Plants & Gardens Blog

City gardens are usually in partial or deep shade, so plants that thrive on the forest floor and in the shade of taller trees can be planted here to model a natural woodland ecosystem. Read › Design Ideas for Your Shady Urban Garden

Take inspiration from Greenest Block in Brooklyn winners and finalists and create an urban oasis of your own. Read › Streetscape Gardening

Galium aparine, or cleavers, is the type of weed that is probably already stuck to you before you even take notice of it. Read › Weed of the Month: Cleavers

This snickering shorebird hits the beach in mid-April and stays through fall. You may also see it farther inland. Read › Birds of Brooklyn: Laughing Gull

You'll see this member of the mint family in April in tree pits and empty lots. Most gardeners consider it a weed, though it's edible and quite pretty. Read › Weed of the Month: Purple Deadnettle

This pungent plant sprouts early, then lies in wait for next spring. Read › Weed of the Month: Wild Garlic

Test your knowledge with these four questions about urban gardening. Read › Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Gardening In the City?

This spring weed is known for its tasty leaves, but it's most interesting feature may be the way it disperses seeds by flinging them through the air. Read › Weed of the Month: Hairy Bittercress

Across the borough, gardeners enthusiastically embraced a restructuring of the contest and managed to turn a social distancing strategy into a way to connect with neighbors. Read › Brooklyn’s Beloved Window Boxes

Plants have evolved in a complex world and are very sensitive to particular and subtle cues. Decisions about where we put buildings and how we build them have a much larger impact than we often realize. Read › Plants, Sunlight, and Buildings