Textile recycling expands August 1 in NYC

Posted on 2009-07-21 by admin

The Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) has been working since 2007 to divert textiles from the waste stream by offering drop-off points at select Greenmarkets. Textiles such as clothing and linens comprise nearly 6% of residential waste in the city, adding to landfills and disposal costs.

How does textile recycling work?

Clean clothing, shoes, bedding, linens, hats, handbags, belts and other textiles, whether in usable or non-usable condition, can be dropped off at several locations around NYC. Donations are sorted into different grades such as cotton blend and synthetic scrap and then redistributed to markets where there is a demand for these materials, such as wearable clothing or stuffing for mattresses.

Brooklyn drop-off locations

Starting August 1, CENYC will now accept donations at the Greenpoint and Fort Greene Greenmarkets, in addition to the existing drop-off at the Grand Army Plaza location.

Fort Greene Greenmarket, Saturday, 8am-3pm
Washington Park at DeKalb

McCarren Park Greenmarket, Saturday, 8am-2pm (Starting August 1)
Bedford & Lorimer, Greenpoint

Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, Brooklyn, 8am-4pm (open now)
(NW Entrance to Prospect Park)

[bit.ly]

Links

Clothing and textile recycling collections, CENYC
NYCWastele$$

Riding out the Harvest, BQLT Bike/Van Tour, Saturday, September 27

Posted on 2008-09-23 by admin

UPDATE Friday, 2008-09-26: CANCELLED. The announcement came at 10am from the tour’s organizers:

Intrepid gardeners,

With a forecast of some serious rain, we’ve come to a decision to cancel this Saturday’s (9/27/08) bqlt “Riding out the Harvest” bike/van tour.

Save your energy for next week’s (10/4/08) “Green(e) with Envy,” another great opportunity to explore the world of community gardening.

I’m disappointed, but I’ll admit I wasn’t looking forward to slogging through the rain with my camera. I am looking forward to the Green With Envy Tour of Bed-Stuy Community Gardens next Saturday, October 4.

Classon Ful-Gate Block Association Community Garden, one of nine Brooklyn community gardens on this Saturday’s tour.

The Brooklyn-Queens Land Trust (BQLT) is hosting its Second Annual Bike and Van Tour this Saturday, September 27th:

Jump in the van or hop on a bike – we’re visiting a sampling of BQLT gardens – saying hello, having some snacks along the way. It all begins at 9:30am with a coffee reception at Hollenback Community Garden (Washington Ave between Gates and Green Avenue ). The harvest ride will culminate in a cookout beginning at 3:00pm at Euclid / Pine Street Block Association.

MEETING TIME/COFFEE: 9:30am @ Hollenback Garden
DEPARTURE TIME: 10:00am Sharp!
TOUR’S END/COOKOUT: 3:00pm @ Euclid-Pine Garden

This is a BIKE & VAN TOUR:
Bicyclists will be led by Isak Mendes – RSVP/Info: eaglemendes [at] yahoo [dot]com
Seats in the Van are limited! Reserve yours by contacting Brothel Dean: strechdean [at] msn [dot] com

Suggested donation: $5/person

The gardens on the tour are:

Hollenback Community Garden, Washington Ave. between Gates & Greene Aves.
Classon/Ful-Gate Block Association, Classon Ave. between Putnam & Madison Aves.
St. Mark’s Ave./Prospect Heights, St. Marks between Vanderbilt & Carlton Aves.
Mama Dee’s Garden, St. Mark’s Avenue between Bedford and Rogers Aves.
Westbrook Memorial Garden, Pacific St. between Bedford & Nostrand Aves.
United Herkimer Garden Club, Herkimer St. between Bedfor & Nostrand Aves.
Rogers/Tilden/Veronica Place Garden, Corner of Tilden Ave. and Veronica Place
Sheffield Garden, Sheffield Ave between New Lots and Hegeman Aves.
Euclid-Pine Block Association Garden, Corner of Dumont Ave. & Pine St.

