Papilio polyxenes, Eastern Black Swallowtail

Update 2012-09-10: Only one caterpillar remains.

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The morning of the day we left on our last road trip - which led us to the Adirondack Hudson, among other places - I saw this in one of our vegetable beds:


This is a female Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio polyxenes. I caught her at the moment she discovered our group of parsley plants (Petroselinum hortense, or P. crispum). She was laying eggs, carefully placing just one under separate leaves of two of the plants.

Cellophane Bees Return

Colletes thoracicus, Cellophane Bee, is a native species of solitary, ground-nesting bees. Solitary, because each nest is burrowed out by a single queen, who constructs several chambers in which to lay individual eggs. Solitary, yet communal: where they find the right conditions, the nests can be densely packed.Here's a short video showing the activity on Saturday morning.



This is the third year for what I've come to think of as "my little bees." I noticed the holes earlier last week, and saw all this activity last Saturday, as I was readying for the Plant Swap. This is the earliest in the year that I've noticed them.

Make Your Garden Bee-Friendly

These bees took up residence in a "neglected" spot of the garden, one of the benefits of being a lazy gardener/ecosystem engineer. Different species of bees have different requirements. Here are some things you can do to make your garden bee-friendly.

Eristalis transversa, Transverse Flower Fly

This beautiful creature is not a bee. It's a fly of the Syrphidae, a family of flies renowned for bee mimics. This is Eristalis transversa, Transverse Flower Fly. I had noticed it in my garden for the first time this summer. yesterday was the first chance I had to capture some photos of it. Consider this a belated Garden Blogging Bloom Day post, but with a native pollinator as the focal point.





The flower it's visiting is Aster novae-angliae 'Chilly Winds', a selection of the native New England Aster from Seneca Hills Perennials in upstate New York. This plant has been a pollinator magnet in my backyard native plant garden for weeks. It's massive and overgrown and poorly placed, crowding out everything else around it. I'll have to find it another place for next year.



[bit.ly]

Related Content

Flickr photo set
My BugGuide images

Links

BugGuide page
Seneca Hills Perennials

Robert Guskind Memorial Video

Update 2010.01.03: Corrected all links to the old Gowanus Lounge domain to the new memorial domain.

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This is the video that opened the Memorial on Saturday. If you didn't know Bob, or you're one of my distant gardener-readers who by now must be wondering why I've written so much about him the past few weeks, please watch this.

via Gowanus Lounge


Robert Guskind 1958-2009, Blue Barn Pictures, Inc. Directed by Stephen Duke

As it has been so eloquently stated in the past, the departed live on in the memories of the living.

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Related Content

Memorial for Robert "Bob" Guskind, April 4
Remembering Bob, 2009-03-14
Robert Guskind, founder of Gowanus Lounge, 1958-2009, 2009-03-05

Links

At the Robert Guskind Memorial Gathering: Heartfelt Thanks and Fellowship, Gowanus Lounge, 2009-03-06

Growing 387 trees for the National 9/11 Memorial

A video interview with two of the people who are charged with growing nearly 400 trees that will populate the plaza of the National September 11 Memorial at Ground Zero in downtown Manhattan. The Gardeners for Recovery Cobblestone will reside on the street-level plaza somewhere among these trees.



Speaking are Ronald Vega, Project Manager, National September 11 Memorial Park, and Paul Cowie, Consulting Arborist, Paul Cowie & Assoicates, Montville, New Jersey. The "gothic arches" Vega mentions are also reminiscent of the architectural details of the twin towers.

Related Content

Gardeners for Recovery Cobblestone Campaign
My other posts on 9/11

Links

Films, National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center

Masstransiscope

Captured on my cellphone while riding the Q train to a candlelight service Sunday evening.



This art project was in disrepair for nearly 30 years. It's only visible from the right side of the Manhattan-bound Q or B train while the train is moving.

Links

Masstransiscope, Bill Brand
Bill Brand's Project Blog

Rosa Redux: BBG's latest time-lapse video

Cranford Rose Garden Timelapse at Brooklyn Botanic Garden from Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Vimeo.

Also check out BBG's latest Flickr group, June is Rose Month, for hundreds of views of the Cranford Rose Garden from its visitors.

Related Posts

Sakura Matsuri this weekend (includes Cherry time-lapse), May 1, 2008
Members Reception in BBG's Cranford Rose Garden, June 9, 2007

Links

Cranford Rose Garden Timelapse, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Vimeo (HD)

Photoblog Tribute to Brooklyn

A highlight for me at last night's Blogfest was the chance to see some of my photos on "the big screen." This video was produced by Morgan Pehme, Brooklyn Optimist, compiled from submissions from several of Brooklyn's "photobloggers." Six of my photos appear from 1:40 to 1:59 in the video.

Related Content

My Best of Brooklyn photo set from which I selected my submission for the video.
Blogfest

Links

Watch the video on YouTube. Select "High quality" and full-screen for best effect.

