritious. Spinach can't be high in iron if there isn't any iron in the soil. You should be prepared to spread a lot of compost or compost tea around your plants, so start saving those coffee grinds. Last, rooftops are windy. Any plant that grows off the ground, like tomatos, will need extra staking and care and if your roof is extra windy due to the location, you may lose soil over time. </p>Margo Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875479685071384200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-87703534147362932492011-09-29T11:19:00.000-04:002011-11-08T13:09:06.582-05:00This Week: Alive Structures About Town<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; ">So you know how you've been meaning to meet the Alive Structures team and talk to us about how you're dying for an intensive native plant green roof at your 100,000 sf warehouse? Well, luckily for you, we're going to be at two awesome events this week!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYybFeNVHoKyXhr8EeBYD9hP8ZwUUnoHSLmMBjTYpLmB2v2jR8HxiZbIQd-psnA8uXqFWTdzgfL8WVTDKedGN-i_T-YSude4lE55i2cv0hHhfPaBDytFQrKPU0ijwR5cgyMVwWIJ7pkltV/s400/final-logo.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657842668228351138" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 172px; " /></div><div>This Saturday, Oct. 1st, we will be at <a href="http://greenhomenyc.org/the-new-new-york">The New New York: DIY Green Block Party</a>, after 11am. The block party was a big success last year and has tons of crafts, activities and educational opportunities, including a couple of different green tours, yoga, and a compost bin raffle. You'll probably be too busy admiring our booth to do any of it though. </div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7-Rh4x4gsOSbkUZjkpvWRIL2mVP1RFePsE2cwDWnoj-tRxUXmapzLG_FEb8LOdThNMGA5wU4vq-bAj3QfUYsAAPk7QDGAPe6_1rTxM9q_xLfVu2mL1KwGzQZ-Q1LFbARs1CE-_mCCebx/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-29+at+1.40.31+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657841142770906242" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 366px; " /></div><div><a href="http://greenhomenyc.org/the-new-new-york/tnny-schedule-of-events">Schedule of Events</a></div><div><div><div><div>11th St and Wythe</div><div>Williamsburg, Brooklyn</div><div>L train to Bedford Ave or G train to Nassau Ave. </div><div>11 am - 5 pm</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWumU8Rwp3q4ayLYbLeLbG2af1ZrA2AwCCEWfE8-vT_ubmcTNpYrENcC_8GCUc2yAUVoEWYMNMTTarwnfNrKfDbCbQA7jgbPuHh4tt_YlNorEyw4CVdlkPE-abRzhkI0OwFoX3-q7CuVi/s1600/union-square-market-ed-yourdon-537x356.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWumU8Rwp3q4ayLYbLeLbG2af1ZrA2AwCCEWfE8-vT_ubmcTNpYrENcC_8GCUc2yAUVoEWYMNMTTarwnfNrKfDbCbQA7jgbPuHh4tt_YlNorEyw4CVdlkPE-abRzhkI0OwFoX3-q7CuVi/s400/union-square-market-ed-yourdon-537x356.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657847850149566354" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 265px; " /></a></div><div>Next Wednesday, Oct. 5th, we'll be in Union Square at <a href="http://www.grownyc.org/newgreencity">New Green City</a>. There will be a DIY tutorials, a rainwater capture exhibit, and a scavenger hunt among other sustainable, family friendly entertainment. Come say hi. </div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiHtpj1RwYFJIStX-zk2GahPoIGUGy3pJkQ_fI9WQq4RJQAGfuoeDXduM4W35B_nTOOwBNPbz20ThdMGYrgKKzLgu4UfawKtrojDLJ7f5WbAMMjMYwDkLsaLQ1Kbyl0fyjdaEycEiZZBk/s400/ngc-cover.