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this will be my third summer gardening… and i still feel overwhelmed most of the time, but i have learned so much since i started. i’ve learned to slow down and enjoy the process…. and not expect to have a perfect, mature garden right away. i have a much better understanding of what grows well here and what plants i like. i gravitate mostly to perennials with small delicate flowers. i also love big flowering perennials like peonies, lilacs, and hydrangea… but not annuals like petunias, impatiens, and pansies. these are photos of some of the plants that are the happiest in our brooklyn garden. and this year i’ll know better which plants to pass in the nursery because they won’t come back, as beautiful and tempting as they are…

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  1. lena, are these on your fire-escape or perhaps you have a yard? i, too, live in bk and really want to start a garden of my own on the fire escape… 🙂 pretty pics!

  3. oh, beautiful! I miss my Brooklyn garden… we had ours split into two sections… the vegetable side and the flower side. Looked a bit weird but I was always so proud of it. Great post!

  5. Your plants look so healthy! I was gardening today and boy does the front of my house look sad. Well, much better compared to the barrenness before but still sad as far as other gardens go.

  6. really beautiful. maybe you can give me some gardening tips when i move to brooklyn in june? joe and i found an apartment that has a back yard! i’m the most excited about that because i’m going to miss my kansas yard so much.

  7. hi angela,
    i have a backyard, but you should start a fire escape garden!

    i don’t know the variety of hostas… they were here when we moved in. they grow tall purple flowers in late summer. they seem to really thrive here!

  8. lena, these are so gorgeous! we’ve been gardening now for a little more than a year. i agree with you, the biggest thing i’ve learned over the year is how to enjoy the entire process…thanks for sharing!

  9. Your plants are looking so good! I hope your soil checked out okay for vegetables this year!!

  11. i cant wait to have my own little garden (or window box) – your garden looks beautiful 🙂

  12. hi lena,

    i really love the color of the last plant. do you know the name?

    hope you are having a nice weekend.

  14. it’s nice to hear your thoughts. having patience when gardening is key, i am learning. and these photos are so nice.

  15. thanks everyone!

    the plants i photographed are:

    cut ranunculus flower (i think!)
    yellow stem dogwood bush
    blue fescue grass
    smoke plant
    hosta
    purple heuchera

    all are from the beautiful gowanus nursery.

  17. This year is my first garden in the ground and it’s so fun.

    Is the purple round shaped leaf plant a smoke bush by chance? I am obsessed with these.