From Shipping Piers to Green Spaces:

Urban Life Meets Nature in Brooklyn Bridge Park

by Kathy Doss

In densely populated cities, where every square foot of land is precious, creating a new park can seem like an insurmountable challenge. The creators of Brooklyn Bridge Park envisioned a green space where residents could escape the concrete jungle and noise pollution, and where wildlife could find a suitable habitat. They devised an innovative solution: they built a park atop unused concrete shipping piers. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a remarkable achievement. It is a project that anyone who has ever struggled to cultivate a garden in hard, infertile soil can truly appreciate.

In the early 2000s, the land that Brooklyn Bridge Park now occupies was a desolate industrial site, dominated by decaying piers, warehouses, and abandoned infrastructure. Where concrete and rust once ruled, lush greenery, salt marshes, and meadows now thrive.

Stretching 1.3 miles along the East River, Brooklyn Bridge Park offers stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. It serves as both a recreational haven for people and a sanctuary for a wide range of species that might not otherwise flourish in the urban environment.

To attract and support wildlife, the park employs sustainable practices, such as avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Instead, organic methods are used, including composting and natural predators to control pests.

Meadows filled with native wildflowers and grasses attract pollinators—insects that are crucial to a healthy ecosystem. These pollinators often struggle in urban areas due to pollution, habitat loss, and a lack of flowering plants.

The woodland areas of Brooklyn Bridge Park are home to trees and shrubs that are historically indigenous to the region, such as oaks, red maples, and sumac. These wooded areas are designed to mimic the natural forests that once lined Brooklyn's shores.

Salt marshes play an essential role in stabilizing the shoreline and providing habitat for marine life. Tidal water from the East River flows in and out of these marshes, creating an environment where fish, crustaceans, and birds thrive. Wetland plant species, such as Spartina (cordgrass) and salt-tolerant sedges, help filter pollutants from the water while preventing erosion. These marshes also serve as critical stopover points for migratory birds. Species such as herons, ospreys, and egrets have become regular visitors, feeding and nesting in the area.

It's not just the land that has been transformed—Brooklyn Bridge Park's waterfront restoration has led to a resurgence of marine life in the East River. Thanks to a partnership with local environmental organizations, oysters, once abundant in New York Harbor, have returned. Oyster reefs filter the water, control the growth of algae, and provide shelter for aquatic life.

Brooklyn Bridge Park is proof that nature and people can coexist, even in a bustling city. I encourage you to visit the park if you find yourself in New York City. You may be awe-inspired, as I certainly was.

Luther Burbank: The Agricultural Saint

by Stacey Haag

On a recent trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit family, we carved out some time to visit the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa, CA. The historic property includes Burbank’s Greek Revival house, the Carriage House that now serves as a museum, the greenhouse designed and built by Luther in 1889, and 1.6 acres of the original 4-acre garden that served as his outdoor laboratory where he carried out his horticultural experiments.

Luther Burbank was born one of fifteen children on a farm in Lancaster, MA, on March 7, 1849. At the age of 18, following his father’s death, he used his inheritance to purchase 17 acres in a nearby town. There, he developed what would become known as the Russet Burbank potato, a cultivar that was the answer to ending the ongoing troubles following the Irish Potato Famine across Europe. His cultivar was resistant to the diseases that had plagued crops throughout the previous decade, decimating the main food source in Ireland. Today, the Russet Burbank is the most widely cultivated potato in the United States and the magic behind many popular restaurants’ French fries, including McDonald’s.

Burbank sold the rights to his potato and used the money to travel to Santa Rosa, CA. There, he purchased the 4-acre plot of land where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. In addition to this homestead, he also purchased an 18-acre farm in nearby Sebastopol, which is also open to the public. His properties are Registered National, State, and City Historic Landmarks, as well as ASHS Horticultural Landmarks.

“I firmly believe, from what I have seen, that this is the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned.”

–Luther Burbank, on his arrival in Santa Rosa in 1875

For more than 50 years, he devoted his time to plant-breeding experiments that gained him worldwide fame. His driving force was an intense desire to improve the quality of plants, thereby increasing the world’s food supply. Through a variety of techniques, such as grafting, hybridization, and cross-breeding, he introduced more than 800 new varieties of plants! Some of those accomplishments include 113 varieties of plums, prunes, and plumcots, 10 varieties of berries, 50 varieties of lilies, the Shasta daisy, the fire poppy, and hundreds-more varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and flowers. 

Although Burbank was known far and wide, many considered him a close, personal friend, including Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. The Call of the Wild and White Fang author Jack London also became a friend after his interests in farming grew following the purchase of a nearby Sonoma County ranch. London had discovered that the land had been depleted by outdated farming practices, and his desire to become a good steward led to many innovations that are now cornerstones of organic farming. During that time, London consulted with Burbank on projects, including growing a spineless prickly pear cactus developed by Burbank on London’s ranch as an alternative cattle feed. (We also visited London’s homestead during our trip – another site I’d highly recommend visiting.) Known not only for his prodigious career, Burbank was also regarded as a generous, kind, and modest man. Hindu monk, yogi, and guru Paramahansa Yogananda even dedicated his Autobiography of Yogi to the memory of his friend Luther Burbank, calling him “An American Saint.”

Upon Burbank’s death in 1926 at the age of 77, he was buried in an unmarked grave under the beloved Cedar of Lebanon tree that he had planted at his home in 1893. California celebrates Arbor Day on March 7 each year in honor of Luther’s birthday.

