Second Year in the Community Garden

      Today was bright, breezy and beautiful.  It was perfect to visit the local Community Garden.  Full of wide-leg drape, Lewis wore his linen "genie pants", and I wore my new organic-cotton hat and linen shirt.  

     We live uphill from the garden, so it's a pleasant downward stroll to get there.  Enhancing it further, we reside in Astoria's Historical District, so there is always pretty scenery.

     Two Coves Community Garden is an allotment garden near our home.  It is one of only two in the entire 108-square-mile county of Queens.  So, we are grateful that it is within walking distance and open to the public on weekends.  It is almost a "hidden garden" since few residents seem to know about it.  Please enjoy my photos of Nature's bountiful creations!

Seen below, we noticed brush-like astilbe and raspberry bushes.  I grew both in my hometown garden, so I recognized them.  As respectful visitors, we didn't take any berries.

Above and below represented the juxtaposition of textures that we observed.  The velvety Lamb's Ear was fun to touch.

Pollination by butterflies, moths, and honeybees is aided by the bee aviary that the gardeners maintain.

As you notice, crafty gardeners create trellises from all types of things.  The next four images are a collage of purple hues.

There are many places to sit and admire nature.  Seen above, one gardener used her space to erect a grape-vine arbor.  Below, a reclaimed NYC Park bench is nestled against lilies and a flowering dogwood tree.  A border of perennial greenery creeps right up to the edge of the pavement.

Overhead, birdhouses give shelter to sparrows and chickadees.  Robins make nests in the fruit trees.  Mockingbirds are the perpetual patrolmen to chase away moochers: pigeons and black birds.  Underfoot, "shade gardens" give shelter for delicate ferns and variegated-leaf hostas.  

Both above and below, gardeners repurpose odds-and-ends to create fences and uphold their growing vegetables.  

One corner is dedicated to composting and creating mulch.  Neighbors are invited to donate their compost trash, which Lewis and I selflessly contribute to.  We don't expect anything in return; we merely enjoy helping a successful organization beautify the neighborhood.

     The sights and smells were plentiful.  It gave us a lot to talk about during our Korean dinner with our Spaniard friend who visited us from New Jersey (while his Chinese-American wife was working in Portugal).

*To see the first time that we discovered the garden, please click this link:

https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2020/10/community-garden-we-never-knew-existed.html