Here are all the photographers, listed in the order in which they appear in the video.
Tracy Collins
Sharon Kwik
Frank Jump
Kevin Walsh
Hugh Crawford
Joseph Holmes
Lara Wechsler
Will Femia
Heather Letzkus
Robin Lester
Dalton Rooney
Tom Giebel
Adrian Kinloch

Sakura Matsuri this weekend

This weekend is Sakura Matsuri, the Cherry Blossom Festival, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The weather cooled down just in time. The cherries are still holding at peak in my neighborhood, but there are drifts of petals swirling around. With rain predicted tonight and through the weekend, we may just get a soggy mess. We'll see if BBG's main display holds up for the weekend. I'll be checking in on them before Botany class this evening, weather permitting.

The purpose of the mysterious camera at the end of the Cherry Walk has been confirmed. BBG released a timelapse video composed of over 3,000 photographs taken with the camera.

2008 Cherry Blossom Timelapse at Brooklyn Botanic Garden from Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Vimeo.

This timelapse was created by Dave Allen, BBG's Web Manager, from over 3,000 digital photos, one taken every 3 minutes from April 18 to April 26, 2008, of Brooklyn Botanic Garden's famed Cherry Walk.

The original music is by Jon Solo, a Brooklyn-based musician and producer.

Related Posts

Hanami

Links

See the 2008 Cherry Blossom Timelapse at Brooklyn Botanic Garden in HD on vimeo
Music by Jon Solo, a Brooklyn-based musician and producer.

Walk Coney Island's endangered Surfside Gardens with Kinetic Carnival

The Surfside Gardens, one of the endangered community gardens in Coney Island, is the focus of the latest segment of A Walk Around the Blog.

Related Posts

Endangered Coney Island Community Gardens, February 4, 2008

Links

The episode, Kinetic Carnival: Threatened Community Gardens, is available on A Walk Around the Blog and blip.tv
Gardens To Close as Coney Prepares for Building Boom, Brooklyn Eagle, March 5, 2008

Sustainable Flatbush featured in "A Walk Around the Blog"

BRIC, the non-profit Brooklyn arts organization which produces Brooklyn Community Access Television (BCAT), has been doing a bi-monthly series called A Walk Around the Blog, interviews with Brooklyn bloggers talking about their neighborhoods. The latest edition features Anne Pope of Sustainable Flatbush talking about, what else, Flatbush and sustainability.

I make an appearance from 1:53 to 2:54 in the video.

If you can't see the embedded video above, or if you want to view it at a higher resolution, it's also hosted on blip.tv.

Related posts

Greening Flatbush a success!, February 24, 2008

Links

Sustainable Flatbush
A Walk Around the Blog (Blog)
A Walk Around the Blog (Blip)
BRIC

Tonight, Imagine Flatbush 2030 Workshop #3

Tonight's Imagine Flatbush 2030 meeting will take place at 6:00 pm at the Brooklyn College Student Center, 6th Floor, at East 27th St. & Campus Road (ramp entrance near Amersfort Place).

This video, composed of images and footage from the second workshop, held at Brooklyn College back in December, provides some information on the process. If you're curious about the man behind the blog, I make two very brief appearances, presenting issues raised in the group I was in. From 2:00-2:04, transportation is mentioned. And from 2:23-2:29, I report retail affordability as an issue: "We don't want all of our local businesses to be replaced by chain stores." And I think I recognize my voice as the voiceover from 3:02 to 3:13.



Imagine Flatbush 2030 from MAS on Vimeo.

If you have not sent an RSVP and are interested in attending, please contact Sideya Sherman, at the Municipal Art Society (MAS) Planning Center, 212/935-3960 or via email at ssherman@mas.org.

Snacks and sandwiches will be served at tonight's workshop.

Please be advised that there will be a supervised homework room provided for school aged children. If you need to bring a child, please contact us in advance.

Two of my favorite things

Radiohead.

And bugs.


via Bug Girl's Blog

Give Thanks

I am thankful, grateful, for ...

... family.

Spot (left) and Blog Widow John (right)


Family at 50th Anniversary Dinner Party


... that I and my parents have lived long enough to become friends.

Parents, Front Porch, Woodfield Inn


... the home my partner and I create with each other.

The Front Porch


... friends, neighbors, and community.

The Backyard, House Opening Party, October 2005


Group Shot, Daffodil Planters, Cortelyou Road


... dogs.

Rascal, a neighbor's dog


... abundance.




I leave you with something from my younger days, even, dare I say, from my youth. This is "Reasons to be Cheerful," performed by Ian Dury and the Blockheads live at the Hammersmith Odeon, August 1979 (Audio only). See below for sing-along lyrics.

Lyrics

From LetsSingIt

Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1 2 3

Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly
Good golly Miss Molly and boats
Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet
Jump back in the alley and nanny goats

18-wheeler Scammels, Domenecker camels
All other mammals plus equal votes
Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willy
Being rather silly, and porridge oats

A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks
Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty
Going on 40 - no electric shocks

The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot
A little drop of claret - anything that rocks
Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain't spotty,
Sitting on the potty - curing smallpox

Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1 2 3

Reasons to be cheerful part 3

Health service glasses
Gigolos and brasses
round or skinny bottoms

Take your mum to paris
lighting up the chalice
wee willy harris

Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico
Harpo, Groucho, Chico

Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
balabalabala and Volare

Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying hokey-dokey, singalonga Smokey
Coming out of chokey

John Coltrane's soprano, Adi Celentano
Bonar Colleano

Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1 2 3

Yes yes
dear dear
perhaps next year
or maybe even never

in which case

Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1 2 3

Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3

1 2 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3

repeat to fade

I was on TV!

