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Showing posts from December, 2009

9 gifts for local ecologists

Our first, we think, holiday gift list. The list is features three books, a CD, a jersey, a birdhouse, a hand pruner, a free map, and items from the Therapeutic Landscapes Network store. Why nine suggestions? Because it's 2009. 3feetplease bicycle jersey (via WalkBikeCT via Design New Haven ) The carboard, water-repellent foldable birdhouse by Mxyplyzyk (via the Dec. 10th Home section of the New York Times ) Source : The Felco Store Trained citizen pruner? We really like the original Felco 2 pruner (we have at least two). Courtesy of Ellen Zachos, Acme Plant Stuff and Garden Bytes from the Big Apple The "Green Up Time" CD by Ellen Zachos is available through Acme Plant Stuff Washington Square Park (NYC) free Sustainable Lunch Map , developed by Eat Well Guide and courtesy of the NYC Food & Climate Summit Courtesy of Naomi Sachs, Therapeutic Landscapes Network Therapeutic Landscapes Network mug, tote, clothing, etc. at the TLN Store Living Modern: A Biogra

Call for a tree story: East Village tree basin

We photographed this East Village tree basin a few months ago and have not figured out its story. Can you provide us with one? Inspiration: Looks like a new sidewalk was installed.

Tree Walk: Unter den Linden

We are pleased to bring a guest post about Berlin's famous lindens from an anonymous contributor. Original linden allee, Berlin, 1691, Source : Wikipedia I was thinking of you because of the beautiful street Unter den Linden or Under the linden trees. I am sure you must have studied it but really must be the perfect example of a street tree. Each tree is numbered. The little tags are white and nailed into the tree. Each tree in the entire city is in fact numbered, creating a nice sense of order-very necessary in Deutschland. All districts of the city have their own trees and budget for maintaining them. The guide was saying that if a man got drunk he could tell his wife to pick him up under tree number 47. And the other day the guide overheard police officers saying an accident had happened at tree number 7. The linden trees are not growing too well and the city wanted to replace them so they could have ones that would grow better. But the Berliners are 'quite

About the Ginkgo biloba

A friend's dad is on sabbatical in Manhattan. He's an art professor at a liberal arts college in Ohio. The Ginkgo is one of his favorite trees; I noticed several ginkgo-themed drawings tacked unto to the wall in his office. At a recent dinner, he told me that he had noticed that the Ginkgo is a common street tree in the city. He wanted to know why this was the case. Also, he wanted to know about the tree's reproductive strategy; he had heard that there are separate male and female trees. Here's what I told him. Image: Ginkgo, Berkeley-Oakland border In my estimation, the most common street trees in NYC - in no particular order - are London planetree, Ginkgo, honeylocust, maple (red or Norway), and oak (red or pin). I missed one; the Callery pear! Learn more about the city's street tree population in the Parks Department's 2005-2006 Street Tree Census . The Ginkgo is a great street tree because it is hardy; it tolerates well the various li

Trees above and below

Vegetated roof and sidewalks, Commerce Street, NYC