PEACHES IN THE BIG APPLE
Jean asked me to help save his plants. He had purchased the property with a large rooftop terrace. The previous owners were home everyday so there was no irrigation system other than hand watering. There was a period of time without any occupancy - and it unfortunately occurred during a heatwave.
There were two maple trees, two crepe myrtle shrubs, six hydrangeas, and a peach tree. I could see that there were about a dozen peaches on this tree with dried burnt leaves. My team set up irrigation, then gently fed the plants over a few weeks. I could see the peaches get larger. They looked beautiful!
When I met with Jean to discuss the terrace, the peaches were ripe on the tree. Jean graciously invited me to try one. The peach was so juicy and sweet - it was the best I had all summer! A delicious, fabulous fresh peach grown above the streets of 14th street in New York City! Gotta love it!
HUMMINGBIRDS AND MAMA BIRDS IN HARLEM ROOFTOPS
There is a certain kind of joy in having a rooftop garden. I hear it from my clients. Clients call me to share their happiness from their first summer blooms, or how grand their grasses looked during their fall parties.
But Jacqui is Harlem's rooftop gardener princess. She had a hummingbird visiting the bright pink flowers on her mandevilla vine she planted. I always remind her of that so she keeps mandevillas on her annual plant list each year. Then she sends me this awesome photo of three beautiful eggs in a little bird's nest she found in one of her Leyland Cypresses. That summer she witnessed a mama bird raise her little babies till they all flew away.