Thursday, April 28, 2005
Secret and public Springtime pleasures in local parks
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
Secret and public Springtime pleasures in local parks
This was written on Earth Day April 22, 2005. This is the time of year to visit our local gardens, and enjoy the trees in bloom and the early flowers, a sure mood booster.
Entered from the subway, Union Square Park looks graceful, greeting spring with its riches of blooming crabapple trees, pink tulips around the flagpole and massed daffodils along the center crossway. Young Callery pear trees have been planted throughout the park, and the fenced in area around the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the southwest corner is particularly rich in greenery and flowers. There is, allegedly, a patch of tiny wild strawberries in the park, already producing tasty fruit, according to a friend, who wants to keep the location a secret.
In the Stuyvesant Square Park the trees have not yet reached their full splendor. The early blooming Callery pears on the streets and the magnolias in surrounding residential gardens mix their glory with the parks’ crab apple, cherry and apple trees. Around both of the fountains, busily pulsating their water charges skywards . White and pink tulips are still in bloom, soon to be replaced by other annuals and early-blooming roses, while the masses of yellow daffodils in the side plots enhance the riches of spring. There are also golden forsythias, along the edge in the East Park
On my way south to Stuyvesant Town, crossing First Avenue, the new cherry threes in the median are a joy to behold, well cared with supports and canvas-like watering bags around them, for slow release of the nutrition.
Around Stuyvesant Town proper the spooky black honey locust trees are still bare, reaching their knurled arms and fingers out, away from the buildings. Whoever designed the surrounds, after 1947, planted them close to the building line, probably not expecting the trees to prosper and last. But last they did, along with the London Plane trees inside the park, one of the best and spacious in a privately developed and designed environments. Today’s architects, forced skyward by narrow land plots, would have forced double if not triple the volume of living quarters into the space.
Gardens-wise, ST is a bit bare. The sparse daffodils have been and gone, the ground cover is partially eroded, crying for new grass seeds. It is hoped the new picnicking on the grassy areas will not result in further depletion.
Anyway, the rhododendrons and other bushes look a bit bare, but seem to be recovering from the winter’s depredations, while a goodly lot of deep purple azaleas dress up thee green-brown landscape. Magnolia trees on the periphery lend some brightness. If you want to see some great magnolia blooms, go the NYU’s Arthur Vanderbilt Law School and sit for a while in the small enclosed public park.
The fountain in the Sty Town Oval that dresses up the view has been repaired and adds its effect to the landscape. Some of the brightest highlights around the circle are the artificial blooming plants that hang from the lampposts, all year round. It may be a cheap way to decorate, but it gives pleasure.
Last but not least, Gramercy Park, seen from the street, has its usual red tulips and gorgeous blooming trees. Go look at the golden forsythia-like bushes at the east end.
An unwelcome Earth Day present from the Congress of the US was the broad Energy Bill, HR 6, at least parts of it, passed by a vote of 249-183, with 41 Democrats joining the majority party. In addition to opening the Alaska Wildlife Sanctuary for oil exploration expected to be effective in reducing our reliance on oil imports in 2010, it funneled more than $12B in tax breaks and subsidies to the oil industry.
Particularly costly will be the MTBE gas additives issue, shielding the producers from lawsuits The Democrats have stated that this chemical’s groundwater contamination has affected the water systems in more than 1,800 communities in 29 states, with a potential cleanup cost of $29B. The cost will be on states and municipalities. An amendment to remove this provision failed, by a vote of 219-213. This provision was a top priority for Tom DeLay, the majority leader, who had insisted on this provision, long under attack by the Democrats, stalled in the Senate when they launched a filibuster in 2003. But Mr Inartful (comes from the German unartig, meaning bad, or naughty, at best, William Safire to note) keeps trying.
The bill also authorizes extending the daylight saving hours for two more months and offering tax breaks for energy-efficient windows and insulation. Not a single word about reducing gas-guzzlers on the road by requiring better gas mileage. This type of bill has failed in the Senate twice in the past four years.
