Aug 11 2021 -Little Island Garden

 

New and inspiring gardens are being created in our time.  They are still evolving creatively.  My own experience of our visual and performance arts is that they are developing new forms, but they have left the common public behind.  Remember the art piece of a banana duct-taped to a wall that sold for $120,000 - and he produced more than one as it was a popular sale.  There are lots of articles defending and criticizing the piece - a demonstration of my point.  On the side of landscape design as art, New York City's Little Island has opened. It was designed by landscape architect Signe Nielsen.  You can download a 40 minute tour of the landscape HERE. This is a garden built on what once was Pier 54 on the Hudson River.  Hurricane Sandy did significant damage prohibiting  use as an outdoor summer venue. It has two little bridges to reach it as it stands above the water on white pillars.  The idea of rejuvenation was envisioned in 2013 by Barry Diller: “What was in my mind was to build something for the people of New York and for anyone who visits—a space that on first sight was dazzling, and upon use made people happy.” ~Barry Diller "The lifted corners of the pier create distinct microclimates that reveal themselves through color, texture, light and shadow. Whether meandering along paths or taking alternate routes of stairs or boulders scrambles, the eye is at times directed downward to the rich palette of plants or outwards to spectacular views of the city and harbor. Little Island will be a maritime botanic garden with 35 species of trees, 65 species of shrubs, and 270 varieties of grasses, perennials, vines, and bulbs, many of which have been selected for their fragrance and attractiveness to birds and pollinators. The landscape is one of sweeping swaths of textures and seasonally calibrated color themes punctuated by magnificent trees.” ~Signe Nielsen The photo gallery of progress is HERE. The New York Times article, written May 20th, is extensive, comparing the garden to English garden follies. The author says this will be love at first sight and the Island Garden will be mobbed (in a good way).  A very happy moment during these times. It is exciting that this is something new and bold in the garden realm. I hope this is a trend. And what did I experience at Toronto Botanical Garden Saturday morning? This was a group making a video.  Does anyone know the origin of the traditional outfits?

Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

May 25 2021 - how Dangerous is Niagara?

 

What an interesting question pops up in Google:  Is Niagara dangerous?  And the answer? Niagara Falls is in the 9th percentile for safety, meaning 91% of cities are safer and 9% of cities are more dangerous.  The rate of crime in Niagara Falls is 65.71 per 1,000 residents during a standard year.  People who live in Niagara Falls generally consider the southeast part of the city to be the safest. Is that New York or Ontario's Niagara's Falls?  It turns out to be Yew York:  Niagara Falls, N.Y. has a D- overall crime grade.  Violent crime grade F, Property crime grade A+ and Other Crime grade D-.  The overall crime rate is 83.33 - very high.  This number comes from numbeo.com - the world's largest cost of living database.   How about Niagara Falls, Ontario?  The retrieved answer is:  there is virtually no crime in this area.   The crime index says 36.95 and safety index 63.05.  Level of crime is rated as low, but crime increasing in the past 3 years is rated high.  These numbers come from numbeo.com too. The overall quality of life index says very high.  That is higher than Hamilton at high, and Toronto at very high.  And if you compare Niagara Falls, N.Y. with Buffalo, it has more crime there too.  The overall crime index for Bufalo is 44.36, and the safety index 55.65. It's level of crime is considered moderate. When we were children, it was our understanding that Niagara Falls, Canada with its tourist industry was considered a city with more organized crime than in St. Catharines or other nearby towns.  I don't know how we as children got this sense.  Maybe it was the newspapers reporting on criminals who vanished in the area.  That was the case with Peter Mitchell in 1959. Or other reports such as MacLeans article on organized crime's grip on Ontario.  Maybe someone can tell me how we got these ideas. Here's what is interesting.  Canada is generally so safe that I hadn't considered looking at these numbers, or asking the Google pop up question. Here's my most frequent view of Niagara - the greenhouses.