All the pictures in this blog were taken in New York City back in mid October. With my limited blogging on the botanic gardens and parks that I saw there (New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Central Park and High Line Park) I've been wanting to mention the other greenery that I saw that I'm sure was very important to residents of the city. I could never live in a big city like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. for many reasons. I'm a bit claustrophobic to start with and need "my space". I also need to see green space, early and often. I can understand the appeal of a large urban location in terms of culture, cuisine, etc. but while I like to visit, I'm also happy to to get home! My travels this year to the three large cities mentioned above were wonderful in regards to seeing botanic gardens and larger open spaces in the cities but also depressing to see the expanse of hardscaping, buildings, roads, noise, congestion, etc. and due to that urban density, the lack of vegetation. There are monumental efforts in most urban settings, particularly those that I saw, to maintain parks and at least minimal landscaping to soften those spaces and give some glimpse of nature, albeit on a micro-scale when you think of populations in the many millions. I'm sure some people are ok with that limitation but many are not. Research has shown the benefits of seeing and experiencing nature and how it affects stress, health and the the general enjoyment of life. I saw many children in New York City heading to school on the subway or walking to school and I couldn't help but think of that "nature deficit" and "disconnect" that is understandably occurring. I'm not judging those in urban centers as they have experiences beyond what many of us would ever see as well. However, it was reassuring to see some of the little pockets of color (shown in this blog), whether in containers, planters, potted trees, rooftop gardens, etc. It was nice to see the attempt at nature in a very hostile environment with severe limitations on plant growth. Think of how many people in NYC see each of the containers and planting situations shown below on a daily basis! The value of those containers and planting "smidges" is without measure. Perhaps my "last stage in life" garden will be containers on the deck or patio of my assisted living apartment (I haven't convinced either daughter to care for me in my later years! :) ). And I'm ok with that. Just give me some plants. We ALL need them.
All the pictures in this blog were taken in New York City back in mid October. With my limited blogging on the botanic gardens and parks that I saw there (New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Central Park and High Line Park) I've been wanting to mention the other greenery that I saw that I'm sure was very important to residents of the city. I could never live in a big city like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. for many reasons. I'm a bit claustrophobic to start with and need "my space". I also need to see green space, early and often. I can understand the appeal of a large urban location in terms of culture, cuisine, etc. but while I like to visit, I'm also happy to to get home! My travels this year to the three large cities mentioned above were wonderful in regards to seeing botanic gardens and larger open spaces in the cities but also depressing to see the expanse of hardscaping, buildings, roads, noise, congestion, etc. and due to that urban density, the lack of vegetation. There are monumental efforts in most urban settings, particularly those that I saw, to maintain parks and at least minimal landscaping to soften those spaces and give some glimpse of nature, albeit on a micro-scale when you think of populations in the many millions. I'm sure some people are ok with that limitation but many are not. Research has shown the benefits of seeing and experiencing nature and how it affects stress, health and the the general enjoyment of life. I saw many children in New York City heading to school on the subway or walking to school and I couldn't help but think of that "nature deficit" and "disconnect" that is understandably occurring. I'm not judging those in urban centers as they have experiences beyond what many of us would ever see as well. However, it was reassuring to see some of the little pockets of color (shown in this blog), whether in containers, planters, potted trees, rooftop gardens, etc. It was nice to see the attempt at nature in a very hostile environment with severe limitations on plant growth. Think of how many people in NYC see each of the containers and planting situations shown below on a daily basis! The value of those containers and planting "smidges" is without measure. Perhaps my "last stage in life" garden will be containers on the deck or patio of my assisted living apartment (I haven't convinced either daughter to care for me in my later years! :) ). And I'm ok with that. Just give me some plants. We ALL need them.
No comments:
Post a Comment