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657848048231206514" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 259px; " /></div><div>Union Square Park - South Plaza</div><div>4, 5, 6, N, R, Q, L to 14th St- Union Square</div><div>10am - 6pm</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxeEwXK-Jdbvi77pT6w7lwXAY657Zfo7APwaun7I_wMnFGe8uBiUAmywWQI3la_uwJVeQEWKZCs-kDEi6dNEGhE9RLSs9vhkn3VYHDMAXQ-uDkKflM2uxkcfR87oxYl9_dQfBjZh-vGfC/s400/Screen+shot+2011-09-29+at+2.26.31+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657849871551016130" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 336px; " /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Margo Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875479685071384200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-67616486105061371322011-09-26T11:02:00.000-04:002011-11-08T13:06:42.409-05:00Green is still greener than white.<div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/greenpeace_polar-bear.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 590px; height: 450px;" src="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/greenpeace_polar-bear.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We really like this <a href="http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/greenpeace_white_roofs_polar_bear?size=_original">Greenpeace ad</a>, which says, "Simply painting your roof white reflects the sun's rays, which helps cool down the environment. In the fight against global warming, one degree cooler in our cities equates to three degrees cooler at the poles, which means a better chance of survival for animals like the polar bear, whose home is melting at a rapid rate." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Run-on sentence aside, the message is cleverly delivered and so important. Man, juvenile charismatic megafauna gets us every time. But we're a green roof company and we have to say, green roofs are much better for the environment than white roofs. White roofs' benefits are that they're less expensive and easier to implement, so we think they should be used as a stop-gap on roofs whose grading is too steep for a green roof, or until a green roof can be installed. Anyway, we made our own version:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkx4DmUaPIoAWTV38UhFXBujONgz_Gaxw6BaBc6-P4XDgJQI7rdCV-9iRcVugs2ZMAAkglWTbcyxZ75ZhRX3RcPUZXXqY2Akxu_OZ7uoB9pyj1gAz6CWlfmuyqjCjoaTINfxi3m6fADoz/s400/Alive+Structures+Turtle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657127253972263682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:78%;"> To contrast, check out the actual map of NYC green roofs <a href="http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/template?z=2&p=991201,192667&a=GREEN_INFRA&c=GISBasic&f=GREEN_ROOF">here</a>.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Green roofs cool the roof, the building underneath it and the surrounding area; protect the roof structure from the elements, thereby prolonging its life up to an additional 50%; create habitat for butterflies and bees (without whom our urban ecosystems would collapse); and most importantly, capture stormwater! New York City alone releases about <a href="http://www.riverkeeper.org/campaigns/stop-polluters/sewage-contamination/cso/">27 billion gallons</a> of untreated sewage and wastewater into the harbor every year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not only does all that water contain tons of bacteria and pathogens, but it also contains tons of trash. Much of the plastic trash you see on the street every day, from bottle caps to plastic bags, gets washed into the sewer system during a storm. A lot of it will end up in the harbor, and some of it will be eaten by sea turtles and other marine life. You saw that photo series by <a href="http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#CF000774%2015x20">Chris Jordan</a> that made its way around the internet last year, right?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtyAMAKc3hyphenhyphencmj70ACpYa4RM4OVE-DACK42uAUUnP86IRNaj9_-dES_q099JeMZNUml0LyhfdtqNZMN0JwnfyBNKXQ-zrJm1x6ddV8AYClI56QP0YyD93Eq8CdP0ThC2E8DNZYk1CShRr/s400/CF000774+15x20.