Hidden Gardens

Recently I've taken to walking over to the Church of St Luke in the Field on the weekends to sit in their gardens. An Episcopal church originally founded in 1820, St. Luke's in the Field shares its block of Hudson Street in the West Village with an elementary school, St. Luke's School, along with a series of lovely gardens.  

Hidden behind tall brick walls is a series of six gardens, all connected by paths that allow you to stroll from one to the next. There’s a lawn, maple and cherry trees, a rose garden, and even a contemplation corner with pink, purple, and white flowers. It’s a wonderful retreat from the bustle of the city where cell phones are discouraged but where one can sit and read or ponder for as long as one wishes.

My favourite though is the Barrow Street Garden, which isn't perfectly manicured (a plus in my mind) and is filled with a wide variety of flowers from hydrangeas and roses to petunias and Lantana. It's also home to a multitude of birds and butterflies (and, unfortunately, bees). Just today, I watched a hummingbird drink from a butterfly tree (can you spot him in the photo?) as monarch butterflies flitted by. I also got to hang out with dozens of little sparrows, who I adore. These guys have no fear, hopping down right next to you.

At times, living in the city only adds to the stress that's already in our lives. That's why places such as these are so important; even in the midst of concrete and taxis, one needs a bit of nature and quiet to calm the nerves and lift the spirits.

All photos by Michele.

Of Daffodils and Magnolias

After what seemed like endless weekends filled with rain and cold, the sun finally came out and so with camera in tow, I headed up to the 79th Street entrance of Central Park and slowly made my way across to the East Side.

I spent some time wandering around the Shakespeare Garden, which was filled with yellow daffodils, snakeshead fritillary, tiny chionodoxa, and various small tulips. Two bright red Northern Cardinals darted back and forth overhead while the squirrels were busy digging away. Leaving the garden, I walked toward Belvedere Castle, spotting bunches of yellow and white daffodils along the way. They were all lovely but the real beauty queens were the flowering trees.

There was a pretty cherry blossom tree in bloom near the great lawn while the magnolias were out in full force behind the Met, creating canopies of colour. One white magnolia was particularly fragrant, conjuring up memories of the South (or at least the magnolia perfume I found once in an old perfumery in New Orleans), and the saucer magnolias, with their pink and white cupped petals, were absolutely stunning. How wonderful it would be to sit underneath one and read a book or lay down and a take a little nap (preferably without so many people walking by). A little sparrow landed on a branch of one of the trees that I was shooting and just hung out, totally cool with me standing right in front of him. Finally, spring has arrived.

All photos by Michele.

Little Sparrow

I adore sparrows. There's something about their small brown bodies hopping around on branches and benches that always makes me smile. In Central Park this weekend, there was a small group that seemed to be fearless. I didn't have a telephoto lens (Dear Santa, please take note) so had to get pretty close to take their photo. I swear some of them were posing; a couple of them actually moved closer while I was shooting. So indulge me for a moment while I share with you some images of the little sparrows I met that day. Aren't they adorable?

Photos by Michele.