View Larger Map

Classon FulGate Block Association Garden, Green With Envy Tour, II.6, August 10, 2008
Hollenback Community Garden, Clinton Hill, Green With Envy Tour, II.5, August 8, 2008
St. Mark’s Avenue Community Garden, Prospect Heights, Green With Envy Tour, II.2, August 2, 2008

Links

Riding out the Harvest, BQLT Bike/Van Tour
Google map

Brooklyn Bear’s Carlton Avenue Garden, Fort Greene, Green With Envy Tour, II.10

Posted on 2008-08-19 by admin

The Green With Envy Tour II at the Brooklyn Bear’s Carlton Avenue Garden in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The final stop on the Green With Envy Tour II was the Carlton Avenue site of the Brooklyn Bear’s Gardens.

Check the links below for photos from the other stops on both Tours I and II. And watch for announcements for the next Green With Envy Tour, which I’ll post on this blog.

Street Entrance

This garden had the most-developed and luxuriantly planted streetscape of any community garden I’ve seen. This has a big impact even when the garden is closed.

Approaching the garden from the north, the first thing you notice is the three story mural painted on the side wall of the adjacent building.

Here’s a closer look.

As you get closer, the streetside planters demand your attention.

In the planter to the left of the entrance are the silver-white flowering bracts of mountain-mint, Pycnanthemum muticum. I recognized it because I grow the same species in my backyard native plant garden. In this garden as well as my own, at this time of year they are swarming with multiple species of bees, flies, and wasps, all important pollinators of food crops.

Opposite, to the right of the entrance, is another planter with a different design. Asymmetrical plantings like these entrance planters maximize the massing possible with a given plant palette. The greater variety of plants provide for longer, and more varied, blooms. All of these are strategies to attract both plant pollinators and insect predators close to the garden’s growing areas.

Every garden has a “garden is open” sign. This one includes several imperatives.

More ornamental plantings, including several mature trees, lie inside the fence.

Common Areas

The garden is built on a slope. The raised beds form terraces built into the hillside. This photo is the best I got to show this. I’d like to see this garden in the winter.

The picnic area, which appears in the opening photo, is part of the gathering area at the low side of the garden.

Composting

The mandatory composting area. This triple-bin arrangement was the most common. These weathered bins are still on the job. Signs moved from bin to bin let gardeners and visitors know where to add fresh material, and where they can obtain compost for use in their beds.

Glam

Marigold

Monarda

Achillea

Coreopsis

The Greene Garden, Fort Greene, Green With Envy Tour, II.9

Posted on 2008-08-12 by admin

Green With Envy Tour at the Greene Garden in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The Greene Garden is a shady green space across the street from Fort Greene Park. When I saw this, I imagined the wonderful shade gardens that could be created here.

There are no growing areas, just common areas for socializing, and relaxing, interconnected by wandering paths.

The gazebo is really nice. In my long-term vision for integrating the rear of my house with the backyard garden, I imagine something like this at the corner of a back porch, providing an entrance from the driveway and garage at the rear of the property onto the porch and access to the rear of the house.

This garden is a work in progress.

No glam in this garden, yet. It has the potential to become a showcase shade garden. Meanwhile, there some artificial color is scattered about.

Tour Brooklyn community gardens this Saturday, July 26

Posted on 2008-07-24 by admin

El jardin esta abierto / The garden is open

This is a reminder that the second leg of the Green With Envy Tour of Brooklyn community gardens is this Saturday, July 26. Tour Two kicks off at 10am from the Brooklyn Bear’s Pacific Street Garden, in the triangle at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Pacific Street in Park Slope, near the Atlantic Avenue station.

This is an opportunity to hear about the history of Brooklyn’s community gardens, speak with gardeners at each of the gardens, and learn how they organize and operate.

I posted 160 photos from Tour One two weeks ago. Tour Two promises to be just as extensive and interesting.