UPDATE 2007.05.23: BCAT has the clips available on their Web site! It's Reporter Roundtable Episode #183. The format is WMV (Windows Media Player) and runs 27:54. The video montage from the Blogfest begins at 08:50. I make my appearance at 10:44, in the first interview.

Here are the direct links:

• Broadband
• Dialup
  

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I'm watching the Reporter RoundTable interview with Lumi Michelle Rolley/No Land Grab, Jonathan Butler/Brownstoner and Louise Crawford/OTBKB/Smartmom. They ran a brief segment of footage from the BlogFest. There I was! Larger than life, if that's possible.

The video's not available online yet. I'll update this and the Blogfest Coverage post when it is.

I sure sound funny. And I have a face for radio.

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Oh, and I watched through to the end. Louise Crawford mentioned that the first "Brooklyn Blogade Roadshow" will be June 24 at Vox Pop. She also announced it earlier this week. I'm helping to coordinate that event, so watch this blog for details and RSVP info as we move further along.

The IPCC Report: Grief & Gardening #6

On Friday in Paris, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the first volume, "The Physical Basis of Climate Change," of their Fourth Assessment Report, "Climate Change 2007." The Summary for Policymakers (aka SPM, available in PDF only) presents the synopsis of the findings. Other sections of the full report will be released later this year.

I've been reading the reactions and responses - angry, depressed, pessimistic, or nihilistic - to this report from my favorite garden and nature bloggers.

We are experiencing, and witnessing, grieving on a global scale. We are grieving for the world. And the world is grieving.

I've been processing my own feelings about all of this, and trying to formulate my own response. For now, I don't want to respond directly to the IPCC report, nor others' reactions to it. Here's all I want to share right now.

David Bowie - Five Years Live 1972

Gardening Matters: The death of Takeo Shiota (Grief & Gardening #4)

[Updated 2007.02.23: Added link to the issue of Plants & Gardens News (PDF, requires membership login) which mentioned Shiota's death in the U.S. internment camps.]

A video sparked a connection for me among three seemingly unrelated topics: a Japanese Garden built over 90 years ago, World War II, and the Department of Homeland Security.

This is a view from the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I took this photo last year, November 5, 2005. BBG has this to say about this garden on their Web site:

It is considered to be the masterpiece of its creator, Japanese landscape designer Takeo Shiota (1881-1943). Shiota was born in a small village about 40 miles from Tokyo, and in his youth spent years traversing Japan on foot to explore the natural landscape. In 1907 he came to America, driven by an ambition to create, in his words, "a garden more beautiful than all others in the world."
- Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Note the year of Shiota's death, 1943. I learned recently, from a review of the book Defiant Gardens in the Fall 2006/Winter 2007 issue of BBG's Plants & Gardens News (PDF, requires membership login), that Shiota died in a United States internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II.

It has happened here before. It can happen again. And our government has plans to do so.

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The Pearl Harbor attack intensified hostility towards Japanese Americans. As wartime hysteria mounted, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 causing over 120,000 West Coast persons of Japanese ancestry (Nikkei) to leave their homes, jobs, and lives behind to move to one of ten Relocation Camps.

This constituted the single largest forced relocation in U.S. history.
- Minidoka Internment National Monument

The largest, so far. I am painfully aware of the parallels between Pearl Harbor and September 11. As bad as the hysteria has been, it can get worse.

On January 24 of this year, the Department of Homeland Security awarded Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR) a $385M contract [my emphasis added]:

The contract, which is effective immediately, provides for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) Program facilities in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs. The contingency support contract provides for planning and, if required, initiation of specific engineering, construction and logistics support tasks to establish, operate and maintain one or more expansion facilities.

The contract may also provide migrant detention support to other U.S. Government organizations in the event of an immigration emergency, as well as the development of a plan to react to a national emergency, such as a natural disaster.
- Halliburton Press Release: KBR AWARDED U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CONTINGENCY SUPPORT PROJECT FOR EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES

This has been widely reported in the press, including the New York Times. Peter Dale Scott wrote an extensive analysis for Pacific News Service.

I can add little, except to relate these current historical events to the atrocity committed against a single person over 60 years ago, and share my feelings about all of this. Takeo Shiota was responsible for one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, one which I and millions of others have enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy. I will never again be able to visit that garden without wondering about him and his life, and thinking of how my government killed him. It is the least I can do.

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Video: Crosby & Nash, "Immigration Man"

I haven't thought of this song in many years, decades maybe. It was always one of my favorites, hauntingly beautiful vocals and chord progressions.

I don't know who's responsible for assembling the images into the video, but it's an effective piece of work. This is what reminded me of the Halliburton contract, and led me to post this.

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Additional Links:

• Kenneth Helphand, author of "Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime"