Sidewalk Gardens Of New York

Described by the New York Times as a "Champion of Gardens in New York," Betsy Pinover Schiff has been photographing urban plantings and chronicling the "greening" of the city for nearly a decade. Once limited to private spaces and elite neighborhoods, these plantings now proliferate throughout the boroughs, enhancing the streetscape throughout the city. Sidewalk Gardens of New York presents the range of possibilities- tree wells, planters and flowering baskets, lush medians that mitigate the frenzy of the street; plazas and pocket parks offering respite to pedestrians; building plantings that create a transition between public and private; community gardens; and the major parks and gardens that are newly planted along the waterfront. Informative text by horticulturalist Alicia Whitaker describes strategies for successful planting and garden design in the harsh urban environment. "Just try keeping up with her on West 10th Street between the Avenue of the Americas and Fifth Avenue. The block became a new favorite once she realized how many trees and shrubs and flowers had been planted there. Another new favorite is on Bainbridge Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, a block with front-yard gardens and planters and well-tended tree wells. "I think I've walked every street in Manhattan and well beyond into the other boroughs," Schiff said." --The New York Times, August 15, 2015