Pacific Street Brooklyn Bear’s Garden at Flatbush Avenue
St. Marks Avenue Blk. Assn. Community Garden btwn Carlton & Vanderbilt
Prospect Heights Community Farm, St. Marks btwn Vanderbilt & Underhill
Fulton Revival Garden, Vanderbilt at Gates
Hollenback Community Garden, Washington btwn Gates & Greene
Classon Ful-gate Community Garden, Classon btwn Fulton & Gates
Clifton Place Community Garden, Grand btwn Clifton & Greene
Pratt/Clinton Hill Community Garden, Hall St at DeKalb
The Greene Garden, DeKalb at Portland
Carlton Avenue Brooklyn Bear’s Garden between Fulton & Greene

Green With Envy Tour of Brooklyn Community Gardens, July 12 and 26
Brooklyn Bear’s Garden, Park Slope, Green With Envy Tour, I.1
Hoyt Street Garden, Boerum Hill, Green With Envy Tour, I.2
Wyckoff-Bond Community Garden, Boerum Hill, Green With Envy Tour, I.3
David Foulke Memorial Garden, Boerum Hill, Green With Envy Tour, I.4
Warren-St Marks Community Garden, Park Slope, Green With Envy, I.5
Baltic Street Community Garden, Park Slope, Green With Envy Tour, I.6
Lincoln-Berkeley Community Garden, Park Slope, Green With Envy Tour, I.7
Gardens of Union, Park Slope, Green With Envy Tour, I.8
Green With Envy, Tour One, Final Stops 9 and 10

[tinyurl]

Green With Envy Tour of Brooklyn Community Gardens, July 12 and 26

Posted on 2008-07-04 by admin

On Saturday, July 12 and 26, visit Community Gardens in Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Prospect Heights. On both guided tours, you can join us for a 10am breakfast at the Pacific Street Bear’s Garden on Flatbush Ave, then walk, bike, or drive the routes below. More info: 718-636-4273.

Special thanks to the Brooklyn Community Gardeners’ Coalition, GreenThumb, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s GreenBridge.

Tour One, Saturday, July 12

Pacific Street Bear’s Garden at Flatbush Avenue, Park Slope
Hoyt Street Community Garden at Atlantic Avenue, Boerum Hill
Wyckoff-Bond Community Garden, Boerum Hill
David R. Foulke Memorial Garden, Bergen Street between Nevins & Bond Streets, Boerum Hill
Warren St. Marks Community Garden between 4th & 5th Avenues, Park Slope
Baltic Street Community Garden at 4th Avenue, Park Slope
Lincoln-Berkeley Community Garden, Lincoln between 5th & 6th Avenues, Park Slope
Gardens of Union, Union between 4th & 5th Avenues, Park Slope
Gil Hodges Garden, Carroll between 3rd & 4th Avenues, Gowanus
GreenSpace at President Street, corner of 5th Avenue, Park Slope

Tour Two, Saturday, July 26

Pacific Street Brooklyn Bear’s Garden at Flatbush Avenue
St. Marks Avenue Blk. Assn. Community Garden btwn Carlton & Vanderbilt
Prospect Heights Community Farm, St. Marks btwn Vanderbilt & Underhill
Fulton Revival Garden, Vanderbilt at Gates
Hollenback Community Garden, Washington btwn Gates & Greene
Classon Ful-gate Community Garden, Classon btwn Fulton & Gates
Clifton Place Community Garden, Grand btwn Clifton & Greene
Pratt/Clinton Hill Community Garden, Hall St at DeKalb
The Greene Garden, DeKalb at Portland
Carlton Avenue Brooklyn Bear’s Garden between Fulton & Greene

Look for more “GWE” Tours coming up this fall in Bed Stuy and East NY, once again sponsored by the new (and still forming) Brooklyn Community Gardeners’ Coalition. There’ll also be a bike tour in August sponsored by the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust! Lots of opportunities to see Brooklyn’s beautiful gardens!

