Prospect Park Perimeter Project receives funding for Ocean Avenue!

Since last spring we have been working on a proposal to restore the Prospect Park Perimeter that borders our neighborhood, and we just received great news:

We are very thankful for this support to restore the Ocean Avenue perimeter, and over time, we hope to extend the work around the entire perimeter.  Already the city has planted over 100 new trees around the entire park perimeter thanks to our "citizens survey" of empty tree beds and/or stumps, and this funding will now begin to address the sidewalks, lighting, benches and other capital improvements.  Here is the proposal we created and presented to the Prospect Park Alliance, Councilman Eugene, and Borough President Adams:

The Children's Garden Grows!

A few kids gathered together last Saturday to paint bricks and create new gardens in front of 150 Ocean.  Ocean Avenue resident Kate lead the effort, and all of the bricks used were once choking trees on the block - now they are part of our ever-expanding Children's Garden!

We also painted two large containers donated by neighbor Mimi.  Sadly one of our Children's Garden planters - painted by kids last spring and just re-planted by kids a few weeks ago - was taken.  Thanks to Mimi and some paint, our Children's Garden is full once again.  We hope that the missing planter returns to us, but also know that urban street gardening is filled with ups and downs - - 1 planter taken, 2 (actually 2.5) new gardens created!  Thankfully, the pendulum always swings back to the positive and beautiful - and that's why we keep gardening and greening Ocean Avenue!

Thank you to all involved!

Before

Painting

After

Before Planter Goes Missing

Missing

Painting

After

THANK YOU - FLOWERS ON OCEAN!

Despite rain and forecasts of thundershowers over 40 neighbors attended out planting event today and it was a fabulous time!  Here is the event by the numbers:

CARED FOR:  50+ Tree Beds up and down Ocean Avenue

PLANTED: 6 large Children’s Container Gardens sponsored by Borough President, Eric Adams (greenery from Kings County Nursery)

PLANTED:  8 extra-large container gardens sponsored by Borough President, Eric Adams (greenery from Kings County Nursery)

SPREAD:  30 bags of Compost (from the Compost Project hosted by Big Reuse NYC)

SPREAD:  15 bags of Mulch (from Green-Wood cemetery)

CREATED:  40 customized Tree Care signs for our trees and gardens

USED:  Countless gardening tools and gloves (from NYC Parks Stewardship)

RAFFLE PRIZES:  Kids gardening supplies thanks to the 2015 BBG Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest (purchased at Kings County Nursery)

CONSUMED:  Lots of cookies, water & cider!

Children's Container Gardens

8 New Extra-Large Container Gardens

Our Raffle Prize Winners!  Future Gardeners Unite!

RYAN rocking our new planters - thank you for your design inspiration and hard work!

KATE leading the kids in painting our re-claimed cement bricks - soon to be a new raised-bed garden!

 

THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE!