Pestiside Free Roses For Your Valentine

How many of us buy or receive roses for Valentines Day? Did you know that over 70% of the cut flowers ordered in the USA come 5000 miles away from countries like Ecuador and Columbia. They  are grown in large production greenhouses and when one looks over the countryside the landscape is dotted by large plastic tents. Not only do the growers use nasty pesticides (many illegal in the US), which are harmful to humans, but pesticides can sink 500 feet down into soil and affect waterways. Not to mention the carbon footprint associated with flying these flowers all the way to the US and Europe. So this Valentines Day, order organic. Check out www.veriflora.com for resources, and have a lovely day!!

Street Art as Shelter

Along the fence of my local community garden somebody has added a birdhouse. The architect has not yet presented themselves, but I keep walking by wondering if anybody has moved in yet.

The Gift of Giving

Did I mention that I make my own gift baskets? This is one from my 'LIVE' line and includes a bit of honeycomb w/ honey from a local NYC beehive, a sprouting kit, beans from Cayuga Pure Organics (farm in upstate Ithica) and of course some yummy NYC-based LIVE raw chocolate. Watch for my website: www.eastrivertrading.com coming soon....

Mapping New York's shoreline 1609-2009

There are two lions who greet visitors to the NY Public Library. In the 1930's Mayor Fiorello La Guardia gave them nicknames. Meet 'Fortitude' the lion of the north. On the south side resides 'Patience'. You will see them on Fifth ave near 42nd street. The New York Public Library( the main branch) is now called the Steven A. Schwarzman building. Can you imagine having this legendary building named after yourself? It's a great source for maps and reference materials. (like my map above). Not to mention, there's a magnificient reading room. Now on view until June 2010 there is a show called 'Mapping New York's Shoreline 1609-209'. From the NYPL website: "Inspired by The New York Public Library's collection of Dutch, English, and early American mapping of the Atlantic Coastal regions, this exhibition exemplifies the best early and growing knowledge of the unknown shores along our neighboring rivers, bays, sounds, and harbors". If you want to see old New York and it's waterways up close, then you will love this show.

Winter Market

What do cranberries, hand made chocolate, curried green tomato pickles, pork pate, Hudson Valley seeds, organic lavender and locally produced kambucha have in common? They can all be found for a fair price at the New Amsterdam Market, which operates where the old Fulton Street Fish Market used to reside in the South Street Seaport. Shopping at The New Amsterdam Market is like taking a trip back in time to when New Yorkers ate regionally. Operating on a limited schedule, usually around the holidays. the New Amsterdam Market is a great shopping resource. See www.newamsterdammarket.org for upcoming schedule.

My Home Long Ago

This is a photo from Eric Sanderson's awesome on-line project and book 'Mannahatta'(www.themannahattaproject.org). It demonstrates what the NW block of Ave C and 9th Street (La Plaza Cultural Community Garden) used to look like way back in 1609. This particular area in NYC's East Village used to be a spartina salt marsh filled with salt water tolerant cord grasses interspersed with brackish creeks. These marshes were filled with rich, organic matter. Fiddler Crabs, snails or mussels anyone? Meet Dr. Sanderson and have him sign his book on Thurday, Feb. 4th 7pm at Design Within Reach. RSVP . See website for details.