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656713272181707522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">It's pretty sad. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>Point being, consider a green roof if you haven't already. There are low-interest loans and tax abatements to help with the cost, or if you're a business or non-profit, we may be able to get you a green roof for free. Just <a href="mailto:%20info@alivestructures.com">ask us</a> how. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></div>Margo Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875479685071384200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-79308297603483376352011-09-12T11:42:00.000-04:002011-09-12T13:24:43.096-04:00Bulbs for Spring!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJi4PtWrRixtfzvE-9cj4GSz-XwTEQa7b3mOEakmz9XZ4bORart2cpaHQw8tZpJ1g7YzVAAIJJk69zqrtm4WjjPtBlIIFTMD7ZSpeqJMcZPhbode1MUW7GUMfXTa2KNNswOB5-WvoQt8d/s1600/camassia_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJi4PtWrRixtfzvE-9cj4GSz-XwTEQa7b3mOEakmz9XZ4bORart2cpaHQw8tZpJ1g7YzVAAIJJk69zqrtm4WjjPtBlIIFTMD7ZSpeqJMcZPhbode1MUW7GUMfXTa2KNNswOB5-WvoQt8d/s400/camassia_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651502788261695026" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Alive Structures is offering the following selection of native and unusual bulbs </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">to be planted in the next month. Call or write to place an order and set up </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">an appointment!</span><br /><br />Eranthis hyemalis (order btwn. 25-100) $.62 each:<br />Commonly known as Winter Aconite, has a native range of Southern France<br />to Bulgaria. It blooms a buttercup yellow in part shade in March/ April. Attracts<br />honeybees when nectar is rare.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-BzXu1DY7mpLK9QMhCK0S8jr9OaD1XfTO0Br_12mlQnyVd4XNg-_8ifN0tgXDzbZ-rkfG1b5hjCgx_OI4uoxJrlnVVqaAF5t7BEFlYSZ_l9qN_Lo_3MrR_sIzwq_gAdQZyQgrQ2wUFiD/s1600/winter+aconites.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-BzXu1DY7mpLK9QMhCK0S8jr9OaD1XfTO0Br_12mlQnyVd4XNg-_8ifN0tgXDzbZ-rkfG1b5hjCgx_OI4uoxJrlnVVqaAF5t7BEFlYSZ_l9qN_Lo_3MrR_sIzwq_gAdQZyQgrQ2wUFiD/s400/winter+aconites.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651500768141779394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWd_l_IMrwePPdZsHiPjblJTRFJ_fSO1NIeFD2i3p86AdkGj6OHjd2PbQjJDx4khsUQ9N-T1kMRlvqMSxiSiBRxSJKyxEap9rYxrWmYk0ruhSXXoLl8hcNyyjvIna-drz7GxBXySB75IH/s1600/bulbs_flyer_2011.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Allium cernuum (order btwn. 10-25) $2.10 each:<br />American Nodding Pink Onion has delicate pink blossoms hanging by tendrils.<br />Blooms in late summer. Best in full to partial sun.</span><br /><br /><br /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KUJYgWW4w9B0rRCOIfsC5W1iFmTH_a3u5CfpEOzHGHKiBYxqiw_bFccC_omNzzu1EYG55Ur7lR7K9ZpI70xaJQqFoyg4g0McQn0-SLWGA3CKfF85YWS0ziFUvZKPdOJuju2nBrTNCq3P/s1600/nodding+onion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KUJYgWW4w9B0rRCOIfsC5W1iFmTH_a3u5CfpEOzHGHKiBYxqiw_bFccC_omNzzu1EYG55Ur7lR7K9ZpI70xaJQqFoyg4g0McQn0-SLWGA3CKfF85YWS0ziFUvZKPdOJuju2nBrTNCq3P/s400/nodding+onion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651501413524707010" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Camassia quamash (order btwn. 15-50) $1.15 each:<br />A stunning violet color in early spring. Enjoyed as a delicacy by Native<br />Americans, for it’s starchy bulb. Likes a moist sunny spot if you have it, but can tolerate some drought as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfW9TAwC3XXHSccKfDODHbZQlBjp_68rk2MoY0MChjLPsKsskdAL3ssk6izwzqZqAcPtM6xL7BL3XwS0yzD9QvY5Tx0EgWESv4lHRHEQyaHbBeK8dvv6JwwgHM3awVO38OefbnqtfLeya/s1600/camassia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfW9TAwC3XXHSccKfDODHbZQlBjp_68rk2MoY0MChjLPsKsskdAL3ssk6izwzqZqAcPtM6xL7BL3XwS0yzD9QvY5Tx0EgWESv4lHRHEQyaHbBeK8dvv6JwwgHM3awVO38OefbnqtfLeya/s400/camassia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651502108610010370" border="0" /></a>Alive Structures will order and plant your bulbs for $200</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">.