Putting the Green in Greenpoint

Name: Laura
Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, New York

My garden-level patio, though small, makes such a big difference in how I spend my time during the summer. I lived in my apartment for two years before doing anything to this area, which was originally used for bike storage and not much else. Once I started grad school and faced a summer full of homework, I knew that I needed a space to work outdoors or I would go mad. Now I spend time on the patio almost every day from May through September, enjoying the relative privacy of this space just past my front door.

Since I don’t have a lot of money to invest in the patio, I use basic terra cotta or plastic planters, a few rolls of twine, and many S hooks of varying sizes. As a renter, everything has to be somewhat impermanent, so the ability to hang things has helped a lot both in terms of space saving and removability. Just this year I created a hanging shelf with part of an old shoe rack. There is also a hanging basket attached to it for holding extra candles (it can get buggy) and other supplies. And I painted the folding tray table, which was originally bright red, with copper paints leftover from my sister’s wedding. I love that this space has a sort of secret garden feel, and it smells amazing, despite being mere feet from several trash cans. Ah, Brooklyn.

Thanks, Laura!

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