This cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) was part of the original Riverside Park planting over 70 years ago. You have to admire how wonderfully it has conformed to the contour of the hill.
Cockspur hawthorn at 97th Street & Hudson River
Dicentra rice bulbs
Today is the first time I've noticed these little red rice bulbs forming the crown of an ephemeral Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), now going dormant. I found a great description of rice bulbs (and a trove of other arcane garden info) at the Scottish Rock Garden Club's website. It seems rice bulbs are somewhat common among Fritillaria, but unique in this genus. ...Such rare and wonderful info would have been nearly impossible to find pre-internet — what a great era to live in and be an inquisitive gardener!
Red "rice bulbs" of D. cucullaria
Red throated loon
Every year about this time, a pair of red throated loons (Gavia stellata) migrates through and spends a few days in the Hudson River estuary on Manhattan's Upper West Side (about 96th St). They only have their red throats during mating season which is spent up in the arctic circle.
red throated loon on the Hudson River near 96th Street.
Dutchman's breeches
Here's a lovely little mound of DIcentra cucullaria blooming beside a daffodil (probably Ice Follies). The lobed petals do look like white breeches billowing on a clothes line, don't they? I find the repetition of form and color in such diverse scale — between the little Dicentra flowers and the larger Narcissus petals — interesting.
These are near the Hippo playground in RIverside Park, and are part of a native planting I installed there a few years back. (No, Narcissus is not native to North America, but it's pretty, it was already there, and it plays well with our spring ephemerals; so why not leave it?)
Tulip rebloom
Anyone who has planted tulips knows how disappointing it can be when they fail to rebloom — and they will eventually fail. This patch in Long Island City surely wasn't planted all last year, so they're getting great results — probably because it's a very sunny spot, but planting the bulbs deeply is said to help too.
'Snofozam'
This 'Snow Fountain' weeping higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella 'snofozam') could be considered a bit mannered or precious, but it's great for small spaces, like this community garden in Long Island City, NY.
