Today’s Greenmarket includes a vibrant array of plums situated amongst a hefty selection of butternut squash, Yukon Gold potatoes, spicy peppers, and even apple blueberry crumble pie!
When there’s no escaping what feels like summer’s hottest week, why not just fight fire with fire? Habanero chilies, with their citrus-like flavor and floral aroma, are an integral part of Yucatecan cuisine. Daunting reputation aside, the habanero’s heat mixes nicely with sweet. Try adding a kick to your breakfast these upcoming weeks with some habanero apricot jam.
Last week I was on the Diller-von Furstenberg sundeck of The High Line, looking out at the Hudson River. From the sundeck you’ll find the closest and least obstructed views of the waterfront. The design of The High Line is broken up into different ecosystems, including a thicket, woodland, grassland, and a wetland area. The sundeck features plants found in marsh and wetland ecosystems. As you relax on the chaise lounges situated around the sundeck, it’s as if you are sitting amongst flora on the river’s edge.
I was leading an avid group of gardeners from my August Membership tour during this particular visit to The High Line, and we were admiring the rose mallows, of which the site has two different species. One is the swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos ssp. palustris). This flower is commonly found growing on riverbanks, in freshwater and brackish marshes, swamps, floodplains, and wet meadows. It’s an adaptable native that doesn’t mind getting its feet wet, while it’s also tolerant of brackish water and deer resistant to boot. Swamp rose mallow has lovely pink flowers and makes a nice, full display on The High Line, tucked in with cattails (Typha laxmannii and Typha minima). It reaches 4-6 feet tall, flowers from July through September, and is hardy from Zones 4 to 9.
Looks like Groundbreakers‘ moon gate is moonlighting on the Bronx River. We’re almost into the very last week of our summer exhibition, so if you haven’t found the opportunity to pay us a visit, now’s a great time!
Along the Bronx River in the Thain Family Forest – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Every year, I travel to Cape Cod for a family vacation. I find it heartening to return to the same location, as there’s a comfortable familiarity that cannot be replaced. I know the bike paths, the homemade ice cream store, the quiet beaches, and the customs of the changing tides. We spend a portion of our days riding on the Cape Cod Rail Trail—a bike path that spans from Wellfleet just past the old Marconi telegraphy station down to Dennis. As we ride along the spectacular Cape Cod National Seashore, I admire the local flora, which there seems to be mostly native and exactly where it should be.
I soak in the sights, admiring my beloved beach plum (Prunus maritima) and the much adored bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) that grows with such elegance and enthusiasm in its native habitat. As I make my way down the rail trail, one botanical encounter that I have every year in early to mid August is summersweet. I know I’m getting close when I smell that sweet fragrance wafting through the air. It grows in abundance on the side of wet marshes and persists on the edges of shaded woodland paths.
Today’s Greenmarket includes a vibrant array of plums situated amongst a hefty selection of butternut squash, Yukon Gold potatoes, spicy peppers, and even apple blueberry crumble pie!
