I've wanted to record the history and meaning of the PSUMC garden for a long time. There are so many stories in a garden and in plants. All the people who've gotten thier hands dirty there, all the many plants and designs mainly based on the patterns of sun and shade. I want to record it all here as thoughts come to mind.
Maybe you have stories to add too. A particular plant, a memory of times in the garden, an area of the garden you managed, people stories....all are part of the life of this garden that needs to be recorded.
Today...Saturday, Nov. 11. We had a workday to primarily plant the bulbs and clean up for winter. I looked at the dogwood tree that seems to be dying.
Trees in the Garden
Reminded me of all the trees that have been planted in the garden. With the original design, four peach trees, one on each corner of the berm, were centerpieces of the garden. Eventually they died and other trees were planted. A Whitespire Birch, a Japanese Maple and a Crepe Myrtle still provide shade and beauty. This dying tree is a Cornus altinifolia, common name pagoda dogwood. It's a beautiful tree with unusual flowers, at least for a dogwood. Most people don't know it's a dogwood. It's a native tree and has white flowers that look more like a mimosa flower than the common Cornus florida. Like the florida, altinifolia has been subjected to anthracnose. It one of many beautiful plants donated by Lucy Jones from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden at its plant sale about 25 years ago. We planted it when it was in a two gallon pot. Some people say its the most beautiful specimen of its type in NYC. I hope so much we can save it. It will be a very great loss if it dies. Its a great shade tree too.
POST NOTE: The tree mentioned soon was cut down sometime after this photo. Ellen Kirby
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