Posted on November 6, 2009 by Auzelle Epeneter
High Line gardener Kaspar Wittlinger watering the grasses just south of the Standard Hotel. Photo by Auzelle Epeneter.
Despite the mild weather so far this season, winter is on its way. Most of the above-ground vegetation on the High Line will lie dormant in the freezing weather, but in order to ensure that plants survive into the spring, measures must be taken to protect the roots still living beneath the surface.
After the first freeze, the water will be turned off on the High Line in order to protect the pipes. The soil, too, will harden and no longer absorb moisture. So while the delicate, dried stalks and leaves don’t require watering now, the gardeners continue to irrigate their roots to provide protection.
The gusts that blow off the Hudson River, just blocks from the High Line, will also pose a challenge to the plants this winter. “People don’t realize that wind is dry,” gardener Kaspar Wittlinger tells me, “It sucks moisture out of the soil.” He says woody plants in particular are susceptible to damage–the bark can crack open, similar to the way unprotected skin reacts to icy winds.
Filed under: Horticulture, On the High Line | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 5, 2009 by Katie Lorah
The West Side, from about West 15th Street to West 10th Street. Courtesy Nick Jones. Click to Enlarge.
High Line supporter Nick Jones recently sent this great aerial shot our way. He tells us it was taken in 1948, and that the aircraft (from left to right a Stinson SR-10, Grumman Widgeon, and Grumman Goose) are all NYPD planes.
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Posted on November 4, 2009 by Auzelle Epeneter
Plant flags in the Gansevoort Woodland. Photo by Auzelle Epeneter.
If you’ve visited the High Line recently, you’ve probably noticed planting areas marked with red and blue flags. We’ve been getting a lot of questions about them. Their purpose is simple–not for marking pesticides; not for quarantine; not for targeting removal–we’re doing an inventory.
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Posted on November 3, 2009 by Katie Lorah
Via Josiah Lau's Flickr
If the 5:00 darkness is making you want to crawl into bed until April, it may be time for a walk on the High Line, where the colorful blooms and fall foliage are still going strong!
Of the 210 species of grasses, perennials, shrubs, and trees on Section 1 of the High Line, 40 species are November bloomers. From delicate fall crocuses in the shade of the Washington Grasslands, to the spectacular aromatic aster shown above, to the classy winter white of the bloodtwig dogwood, there are lots of blooms to spot on the High Line this month. Our November bloom list, broken down by area of the High Line, is now available.
View the November Bloom List [PDF]
You can also see a complete plant list [PDF]
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Posted on November 2, 2009 by Katie Lorah
This fancy bird, a migratory American Woodcock, was rescued by High Line gardener and bird enthusiast Maryanne on Friday. It was found huddled in a doorway on West 20th Street, stunned but not visibly injured — she guessed the little guy had flown into the side of a building and had been knocked to the ground.
Maryanne whisked the woodcock, a shorebird also known amusingly as a “timberdoodle”, up to the High Line and put it in a dark cardboard box to calm it down. It was soon picked up by the Urban Park Rangers for rehabilitation. We wish this (relatively) exotic beauty the best of luck in its recovery.
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Posted on October 30, 2009 by Auzelle Epeneter
Image from Synedoche Design. Click for larger version.
A group of graduate architecture students from the University of Michigan recently created this intriguing map of surface temperatures on the High Line.
Adam Smith, also one of the creators of Synedoche Design, tells us they chose to measure the space at 14th Street and 10th Avenue because of the variety of materials in that area. Using a laser thermometer, they measured the temperatures of everything from concrete planks and wood benches to gravel and vegetation. Adam explains, “the key goes from light to dark (dark being the hottest and light being the coolest). It’s interesting to be able to see the pathways form out of these dots, and the benches that keep you warm on a sunny day in October.”
We agree!
It’s interesting, too, how similar the thematic map looks compared to the physical map of the High Line at the same area:
From the map of the High Line available on our Web site.
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Posted on October 29, 2009 by Lauren Ross
Tickets are still available for this special self-guided gallery tour of West Chelsea and SoHo, benefiting Friends of the High Line. The daylong event features a self-guided tour of 28 art galleries including James Cohan Gallery, Mary Boone Gallery, PaceWildenstein, 303 Gallery, and Zach Feuer Gallery, where you will collect stamps designed by leading artists in a limited-edition passport. In the evening, join us for a cocktail party and silent auction, including works by Jenny Holzer, Rodney Graham, Yinka Shonibare, and Nayland Blake.
Tickets are $45 and can be purchased on the Passport to the Arts Web site.
Saturday, November 7
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM Gallery Tour
6:00 – 8:00 PM Reception and Silent Auction
The New Yorker Promotion Department will donate all proceeds from the silent auction and a portion of those from ticket sales to Friends of the High Line.
Buy tickets
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Posted on October 29, 2009 by Katie Lorah
Posted on October 28, 2009 by Julia Boyer
The High Line's new snazzy recycling bins steal the show near the Standard Hotel.
Who says recycling isn’t stylish? Not the High Line. If you’ve finished your bottle of water, can of beans, or New York Times, look for the newly installed and eye-catchingly labelled bins to deposit your plastics, cans, and paper goods. Three black bins can be found near the Gansevoort entrance, just beneath the Standard Hotel (see above), and three more in the Chelsea Market Passage.
Bins are marked blue for bottles and cans; green for newspapers, magazines, and other paper; and basic black for basic garbage. Use these bins and help keep the High Line a clean, green fighting machine!
Filed under: On the High Line | 1 Comment »
