Brooklyn Beds: Where Flowers Meet Fire Escapes

These aren't your standard-issue blooms – they're Brooklyn flowers, baby. They've got grit.

Today's garden check had me feeling extra grateful for this little slice of Brooklyn soil. There's something kind of magical about standing in the middle of Bed-Stuy, surrounded by neighbors, and bodegas, with feverfew (pictured above) up to your waist.

Let's talk about this bed you see on the left – it's technically 2x8 feet, but urban gardeners know that measurements are more like suggestions when you're working with city spaces. I've got sweet peas climbing up twine that's anchored to the wiring that goes to the shed, and underneath them, these Foxgloves are welcoming every pollinator in the five boroughs. It’s a gift that in a big city, I have to put my gloves on and gently coax out a bumblebee before I share blooms with friends.

The thing about growing in Brooklyn is you've got to work with what the city gives you. That means dealing with weird shadows from buildings, surprise wind tunnels between duplexes, and soil that sometimes contains more bottle caps than beneficial bacteria. But it also means your flowers develop character. These aren't your standard-issue blooms – they're Brooklyn flowers, baby. They've got grit.