Green

Life continues to be stressful.The dentists and the computers continue to be a source of drama. I am beginning to wonder if there is an astrological house associated with them. If there is then something disruptive like Mars has moved in. I have been working on my dream pictures, but it has been slow. I need to figure out some photoshop things. I have images, but I am not ready to share them. 

I was so worried when it didn't rain all through April but we have made up for it since the beginning of May. I wanted to feel the green, so I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It is harder to get to since we moved to Bushwick, but I feel drawn to it and continue to search for the easiest way to get there. They have a new visitor's center with a green roof and all kinds of alternative energy going on. I did not get any good pictures of it. Maybe it is one of those spaces that need to be visited rather than photographed. The gardens smelled green, everything was damp from the morning rain. There were school children and organized groups, all taking advantage of the Tuesday free admission. Everyone seemed really happy.

One of the gardeners' trucks was decorated with a pinwheel.

It was right near some cornflowers.

What I thought was one of the rocks in the stream,

in fact was a turtle enjoying the water.

I only photographed this bamboo because it was young and delicate like the bamboo I planted in front of my house. 

The subway station was virid with moss. I only got one picture before the train came.

Equinox

Some moss with crazy hairs sprouting on top...

I had great plans for an equinox bonfire, with Guy Fawkes watching while draped in ivy, but they were foiled by the departure of my daughter.  On Tuesday, she moved to San Francisco leaving a trail of Febreeze scented dust bunnies. So I celebrated the vernal equinox with a round of spring cleaning.
 

The cats instantly took possession of the space, no doubt thinking that I set it up for them.
 

The neighbor's apricot tree is in bloom.

Its petals drift softly down like the snow we never got this winter.
 

My bulbs are coming up.
 

My rose bush has sent out healthy red leaves.
 

Voltaire has been lording it over the garden, often sitting on the compost can like a throne.
 

Coco is more cautious. While her pose is somewhat ordinary here, I like how she has tucked all of her fat away.

Down By Peck Slip

The weather has been either bitterly cold and sunny, or damp and not quite cold enough for snow. This morning, as the sun slipped towards chilly rain, I saw some breaks in the clouds. I probably should have stayed local and gathered up what light there was on the discount stores. But I was restless and went to the Manhattan side of the East River, near the Brooklyn 
Bridge.

I have been there before, it always seems to be about to rain. The sidewalk down to the water has many obstacles. There is construction noise, but it seems desolate.

Passing under the FDR drive is a little ominous and dark.

Under the relative brightness of the clouds, this little clump of trees is looking a bit wistful.

The outside view of the FDR with all its barriers.

I was enjoying the light, but the pictures ended up fairly melancholic.

I found some nice moss with the sea weed.

Near the old Fulton fish market, the view of the river is totally blocked. The light is so dim that artificial lights brighten the gloom.

Tomorrow the sun will be back, with the wind and the cold. I realize this is all normal for winter, I am just weary of the temperature jumping all over the place.

Moss Growing Where I Did Not Plant It

While I was working in the garden, I noticed that several rocks and bricks were growing moss.

It is perplexing how moss grows all by itself in some places, but when I try to cultivate it, nothing happens.
I think it is rock moss growing in the garden which is not the variety I have been using. I do not know if there is a name for the moss that grows between the sidewalks. I do know that rock moss will only grow on rocks.

Though this rock is really concrete so maybe I should try a rock moss slurry on the patio walls. It is late in the season so I will probably have to start over in the spring.

The garden is fading to yellows and browns.
 

Two of the vines that came over from the neighboring yards are deciduous, turning gold and brightening the wall.

The days have been gloomy and night sweeps in quickly during the late afternoon.

Hoping the solstice light takes over soon.

More Moss, Some Autumn light

It seems that everywhere I go there is moss flourishing, even on the grimy streets in Chinatown. It is growing everywhere but on my patio. The light was heartbreakingly beautiful on Tuesday, and I decided to go to Central Park and check out the moss there.

Of course it was fabulous, cascading over rocks.

or gracing them with delicate feathers.

mixing with lichen.

Some of the rocks sparkled with mica, which is really hard to photograph.

This was as close as I could get.

I checked in on the elm trees since I missed their fall foliage last year.

I was a little early this time. Maybe elm trees have a very short period of yellow leaves.

There was another black squirrel.

I also saw a wild guinea pig, no doubt liberated from a nearby household. It was rather large and looked pretty content with its life. Before I could photograph it, a group of school children clattered by and the guinea pig wisely vanished into the underbrush. The park was swarming with children, everyone trying to enjoy one of the last beautiful days of the year.

When I was in the ramble, I found this bush with ivory pale autumn leaves.

I am entranced with its leaves and colors, but I was unable to identify it.

If anyone knows what it is, please let me know in the comments. I would love a bush like that in my garden.
 

This sassafras tree has my favorite tones of red and green.
 

Outside the park, there was a tree with its roots growing around the paving stones.

It almost looked as if the roots were upending the stones and tossing them around.

Troubles with Moss

I posted this picture first because the moss pictures are not the most dynamic. This parking garage reminds me of what New York used to look like before it became so much luxury housing and chain stores.  It is cool, understated with a kind of blue collar elegance.

I realized that part of my creative block has come from my difficulties growing moss. I know it is possible. Here is a thin strip of moss that appeared spontaneously under the mat on our concrete walk.

I planted some fancy Japanese moss seeds (sporangia?) in shallow pots a few weeks ago. We have been getting plenty of rain and they are sitting on the damp patio.

Nothing is growing though. Some moss growers on the web advise patience. They all seem to live in Seattle.

The moss I transplanted back in August (scroll all the way down) suffered a feline assault when the cats decided to excavate a corner of the planter and buried most of the moss.

Besides a few scrappy survivors, the rest was done in. My dreams of painting anarchy signs in moss are becoming wispier. Still I suppose I have to keep trying.

 

The other day, I went out to gather some moss and make a slurry. I found out that powdered milk is supposed to be a very good moss medium. Hunting for moss left me with many questions. Sometimes there will be a rich patch of moss and nearby, nothing. It does seem to be quite temperamental, although nyc moss seems to have a higher tolerance for debris than the more delicate hothouse mosses. I found all kinds of things in the moss; threads, hair, bits of glass, fur. I gave it all a vigorous washing when I got it home.

Near some of the moss, this odd little plant was growing. It reminded me of lichen although it had leaves. It was very flat and mixed with the moss.

In other news, the amaranth that I chose to symbolize autumn has grown in wild directions and tangled up in the netting from the pea plants like a band of drunken sailors. Maybe that is simply what amaranth does.