Seeing all of the Greenest Thumb entries this past month was inspiring. Plants are hard to maintain and easy to give up on, but the learning process and the successes are very rewarding.
This week's slideshow is of a recent visit to the Flower District, an area that is still alive but ever-changing. Despite the scaffolding, you can still get an eyeful of color and beauty and the shopowners doubt that everyone will leave any time soon...
But you cannot deny that the buliding projects seem to be springing up quickly. A new Flower District location has yet to be agreed upon (if it ever will be). So for now the construction and flower shops are elbow to elbow. And after the jump I will just mention a cute little flower shop located on Amsterdam Ave. on the UWS...
Construction may blossom in our city, but flower shops also pop up. Posies (pictured above on right) is a teeny-tiny shop wedged in between two big buildings. Their mission statement is also teeny-tiny: they are a bouquet shop. One wall of the shop has ready-made bouquets, the other side of the wall has the fowers in their unarranged state.
If you are running to a dinner party, you can grab a beautiful bouquet right off the wall. If you want to try your hand at making one, you can buy the raw ingredients. They are open until 8, so you really can depend on them to be open when you don't want to arrive empty-handed. I have been told that one woman arranges all the bouquets for the day by herself every morning.
Every time I have run by the work looks fresh - the flower combinations are bold in color and well thought out. I have but only a few snapshots, enjoy:
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The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
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Homesteaders' Cocktail Recipe: Lovage Simple Syrup
Comments (9)
I LOVE peonies! Does anyone know where to find some in the East Village? My corner deli hasn't had any since June.
the peony season is more or less over
(sorry Audrey)
Hello Matt!
As I pass by my abused yet abundantly flowering window box of verbena, I wonder what other bloomers people are finding thrive in shade and weird weather and NYC street grime. The Gerber daisies I planted with the verbena reflowered a couple times, but appear to have given up for the season, leaving their spinachy plants behind....
Guido -
You are right, the prices are going up and up on the peonies. The trip to the Flower District actually was from a few weeks ago, and I am pretty sure they were already coming from Holland. Anyone who loves them should look forward to May every year. Maybe I should put up a 'Peony Alert' :)
Believe it or not I have started to see those heuchera varieties everywhere. In the park, even in some flowerboxes. I just planted a few more in our outside garden and they really took hold. The color is subtle, but I like it. I would reccommend Sandra Bernhardt peonies for shade, too, but as you pointed out peony season has already come and gone.
If you are looking for something a little taller, some fuchsia varieties do really well in shade (but are annuals). I have some lamium in the shade right now, which is perennial, but it is a ground cover. It does have beautiful silver tones on the leaves and the flowers are a beautiful, light purple.
Anyone else?
Oh, and Audrey -
The corner delis will definitely not have peonies but I bet you can still find some in a good florist. Ariston on 14th seems like a very big space, so I bet they might have some. Maybe you should call before going and prepare to spend upwards of $5 per stem, though...
Oh and Guido - Just saw that you were talking about a flowerbox, so you can REALLY scratch that idea about peonies.
I'm done now.
have a great weekend all
is there a really fragrant plant that is also hardy and ok with mild light?
ps. my corner deli sells cut peonies, but they last about 2 day.
anyone know of any attractive terrariums/wardian cases? all the ones i found through google are frumpy.
Rasil,
What about Smith and Hawken? The store in Soho has the one in the link below and another nice one too.
http://tinyurl.com/mqvou
lori 2, thanks ... it's a bit fussy for me, i'd like something sleeker. i've also heard such bad thngs about s&h (including on here, someone who bought those expensive copper pots).
audrey, i saw masses of peonies in a store on the north side of 39th btw 9 and 10, the street of the hell's kitchen flea market. you have to go in, it's a flower store with antiques as well, interesting little shop and plenty of peonies.