Brooklyn Bears Community Garden, February 13, 2008

Sunday, June 8: Brownstone Brooklyn Garden Walk

Posted on 2008-06-05 by admin

Roses and Beam, 222 Washington Avenue, Clinton Hill on last year’s Brownstone Brooklyn Garden Walk.

Temperatures in the 90s will likely dissuade me from several hours of walking. Those of you with sturdier constitutions than mine will want to consider getting out this Sunday afternoon into the green spaces of Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, and Fort Greene.

The Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District’s Garden Walk will feature at least a dozen private and eight community gardens, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The highlight is a large triple-lot garden, reached through the owner’s pottery workshop, which has a huge variety of plantings, some dating back 35 years. This garden features a curved wooden fence, raised earth berms and a rock wall, and includes trifoliate orange trees, a “forest” of 40-foot bamboos, woodland azaleas, styrax, tree peonies, foxtail lilies, roses and a small meadow of Canadian anemones and columbines.

I attended last year’s walk and it was terrific.

218 & 216 Washington Avenue, Clinton Hill

The Garden Walk also includes a double-wide garden at an 1839 farmhouse that is remarkable for its trees: blue Atlas cedar, maple, magnolia, dogwood, espaliered trellised crab apples, and a rare 50-year-old dawn redwood. Tickets, $20, at the Forest Floor, 659 Vanderbilt Avenue (Prospect Place) in Prospect Heights, and at Thirst, 187 DeKalb Avenue (Vanderbilt Avenue) in Fort Greene. Advance tickets, $15, and information: (718) 219-2137. (There is no Web site.)

Shady Beauties, 116 St. Mark’s Avenue, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

The 10th Annual Brownstone Brooklyn Garden Walk, June 10, 2007

Links

Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District: 11th Sunday Garden Walk

Tomorrow, May 31: Extra-Crunchy Brooklyn Compost Bike Tour

Posted on 2008-05-30 by admin

“Compost Happy”

This just in. This is also listed in the Flatbush Gardener Google Calendar in the sidebar.

Bike Tour to Explore Brooklyn’s Composting Sites, Saturday May 31

Come one, come all to the Compost Tour de Brooklyn. It’s free, fun and good for you.
You’re welcome to meet at the market [Fort Greene Greenmarket], too, to see us off on this maiden (for maids and gents) two-wheeled journey of evolution (of carbon cycle) and revolution (of bike wheels).

Take a two-wheeled tour of Brooklyn compost sites on Saturday, May 31 and learn how to reduce household waste and convert food scraps into fodder for new plant life.

Licensed New York City sightseeing guide and newly minted Master Composter Laura Silver will don a worm costume to show off some of the “greatest local innovations in eco-consciousness” and the people who make it happen.

Brooklyn Compost Project table at Making Brooklyn Bloom 2008

Tour goers will have a chance to meet local heroes who turn castoff food stuff into “black gold.” They’ll escort the vegicycle, a trike made to transport food scraps, from the Fort Greene market to local community gardens.

Detail of convection composting aeration tube used at a Brooklyn community composting site

Day: Saturday, May 31, 2008
Time: 10:30 am (until about 3pm, stay as long as you’d like)
Place: Meet at Fort Greene Park Greenmarket near trash cans used to collect food scraps. Corner of DeKalb Avenue and Cumberland Street

Tour stops include:

Composting toilet at Hollenback Garden in Clinton Hill
Compost piles at Bed-Stuy?s Greene Acres garden
A worm bin in a private home in Midwood
Tour concludes at Floyd Bennett Field Garden with a demonstration of lasagna (layered) gardening
Demonstration begins at 2pm. Barbeque to follow

Details

Spots are limited. Please RSVP to compost.cycle@mac.com by May 30.
Participation is free.
Helmets preferred.
Cyclists are requested to bring fruit or vegetable scraps to compost (apple cores, lettuce leaves and coffee grounds encouraged) and full-figured food to grill at the end of the tour.

