Gardeners visiting New York City who have limited time, have business in the financial district or are visiting the lower west side might want to check out some relatively new gardens that are flourishing above the hub bub.
The Elevated Acre is a somewhat secret garden located at 55 Water St. between Old Slip and Broad Streets in the financial district. You may have to ask a dozen well-suited Wall Street types before one knows the whereabouts of the escalator leading to the this lovely acre of grasses, shrubs, trees, benches and dynamite views of Brooklyn and the bridge to that borough. The garden is populated with small trees and shrubs and many types of native grasses.
If you are on the lower West Side, taking in the recently opened branch of the Whitney Museum or just enjoying the newly hip neighborhoods, don’t miss a visit to Highline Park. Formerly the elevated railroad running above 10th Avenue, the 1.45 mile-long aerial greenway was built on the 20-plus block section of a New York Central Railroad spur. More than 200 species of meadow plants are planted there, including clumps of grasses, purple liatris, coneflowers and scattered stands of sumac, plus a grove of birches at the south end providing dappled shade. Mingled with the plantings, you’ll find individual works of outdoor sculpture, shops selling Highline’s trademark wares, a few simple eateries and 11 easy access points to the streets below. Many spots along the way allow views of the Hudson River to the west and busy city streets to the east. At west 16th Street, Highliners can descend to the Chelsea Market and find small shops, restaurants, a variety of food and drink purveyors and lots of people in this converted warehouse.
Tropical gardening helpline
Lori asks: A friend of mine just returned from an Oregon beer tasting trip and reported wonderful brew flavors provided by the fresh hops of this fall’s harvest. I make beer and would love to include fresh hops in my beers. Can we grow them here?
Answer: Though some attempts have been made to grow hops in Hawaii, none have reported great success. Hops are the female flowers (also called cones) of the hop plant Humulus lupulus. They provide a stability agent in beer and also impart a bitter, tangy flavor to the brew.
In order to flower, hop plants need chilly, winter weather and some long days in the summer. We can’t really offer either in Hawaii. Though growing hops above 3,000 feet has been tried, it may not be cold enough for the plant to go into full dormancy. Some have tried digging up the roots, refrigerating and eventually freezing them, but that seems not to help promote flowering. Encouraging dormancy in one of these ways could help, but then you need to provide lights in summer to mimic the extended day length of a temperate summer.
Even if you decide to try one of these methods, you will still have to monitor the amount of water the hops get late in the season. Normally, the plant prefers a dry period as the flowers are reaching maturity. Though we often have dry winters in Kona, it is hard to know when the summer rains will start.
If you do decide to try growing hops, try planting the Cascade variety in the spring since it seems to have greater tolerance than most of the others.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by certified master gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living on an organic farm in Captain Cook.