This historic and beautiful property was gifted to the City of Santa Rosa by Luther’s widow, Elizabeth, upon her death in 1977. The nonprofit Luther Burbank Home & Gardens Association manages the site, and its volunteers facilitate public programs throughout the year, including plant sales and various open houses. Visitors may tour the Carriage House Museum and Gift Shop, free of charge, from April through October. Self-guided tours of the grounds and gardens are available, free of charge, every day of the year from 8 a.m. to dusk. If you would prefer a tour that includes more information about Luther Burbank’s life, an overview of his best-known plant developments, a look inside his greenhouse, and a walk through the family home, docent-led tours are available for a modest fee. If you find yourself in Northern California, I highly recommend making the time to visit this important historic horticultural site. For more information, including a virtual house tour, visit https://lutherburbank.org/. 

Smelling Like Roses

by Stacey Haag

While visiting California, we also spent a day in San Jose, which happens to be home to the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, named "America's Best Rose Garden" based on beauty, creativity, and community involvement. It should also be based on aroma, as we smelled the garden before ever laying eyes on it!

In 1927, the City of San Jose purchased a tract of land that had previously been a prune orchard. At the urging of the Santa Clara County Rose Society, a 5.5-acre area of rolling lawn beneath the towering presence of redwoods was set aside to be used as a rose garden. After ten years of planning and planting, the garden was officially dedicated in 1937.

Exclusively devoted to shrubs of the rose family, more than 4.000 plantings and 189 varieties are currently featured. Three-fourths of the shrubs are hybrid-teas, characterized by a single, full bloom at the end of a long steam. Floribundas, with their multi-bloom stems, are also found in abundance in the garden, as are various types of grandifloras, miniatures, climbers, and polyanthas.

The rose garden receives thousands of visitors every year. As a city park, it is open to the public daily, free of charge. It is a popular spot for surprise proposals, weddings, and afternoon picnics. During our visit, a group of adults were practicing tai chi just beyond the reflection pool and fountain.

As an official Display Garden for the All-America Rose Selections (AARS), the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden receives AARS award-winning roses in advance of public release. New rose varieties are tested here in areas such as health, number of blooms, color, form, and unique qualities before being accepted as new varieties that can be sold to the public. Hybridizers submit names for their new creations to the International Rose Registration Program of the American Rose Society, which has cataloged over 15,000 varieties.

The San Jose Municipal Rose Garden was inducted into the Rose Garden Hall of Fame, receiving the "Great Rosarians of the World" (GROW) Award. The garden was also named one of 12 "Frontline Parks," a national award for city park leaders, for its unique approach to partnerships and volunteer engagement, leveraging its resources to create and maintain a sustainable and vibrant contribution to its urban community.

Profiles in Gardening...

Michelle Hollingsworth

I have never been able to keep plants alive until someone gave us an orchid as a housewarming gift and it stayed alive! That small win gave me the push to learn more. I really wanted to learn how to effectively grow food for my family and pollinators. I love butterflies and wanted to have a butterfly-friendly lot. We have been blessed with 5 acres and wanted to use as much of the land as possible to give back to nature.

I am most interested in fragrant and colorful flowers, vegetable and herb gardens, and fruit bushes.

My current two favorite plants are gardenias and basil.

My favorite thing about Master Gardeners is their willingness to share their wins, their struggles, and their not-giving-up attitude. It helps a newbie feel better about not winning all the time when it comes to battling pests or diseases of plants.

My hobbies and interests include reading (especially scripture), baking, listening to live music, writing, photography, and traveling.

I have only had a garden in Robertson County (lived in Middle TN for 47 years).

I first became interested in gardening when I planted some herbs in raised container beds to use for cooking and home health remedies. I took the course to help learn how to grow vegetables and fruit in the ground. I had previously tried containers for some veggies with small success. This year, our first in-the-ground experimental garden taught us a lot about weeds and pests and also gave us an abundance of melons and veggies. We look forward to applying our knowledge next year!

I would love to write, document, research, experiment, film, and photograph nature/gardens/plants.

Interesting facts: I wrote a devotional book for moms. I have my doctorate degree in education. But, I have a heart for the arts and untraditional, out-of-the-box education.

This is a photo of me only wearing one glove and one garden sleeve (on opposite arms) because somehow my tools are always being moved (not at all me being absentminded and forgetful on where I set them down), and the garden won't wait on me to harvest.

Blueberry Muffins

by Stephanie McMurry

Try this recipe to enjoy your blueberry bounty from the hot picking days at Highland Rim Research Blueberry Patch.

INGREDIENTS:

3-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 cup whole fat plain unsweetened yogurt

1-½ cups blueberries

1 tablespoon fresh orange or lemon zest

Course decorative sugar (optional)

12 count muffin tin with paper liners 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Toss blueberries in a separate bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour mixture.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, and zest.

5. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Do not overmix.

6. Gently fold in the blueberries, mixing just to combine.

7. Drop batter in each of the muffin tin cups with a scoop. Divide batter evenly among the 12 wells.

8. Sprinkle the muffins with course crystal sugar and top each muffin with 3-4 large blueberries.

9. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

10. Remove from oven and turn out on a cooling rack.

~ Tidbits ~

Check out this Compost Mix Calculator!

Check out this Fall Foliage Prediction Map!

RCMGA would like to extend our appreciation to South Central Growers for their continued support of our community projects. Recently, they donated 24 mums to add fall color to our local gardens. Thank you to Larry Lee for transporting the mums to our greenhouse and making them available to our project leads.