Garden of the Day: DIY in Bay Ridge
[nggallery id=”21840″ template=galleryview] Here’s our first submission from Bay Ridge: If “gut rehab” applies to back yards, that’s what this was. The original back yard had a rusty chain link fence, a “sidewalk to nowhere”, a bathtub virgin mary, a stand of poplars that were half chewed-up by termites and “lawn” that was basically weeds…
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Here’s our first submission from Bay Ridge:
If “gut rehab” applies to back yards, that’s what this was. The original back yard had a rusty chain link fence, a “sidewalk to nowhere”, a bathtub virgin mary, a stand of poplars that were half chewed-up by termites and “lawn” that was basically weeds holding on for dear life. Pretty typical old Bay Ridge.
After a slash-and-burn of the back yard, my neighbor Betsy and I decided to ditch the fences as well. We got some outrageous estimates from contractors. Since I have a shop we decided to build it ourselves. This was actually a good idea because there are so many large boulders in the ground that each fence section had to be custom built.
After managing to grow a pretty decent lawn, the arrival of two large, digging puppies at BrooklynRowHouse turned the back yard into a moonscape. I pick my battles so I hired Jim Lally of Galway Bay to pave it in. The paver design is one I stole from a scene in the movie, “Arthur”. Jim made it work.
Most of the garden is edible: tomato and pepper plants, herbs, spring lettuce and so forth. There’s more story and progress pictures to go with ithere.
Garden of the Day: Serenity Now in Cobble Hill [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: Potted on Putnam [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: Cemetery Views [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: Made in the Shade [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: Praiseworthy in Park Slope [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: Crown Heights Verdant [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: Another Greenwood Heights Goodie [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: HGTV Does Greenwood Heights [Brownstoner]
Garden of the Day: PLG Make-Over [Brownstoner]
Submit Your Garden for ‘Garden of the Day’ [Brownstoner]
With dogs, paving with plantings on the borders is the only way to go (assuming the dogs, if boys, are obedient and don’t lift their legs on the edible plants!). Looks great.
Looks nice but prefer nature to paving. Grass is not much better than pavement for nature though.
For someone who isnt much of a gardener, job well done. Simply beautiful.You have inspired me to get my yard in order. Great job.
I’ve got very cool neighbors in general. This end of the block at least is almost like an extended family, most of whom have lived here forever. Betsy, who’s pushing 50, was born in her house.
It was a National Geographic study on edible plants re: lead absorption, and they claim no measurable level of lead. In any case, what’s worse… a little Brooklyn history or tons of pesticide?
PS: by “thanks for the tips” I mean thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Where was 11:12 repeating the exact same statement over and over, 11:39? Tautology is the repetition of the same thing. I’m not seeing it.
Sounds like your neighbor is cool about the runoff which is good. But for other people it’s good to have a drywell under your cement or bricks with the pitch sending the runoff into it. Because lots of neighbors can give you trouble if they get your runoff in their yards and they do have grounds to complain to the DOB about it.
you should slope the bricks so that the runoff goes into Mayor Bloomberg’s yard.