ellen 
Visiting Brooklyn early in June, I was so excited about Green Ave. Luckily, my friend, Allison, lives and works (Bedford Hill Coffee Shop is her creation) on this block. One sign I read said it was the “Greenest block in Brooklyn,” and if it isn’t, it sure as hell is trying and is putting on a good show.
The street has at least one community garden, but I believe I saw another. The excitement to make this block full of flowers was intoxicating (to me). After walking for hours in the concrete jungle that is most of New York, to come upon a stoop with pots, or a garden within the walkway, is an amazing feeling. It gives life, and a true sense that there is more than just humans on this great Earth. We need beauty and bees to make life happy!
Here are pots filled with geraniums, marigolds, pansies, and morning glories, a sweet and easy garden. It does require full sun and water, along with a little human love.
Here, in a spot that gets a bit more shade, the tenants have perennials of rose, hosta, and hydrangea. This requires even less human interaction. Roses are so hardy, hostas multiply like rabbits, and hydrangeas need nothing but a trim here and there.
This stoop seems to have required a bit more effort. It looks like they built out the wall near the stairs. Caladium, lilies, and impatiens, along with a few miniature evergreens make this full shade spot so inviting.
I was very impressed with Greene Ave. I hope they were a serious contender of the “Greenest Block in Brooklyn” award. Other cities take note. Think of your own space, are there few pots that could be set out on your front porch? Make the stroll along your own block a pleasant one.
