More West Village Tulips at The Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig

Jane Street Garden in the West Village

I was in New York City this past weekend for an optometry CE conference and happened upon this small public park at Jane Street and 8th Avenue in the West Village in Manhattan. This park is called Jane Street Park and is Green Thumb Community Garden. Green Thumb is a City of New York City Parks and Recreation Program that has helped transform vacant urban lots into public gardens. This garden is maintained by volunteers and "open to the public Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 1pm or whenever the gate is open weather permitting". I was lucky enough to spend a half hour in the garden enjoying a warm Sunday morning.

Snow Falling on Cornus

The snow that fell last Sunday looked beautiful on many of the trees at the Arnold Arboretum. As far as I could tell, there was little damage done. This is my favorite specimen of Cornus officinalis dusted with snow. I liked the way the sun made it look both silver and gold.

I wasn't familiar with this Chinese species of winter-hazel called Corylopsis glandulifera. It was burning bright in the plantings from Asia on Bussey Hill.

 This Cornus kousa tree looked spectacular covered in snow.

I had mixed feelings about the snow covering the tender and vulnerable white buds and blossoms of this saucer magnolia in front of the Hunnewell Building. This cultivar called Magnolia ×soulangeana 'Candolleana' came to the Arnold Arboretum from the Biltmore Estate in 1895.