[.ca] Gardens in the City: New York in Bloom (ISBN 0810941333)

Amazon.com Review:
New York, a city of skyscrapers and gardens, has much to teach the rest of the world about making gardens--despite, or perhaps because of, limited space and difficult conditions. In Gardens in the City: New York in Bloom, the juxtaposition of concrete and steel with the lush green of gardens makes a dramatic statement, in photos showing an amazing range of gardens, from public to private, from estates to pocket parks. What is most startling is the realization that it is in just such an inhospitable environment, fraught with daunting challenges, that plants and gardens are most needed and appreciated. And these gardens do look appreciated. The smooth surface of the lily pool terrace at Brooklyn Botanic Garden reflects an ornate glass conservatory, the cherry walk at the United Nations is a frothy cloud of pink fluff, and wisteria clambers up the columns on a Carnegie Hill townhouse. Trees grow happily up the sides of Trump Tower, each on its own little terrace; neighborhood pea patches are squeezed between old brick buildings; and dining terraces awash in plantings look out over the city. Many of the gardens are hidden away on rooftops or enclosed in courtyards, offering sanctuary and respite in the midst of a bustling city. These gardens have a feeling of quiet calm created by using lush, enveloping plantings, artworks, and monochromatic or simple, soothing color schemes. Fountains and ponds add water music to the mix. New York is truly a city of gardens, so in the hope that between the theater and the shops people will make time to visit the gardens shown in the book, the author has included a map noting locations of all the public gardens featured. --Val Easton

A celebration of the garden heritage in New York City:
Remarks by Gregory Long, Presdent of The New York Botanical Garden, spoken at Rockefeller University in May, 1999. "This book is truly a relevation. Who knew until Mary Jane Pool and Betsy Pinover Schiff revealed it to us, that there were so many varied and significant gardens in New York City? Who would have figured that New York City is probably the gardening capital of the world? Who among us know that we possess such a vast network of important designed places out-of-doors? Of course our park system is loved, but our garden system is a new idea... Gardens in the City: New York in Bloom is a celebration of our garden heritage and tradition in New York City. There's never been such a compilation in our history, and now that we can see our tradition so clearly, we are proud of it indeed."

A must have for New Yorkers:
If you have a private roof deck, you have to check this book out. I started designing a garden on my roof and the photographs in this book were inspiring. If you don't have a roof deck, well, this is great for all those New Yorkers who wonder just what is on top of some of New York's buildings (from high-rises to brownstone walkups). Happy Gardening!

One Word: Amazing!:
Much cheaper than the cost of living there and much easier than the stress of visiting there, Gardens in the City: New York in Bloom, fulfills all your NYC fantasies with no litter or traffic in sight.