Text and photographs are © by Ellen Spector Platt & Ellen Zachos, all rights reserved.


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Is this winter?

Everyone in NYC knows it's been cold lately. Pipe-shattering, side-walk icing, nose-hair freezing cold.

So imagine my delight when after trudging uphill, through snow that quickly overwhelmed my woefully inadequate suede shoes, I opened the door to my client's greenhouse and found:


The misters were spraying, the air was humid and moist, and just for a moment I was transported to a kinder, gentler place. I call that place Riverdale.

Sadly I didn't have my camera with me...only a cell phone, but I did what I could to convey the lush tropical beauty I found in the middle of the Bronx. The Phalanopsis orchids are blooming like crazy, along with a fragrant Dendrobium 'Aussie Chip' and a highly scented Zygopetalum.




I stripped down to my undershirt (hey, no one else was there!) and got to work pruning, deadheading, and watering. It was well below freezing outside, but warm enough in the greenhouse to work up a sweat.

No tropical vacation for me this year, but an hour or so in the greenhouse, peeking out from underneath the Australian tree fern, goes a long way toward relieving that New York City stress.

3 comments:

Domino Bianchi said...

After trudging up that (or any) hill in the snow and ice into that (or any) greenhouse has got to be one of the best moments.

You've captured the feeling. The blooms look fantastic!!

Anonymous said...

Ellen and Ellen ! I so love reading your blog - wish I lived just around the corner from you both! But thanks for my NYC fix!
debra

Ellen Zachos said...

Arkay, You're welcome to come back and work in that greenhouse ANY TIME! And Deb, let us know when you're coming to town next so we can give you your fix in person.


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