Urban Garden – Ann Street Studio

The Flower District

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015Posted in LifestyleTagged 28th st, 28th street, 28thst, 313, flower district, flower market, flowerdistrict, flowermarket, home, lifestyle, patio, terrace, Urban Garden, urbangarden24 Comments

I love gardening. Growing up in Texas I spent so much time as a little girl with my grandmother in her garden harvesting tomatoes and and watermelons, or pruning rose bushes. It’s a rare thing to partake in this peaceful and caring activity piled upon each other in the concrete jungle of Manhattan but I find ways to carve out my own piece of nature. I recently moved uptown and traded the bridge and tunnel traffic for Central Park and Riverside Park. I needed to see green. I needed to be able to escape the things that make living in this city difficult while at the same time better enjoying the things that make it the greatest.

Through some sort of twist of fate I found my dream apartment, which at the moment is still mostly empty while I start the slow search for new (but probably old) furniture to fill her beautifully molded walls. {pause – and check out my Snapchat story today to see the vintage vanity just delivered!} This past weekend I decided to start with the sweet little terrace. I wanted to create a relaxing space to sip my morning coffee and for it to become beyond lovely for a glass of wine at night while watching the sun set behind Riverside Park. I wanted to look out my french doors at an explosion of color and life.

Any time I need flowers or plants, be it for photo shoots or personal use, I head to Manhattan’s flower district on 28th between 6th and 7th Avenue. Trying to stay out of the way of the professional event planners, florists, and interior designers that tear through here can be slightly intimidating but totally worth it to open up a world of botanical wonder. It’s here were I first learned about succulents and that roses come in so many more interesting colors than deli-shop-red.

So on a Saturday in New York City, I popped on my new little environmentally friendly Bon George dress, Monica Rich Kosann “earth charm necklace” and set out for 28th street with a terrace transformation in mind….

Getting my hands dirty. Below- from my snapchat in my “glamorous” gardening clothing which is actually my go-to moving outfit or has been at least for the past 3 moves.

Enjoying it for the first time in a Ralph Lauren silk camisole & skirt Above, the happy view from the bedroom window. Below, stepping out in the morning in my vintage Frenchman’s linen shirt I bought on my last trip to Paris.

Happy Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2015February 13, 2015Posted in BeautyTagged pink, pink rose, pink roses, rose, roses, roses still life, still life, stilllife, Urban Garden11 Comments

I have a very, very deep love for roses that goes all the way back to my childhood. It first began in with my grandmother’s rose bushes, trimming them, cutting the flowers to take to my elementary school teachers. Growing up in Texas my father would always bring me a dozen yellow roses on special occasions and now from time to time when I come home from New York to visit.

This past summer I put a lot of love and attention on the terrace at the back of our studio in Tribeca. It’s a small urban garden but in a city this compact I feel pretty lucky to have the amount of outdoor space I do. I grew my first rose garden, the flowers in these shots I cut from these bushes. I was so proud every time a new bud would emerge and in the mornings when I sat outside with my coffee I would touch the petals and remember the sweet lingering memories of my childhood.

Tending to a garden, making sure that someone is there to take care of it when you’re traveling or working the hours away was a lesson for me. A lesson in care, patience and pride. I realized, it’s not unlike relationships. If you don’t tend to them, take care of them, they too can wither and die. It’s not much that we need, just some sunlight and water and it’s amazing what things can blossom into and make your life a richer place.

So on this Valentine’s Day I give you roses and I hope your own gardens are full of love.

more natural beauty…

Dying Flowers || Butterfly & the Bell Jar || Winter Flowers || Simplicity || Flower Arranging

Boston’s Urban Garden

August 12, 2010Posted in UncategorizedTagged massachusetts, Urban Garden, urban gardeningLeave a comment

At the height of summer, a community garden oasis in Boston’s South End bursts at the seams with the season’s fruit & vegetables in lined pathways of herbs & flowers.

“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”

— Henry David Thoreau

The Food Diary of a Brocavore~

May 12, 2010Posted in UncategorizedTagged Brocavore, food, food diary, food photography, herbs, lettuce, new yorker, recipe, salad, Urban Garden, urban gardening1 Comment

From Mike’s Food Diary:

Entry #5: Green Salad and Mustard Vinaigrette with Windowsill Herbs

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

· 2 Tbsp good olive oil

· 1 tsp mustard

· 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

· 1/2 Tbsp of tarragon

· salt & pepper

Salad Ingredients:

· 6-8 red tip lettuce leaves

· 1-2 Tbsp of freshly chopped herbs. A mixture of oregano, thyme, and chives does the trick

For the vinaigrette, place the vinegar, garlic, herbs and mustard in a mixing bowl (coffee mug will do). Then slowly pour in the olive oil and whisk for 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste. For more bite, add another few drops of vinegar.

Place lettuce leaves on a large, round serving plate. Sprinkle chopped herbs liberally over the undressed salad. Set aside. Sprinkle vinaigrette over salad and prepare to enjoy the most sensually simplistic way to bookend your next lunch, brunch, or dinner.

Variations

   Instead, use mesculan, arugula, or any other savory green
   Add a dash of mayonnaise to the vinaigrette for a richer feel
   Poach an egg and place over toast and place in the middle of the salad for a complete meal

Wine Pairing

The intense sharpness of vinaigrette screams for a wine that can rival its intensity and coolness. Think a dry Rose’ from Provence, ebullient Prosecco from Italy, or a steely un-oaked Chardonnay from Chablis, France.

The Food Diary of a Brocavore is an ongoing collaboration project with words & recipes by Mike of whats up stairs and photography by me. Please do enjoy other entries from The Food Diary of a Brocavore!