Urban Gardening Blog
Another Reason to Green the City
We all know that city trees clean and cool the air and just make the neighborhood prettier. Now, a new study suggests they also deter crime. Using satellite images and a crime data base, researchers compared tree canopy to rates of crimes like thefts and shootings across Baltimore and found that a 10 percent increase in
Shrubs in a Tree Bed?
My neighbor wants to plant some small shrubs in our tree bed. Is this a good idea? Probably not. In general, gardening in your tree bed is a good move. Not only will it beautify your block, it’ll help remind pet walkers and other pedestrians that this a spot to grow living plants, not a trashcan or proverbial fire
Interpreting the Garden
BBG’s new Visitor Center is undoubtedly captivating from the outside, but inside, both new and longtime visitors will find much more than just a beautiful building. State-of-the-art exhibits as well as orientation and educational tools will help visitors of all ages and levels of horticultural expertise appreciate the
Watch BBG’s Living Roof Come to Life
How long does it take to install a 10,000-square-foot meadow on the roof of a building? According to this video, just two minutes! We captured the entirety of the early-autumn installation of 40,000 plants on the roof of BBG’s new Visitor Center—from September 26 to October 31, 2011—in this short time-lapse video.
Tree Guards 101
Are you a Brooklyn street tree fan who wants to protect your tree from dogs, trash, foot traffic, and ill-placed bikes? Maybe you’ve thought, “I’ll put in a tree guard!” Tree guards are urban heroes if designed and installed properly. But no matter how well intentioned, a poorly designed and placed tree guard can
Sankofa for a Greener Brooklyn
Six years ago, GreenBridge began a yearlong process of reflection that produced Greening Brooklyn Together: GreenBridge Strategic Plan 2007–2011. We gathered voices from block associations, master composters, and community gardeners. Sankofa, a word from Ghana often symbolized by a bird and translated as “looking