No news is not good news: Courier-Life Publications Web sites displaced

Posted on 2008-05-13 by admin

Earlier this afternoon, Brooklyn Junction noticed that the Web site for Flatbush Life was down:

No one ever accused www.flatbushlife.com of being the most regularly updated website in the world. Coming from me, that doesn’t mean much these days. But gone? Say it ain’t so.

At first, the Flatbush Life Web site was responding with “404 – Not Found.” Shortly after, it was redirecting to an unfamiliar Web site: YourNabe.com. I contacted the Webmaster for courierlife.net and got this response:

www.flatbushlife.com [is] redirecting to the newly-designed www.yournabe.com. www.YourNabe.com combines the newspapers of the Courier Life publications, Times Ledger publications, and Bronx Times/ Times Reporter.

The YourNabe.com domain is owned by Courier-Life’s parent company, News Community Newspapers Holdings, Inc. Within YourNabe, there are sections for different neighborhoods. For example, the new URL for Flatbush Life is http://www.yournabe.com/flatbush/front/.

All Web sites for Courier-Life Publications‘ Brooklyn neighborhood newspapers are affected by this change:

Bay News
Bay Ridge Courier
Brooklyn Graphic
Canarsie Digest
Flatbush Life
Kings Courier
Park Slope Courier
Brooklyn Heights Courier
Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill Courier
Fort Greene / Clinton Hill Courier

Event, Brooklyn, June 27: Owner’s Night, HPD Advice for Residential Owners

Posted on 2007-06-21 by admin

Homeowners, co-op owners, building owners and landlords from the Brooklyn neighborhoods Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, Greenwood Heights, Gowanus, Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Stuyvesant Heights and Ocean Hill are invited to attend a Wednesday June 27th Owners’ Night at P.S 20 organized by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). …

The event will provide information on the availability of HPD services such as low-interest loans, correction of housing violations correction and assistance with mortgages and refinancing as well as HPD courses including building management and maintenance, expense reduction strategies and owner-tenant relations. A panel introduction will be followed by a Q&A session.

HPD’s Owner Services Program travels from borough to borough, educating residential property owners about the availability of low-interest loans, free educational classes on subjects such as lead paint, energy conservation and fair housing as well as free owner counseling. Launched in February 2001, Owners’ Nights in neighborhoods have drawn more than 10,000 property owners to events across New York City.

WHAT: Owners’ Night, a program by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

WHEN: Wednesday June 27th 6:00pm to 7:30pm

WHERE: Auditorium of P.S 20, 225 Adelphi St., Brooklyn, NY 11205 (entrance between Willoughby and Dekalb Ave)

DIRECTIONS: C train to Lafayette Ave. Station.

SEATING IS LIMITED: PLEASE RSVP BY CALLING 212-863-7054 OR 311 BY JUNE 25th

Flatbush Gardener

Urban Habitat Gardening with Native Plants

Tag Archives: Fort Greene

Textile recycling expands August 1 in NYC

How does textile recycling work?

Brooklyn drop-off locations

Links

Riding out the Harvest, BQLT Bike/Van Tour, Saturday, September 27

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Links

Brooklyn Bear’s Carlton Avenue Garden, Fort Greene, Green With Envy Tour, II.10

Street Entrance

Common Areas

Composting

Glam

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The Greene Garden, Fort Greene, Green With Envy Tour, II.9

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Tour Brooklyn community gardens this Saturday, July 26

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Green With Envy Tour of Brooklyn Community Gardens, July 12 and 26

Tour One, Saturday, July 12

Tour Two, Saturday, July 26

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Sunday, June 8: Brownstone Brooklyn Garden Walk

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Links

Tomorrow, May 31: Extra-Crunchy Brooklyn Compost Bike Tour

No news is not good news: Courier-Life Publications Web sites displaced

Event, Brooklyn, June 27: Owner’s Night, HPD Advice for Residential Owners