<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Call us at 718-488-5927 or email your order at info [at] alivestructures.com.</span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5384191072999647992.post-70968300983506301562011-09-06T12:21:00.000-04:002011-09-06T12:32:19.868-04:00Labor Day Party New York Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZcYhQ2ICbeqMt5qKuJ9ILX64uZTG2I2KqcRUBDiQQiDzo7tjV35stwGxFkFez_Oe_eRLngzgdlSdponext4r5cSw-qtXlSTmwCq2GEGGBFqrQwLZtLOK-iyHWLcwrEbakfTQWKNaj8_A/s1600/NYIronweed_warwick1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZcYhQ2ICbeqMt5qKuJ9ILX64uZTG2I2KqcRUBDiQQiDzo7tjV35stwGxFkFez_Oe_eRLngzgdlSdponext4r5cSw-qtXlSTmwCq2GEGGBFqrQwLZtLOK-iyHWLcwrEbakfTQWKNaj8_A/s400/NYIronweed_warwick1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649283231239457106" border="0" /></a><br />We were quietly enjoying Labor Day weekend at my mother's upstate home in Warwick, NY, which has an AMAZING rock garden, when....<br /><br />New York Ironweed <span style="font-style: italic;">Vernonia noveboracensis</span> and the Cardinal Flower,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Lobelia cardinalis</span> became so loud, attracting attention from the neighboring hummingbirds, and in general causing quite a stir while most perennials had calmed down long ago.<br /><br />These plants were totally intoxicated by the recent amounts of water and sun, and were intoxicating to behold. Such bright colors!! Especially together, really a party not to be missed.<br /><br />You can also appreciate the other beautiful plants in the garden, the Yucca, the white <span style="font-style: italic;">Allium tuberosum,</span> and the stark seedheads of <span style="font-style: italic;">Verbascum blattaria </span>or Moth Mullein.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNm4Auys2E_jKlTfO_Dd5w8Zh892o0nD6LdRiNI5SBK2qoK2zC2n39HKiFDqpumkhjzeXak3Lm0LNmWEh9pt5QbKZ9ZjtH7-VbLY7CnGej_41sXXvmnJ6qrhqX1JPApuk46RzouZEJJxP/s1600/Ironweed_cardinal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNm4Auys2E_jKlTfO_Dd5w8Zh892o0nD6LdRiNI5SBK2qoK2zC2n39HKiFDqpumkhjzeXak3Lm0LNmWEh9pt5QbKZ9ZjtH7-VbLY7CnGej_41sXXvmnJ6qrhqX1JPApuk46RzouZEJJxP/s400/Ironweed_cardinal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649283361930165698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO2GEdBxl2NHNNsOYWthuPKvKHarV-o3J-B_ckutPtJ1JDQDRQQBe3Hw0IJORuiOxXf27rmxdS20UyYrf_Yn8tJi4sye4LtMU2NrYq5O7MSfoVj4N6EEfWqY8viwmQXS6AsnIeKZ2RWR5/s1600/warwick_rockgarden.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsO2GEdBxl2NHNNsOYWthuPKvKHarV-o3J-B_ckutPtJ1JDQDRQQBe3Hw0IJORuiOxXf27rmxdS20UyYrf_Yn8tJi4sye4LtMU2NrYq5O7MSfoVj4N6EEfWqY8viwmQXS6AsnIeKZ2RWR5/s400/warwick_rockgarden.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649283563601137890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3f_eOdjIhsY_iStQ8xH2ejj-37xNQf2eAztOFnfRxiEmnsAe2S1kdGKC5rOeTUh69eW2IE9KT0XSLQ9ntdf-YqmWpekatP66Br78yJJabFzMAJy4-lSagBzI39mAccg-J-QzkL3oovjJM/s1600/seedheads.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3f_eOdjIhsY_iStQ8xH2ejj-37xNQf2eAztOFnfRxiEmnsAe2S1kdGKC5rOeTUh69eW2IE9KT0XSLQ9ntdf-YqmWpekatP66Br78yJJabFzMAJy4-lSagBzI39mAccg-J-QzkL3oovjJM/s400/seedheads.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649283745025334450" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0