This past long weekend my husband and I and eight of our closest friends (they really are) visited the bustle and beauty of New York City. Of the many, many, many sights in this great city, Central Park is one of my favourites.
Our first visit was overwhelming, but this time we had our bearings and went our separate ways to cross specific activities off our individual lists. A group of two (including my husband) headed off to see the Aircraft Carrier Intrepid that houses the Sea-Air-Space Museum, while 4 others who didn’t make the first visit, took in the 4 hour city tour provided with our travel package. The remaining four of us spent a good two hours taking the the nature and beauty of Central Park.
The fact that the largest city in the US boasts an almost entirely man-made 843 acre park in it’s centre is amazing. Just a few steps into the park it’s hard to believe you are in a busy noisy city. Birds are chirping (approximately 275 different species), flowers blooming and the winding paths promise views of nature that have you oooing and ahhhing.
According to the Central Park Conservancy (http://www.centralparknyc.org/), Central Park has 150 acres of water in 7 different bodies, 250 acres of lawns and 136 acres of woodlands boasting 26,000 trees. Most of this was man-made over 16 years starting in 1858 based on a collaboration of designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. It took 4,000 labourers, gardeners, stone masons, engineers and artisans to complete the design and over the last 150 years, the Park has certainly fulfilled the artistic vision of it’s designers.
My little backyard garden can only aspire to the greatness of Central Park.
Only time for a quick comment -- just want to let you know that I got the effusus at Loblaws at College Square.
ReplyDeleteKelly
What a wonderful trip, N.Y.C is only a road trip away but I've never been there. Maybe this year we'll do it. Looks like you all had a great time, and it must have been a blast going with close friends!
ReplyDeletePS: The lanterns from GT came in a few other shapes/sizes and a "natural" colour, but they's be pretty easy to paint. Have a super weekend!
Sounds like a great trip :-) Hard to believe there's a forest in the middle of New York City!! Thanks for sharing the history & info about Central Park.
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know, HomeSense sells lanterns like the ones that Janis posted. They come in three colours -- orange, green, and white. Prices range from $14.99 for the smallest to $29.99 for the biggest.
Also, there was a huge stock of effusus plants at the Loblaws in Centrum Plaza in Kanata on Sunday.
Kelly
Thanks Kelly -- I was actually at Homesense on the weekend and picked up three red metal lanterns - small, medium and large for about the same prices as you mentioned. I placed them in my garden with candles in them. I'll post a few pictures later this week.
ReplyDeleteI'll drop by the area Loblaws for the effusus later this week - thanks for the tip!