The Trophy Wife of the Garden
She’s curvy, a little plump but firm, glossy and warm after a day of sun bathing. High-paid executives may seek out the trophy wife, but for the gardener it is the tomato that fills our dreams.
Read MoreWhale Tales
We just can’t stay off the boat. Last Friday, a lovely summer day, we were back on board the American Princess anticipating fun and marine adventure.
Read MoreFarm Livin'
I'm able play dress up (or more accurately, dress down) and pretend at my little urban farm in Brooklyn, growing some of my own food, and nurturing my ever-increasing respect for those who actually farm for a living.
Read MoreDuck Soup
To know me is to know I love nature, particularly birds, and especially ducks. Of all our dabblers and divers, my favorite remains the very common Mallard. Few things bring me as much joy and peace as watching the birds we grew up toddling after at a local duck pond. So you can imagine my bliss when we spotted 10 freshly-hatched ducklings at my wonderful workplace, Queens Botanical Garden.
Read MoreUnder the Bridge
We love acronyms to label neighborhoods. TriBeCa, NoLIta, SoHo, DuMBO. Let me add a new one for my recent hotspot: DUCBBBO or Down Under the Cross Bay Boulevard Bridge Overpass.
Read MoreHometown Pride or, Queens -- We've Got Good Stuff!
No secret here -- I can wax poetic about city life and I'm particularly eager to talk about nature in my fair city. Sure, those big national parks are great but where else can you see endangered bird species AND catch a Broadway play all in one day?
Read MoreSalt Marsh Safari
While it may not be as exotic as an outback excursion to Kenya or similar far-off land, the salt marsh is an ecosystem just as robust.
Read MoreThe Undiscovered Country
Like a planet in a faraway galaxy, my most local wildlife area was essentially light years away. I can see Willow Lake, part of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, from my apartment window.
Read MoreUp a Creek
River, lake, estuary, fjord – these conjure majestic, pristine waterways. But I have a particular affection for the lowly creek. Like the black sheep of the family, the creek is not savored or preserved. It’s usually the place to dump things, and the place you don’t want to live near.
Read MoreLife on the Farm
I received my first diary for Christmas when I was eight. Writing was never a bother, but I never took to the practice of recording the happenings of each day despite my good intentions. Now I'm trying to change my ways by keeping a diary for the sake of my garden, to have an annual record of planting dates, vegetable yields, chores, and other such minutiae.
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