Dear Gardening Friends,
In bleak mid-winter, (now, in other words), it isn’t just a lack of
vitamin D, caused by insufficient sunshine, with its attendant risk of weakened
bones that one must take measures to rectify. Another seasonal debilitating
ailment, is one I refer to as a vitamin “G” (as in “G”arden) deficiency, wherein a lack of greenery and the absence of
color, among other things, induces a sense of spiritual lethargy manifested by indifference
to ones surroundings, disdain for the political process and a weakening of ones
ability to resist bad TV. The urban dweller and the suburbanite are both equally
vulnerable to this condition. If a visit to tropical climes isn’t on ones
agenda, one might be tempted to despair. But, fear not! Effective remedies are
at hand, and accessible to every budget.
For a lucky few, from January 22cnd until the 31st, at the Park Avenue
Armory in New York, the 62cnd annual Winter Antiques Show, A Benefit for
Eastside House Settlement, is underway. There, seventy vetted dealers have
scoured the globe to present the most rare and beautiful antiques, art and
decorative furnishings one can imagine. Among them, Barbara Israel has once
again assembled an inspiring selection of garden furnishings to suit every
landscape, grand or intimate. I did hear one visitor complain as she left, that
“Years ago, it was possible for a middle-class person (like me) to actually
afford to buy something.” “Now,” she continued, “these are all museum pieces.”
A favorite remedy for the Winter Blues, also sometimes referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder, that
is so simple as to seem obvious, is a bouquet of fresh flowers. These days,
even the neighborhood grocery is likely to have a supply of flowers on
hand. In these parts, along
Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, we are fortunate to have vendors
whose open-air displays of flowers are by themselves, a tonic for the
neighborhood. Just to view them as one walks past has an edifying effect on
ones psyche. For just twelve
dollars – less than the price of a packet of cigarettes, and infinitely better
for ones health – one can acquire a bouquet of twenty roses in the color of
ones choice, from pure white to the deepest red, and nearly every hue in
between. I encourage those with a slightly larger budget to visit the newest
iteration of Surroundings, flowers and event planners, recently opened at 2675
Broadway at 102cnd street, on the southwest corner. There, Stephen Buchwald and
the friendly staff, monitored by canine companion Katie, the Bischon Frise, bring
their years of experience to creating delightful floral arrangements for every
occasion – or, no occasion at all. They pride themselves on having one of the
largest selections of cut flowers to be found anywhere in town, and welcome
browsers, no purchase required.
There is more. Chances are, if you live in the country, you already have
a birdfeeder. If not, I urge you to consider investing in one. The dividend will
be untold hours of entertainment by your local avian community - as long as you
keep the feeder filled! Especially when the ground is snow-covered, and other
sources of food are unavailable, a feeder is a lifeline to the birds, just as
their aerial acrobatics will be an endless source of fascination for you. What
is more, if they learn to associate you with food now, the birds will continue
to return in the Spring and Summer when their songs will be the soundtrack of
your landscape, and their presence can be an aid in pollination. Even urbanites
can undertake to support a birdfeeder, though you may find that the birds must
compete with other, undesirable creatures for the seed!
If there is anyone who still needs to consult a seed catalogue, here are
links to a few of the dozens of catalogues and online sites that I enjoy:
Keep gardening!
( All photographs copyright Everett H. Scott, 2016. All rights reserved. No image may be used or reproduced without express written permisssion from Everett H. Scott.)
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