Wally Dobelis thanks Mary Orovan and the AP.
Secret and public Springtime pleasures in local parks
This was written on Earth Day April 22, 2005. This is the time of year to visit our local gardens, and enjoy the trees in bloom and the early flowers, a sure mood booster.
Entered from the subway, Union Square Park looks graceful, greeting spring with its riches of blooming crabapple trees, pink tulips around the flagpole and massed daffodils along the center crossway. Young Callery pear trees have been planted throughout the park, and the fenced in area around the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the southwest corner is particularly rich in greenery and flowers. There is, allegedly, a patch of tiny wild strawberries in the park, already producing tasty fruit, according to a friend, who wants to keep the location a secret.
In the Stuyvesant Square Park the trees have not yet reached their full splendor. The early blooming Callery pears on the streets and the magnolias in surrounding residential gardens mix their glory with the parks’ crab apple, cherry and apple trees. Around both of the fountains, busily pulsating their water charges skywards . White and pink tulips are still in bloom, soon to be replaced by other annuals and early-blooming roses, while the masses of yellow daffodils in the side plots enhance the riches of spring. There are also golden forsythias, along the edge in the East Park
On my way south to Stuyvesant Town, crossing First Avenue, the new cherry threes in the median are a joy to behold, well cared with supports and canvas-like watering bags around them, for slow release of the nutrition.
Around Stuyvesant Town proper the spooky black honey locust trees are still bare, reaching their knurled arms and fingers out, away from the buildings. Whoever designed the surrounds, after 1947, planted them close to the building line, probably not expecting the trees to prosper and last. But last they did, along with the London Plane trees inside the park, one of the best and spacious in a privately developed and designed environments. Today’s architects, forced skyward by narrow land plots, would have forced double if not triple the volume of living quarters into the space.
Gardens-wise, ST is a bit bare. The sparse daffodils have been and gone, the ground cover is partially eroded, crying for new grass seeds. It is hoped the new picnicking on the grassy areas will not result in further depletion.
Anyway, the rhododendrons and other bushes look a bit bare, but seem to be recovering from the winter’s depredations, while a goodly lot of deep purple azaleas dress up thee green-brown landscape. Magnolia trees on the periphery lend some brightness. If you want to see some great magnolia blooms, go the NYU’s Arthur Vanderbilt Law School and sit for a while in the small enclosed public park.
The fountain in the Sty Town Oval that dresses up the view has been repaired and adds its effect to the landscape. Some of the brightest highlights around the circle are the artificial blooming plants that hang from the lampposts, all year round. It may be a cheap way to decorate, but it gives pleasure.
Last but not least, Gramercy Park, seen from the street, has its usual red tulips and gorgeous blooming trees. Go look at the golden forsythia-like bushes at the east end.
An unwelcome Earth Day present from the Congress of the US was the broad Energy Bill, HR 6, at least parts of it, passed by a vote of 249-183, with 41 Democrats joining the majority party. In addition to opening the Alaska Wildlife Sanctuary for oil exploration expected to be effective in reducing our reliance on oil imports in 2010, it funneled more than $12B in tax breaks and subsidies to the oil industry.
Particularly costly will be the MTBE gas additives issue, shielding the producers from lawsuits The Democrats have stated that this chemical’s groundwater contamination has affected the water systems in more than 1,800 communities in 29 states, with a potential cleanup cost of $29B. The cost will be on states and municipalities. An amendment to remove this provision failed, by a vote of 219-213. This provision was a top priority for Tom DeLay, the majority leader, who had insisted on this provision, long under attack by the Democrats, stalled in the Senate when they launched a filibuster in 2003. But Mr Inartful (comes from the German unartig, meaning bad, or naughty, at best, William Safire to note) keeps trying.
The bill also authorizes extending the daylight saving hours for two more months and offering tax breaks for energy-efficient windows and insulation. Not a single word about reducing gas-guzzlers on the road by requiring better gas mileage. This type of bill has failed in the Senate twice in the past four years.
Wally Dobelis thanks Mary Orovan and the AP.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 4:57 AM 
