A fall day to remove the Winter Flowers from La Plaza Cultural

Garden volunteers today (around 10 a.m.) will start removing the Winter Flowers from along the Ninth Street side of La Plaza Cultural at Avenue C.

Rolando Politi started creating these handmade sculptures — best seen in the winter — from discarded materials here in 2000. The collection has grown to 244.





Here's what's happening, via the La Plaza e-newsletter: "Some will go to other gardens, some into storage. They have to come down in part because we're getting a new (and sturdier, more permanent) fence next year."

Volunteers likely won't get to all the work today, focusing on the sculptures that need restoration.

The flowers will remain along Avenue C...





In December, Politi is publishing a book of his work titled "Winter Flowers" ...



You may email Politi here to reserve a copy of the book.

Today at La Plaza: BBQ, the Hallucination Station Market and 'Three Green Suns'

The Loisaida Center continues its third annual Garbagia program today with a performance of "Three Green Suns," based on a story by Rolando Politi, at La Plaza Cultural on the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C. (Politi created the upcycled art that adorns the La Plaza fence.)

Here's more via the EVG inbox...

Loisaida is proud to bring our community an ongoing summer program, Garbagia, highlighting and revitalizing the migrant experience, our neighborhood's historical inventiveness, and ecological resilience.

2-5 p.m.: Hallucination Station Market — a second-hand and upcycled art market where the creatures and characters of the program will be the sellers and makers of their own products.

5-6 p.m.: "The Three Green Suns" is "the vision of a future that is here — climate change, cleaning planet, Reduce and ReUse, we are becoming Redeemers and Waste Pickers to arrive at Hallucination Station and experience 'The Three Green Suns.'"

There's also mention of a BBQ at 2 p.m.

Find more info at the Loisaida Center website here.

La Plaza Cultural Block Party

[Photo by Steven]

There's a block party tomorrow (Saturday!) on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C via the folks at the La Plaza Cultural community garden.

From 1-8 p.m. you'll find free BBQ, dancing, face painting, games for children ... and live music via Willlie Cole and Bobby Garcia.

The buzz at La Plaza Cultural

The other day we received news from La Plaza Cultural, the community garden on the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C.

The garden now has bees, which arrived last Wednesday. (The hives were put in on May 12.)

Here's more from the La Plaza newsletter...

Nestled under a tree, in the Southwest corner of La Plaza, you will find a newly established hive of honeybees.

The colony starts small and will grow taller with more numerous honeybees as the year progresses. Hard-working honeybees are inside building comb and raising babies; outside they are foraging for nectar, pollen and water. Honeybees are gentle, industrious creatures that create beauty in our world and pollinate our food supply.

At La Plaza, Marga Snyder and Grai Rice are the beekeepers establishing this colony for the joy and education of all. Many years ago, there had been two colonies on the roof of the toolshed, long before it became legal again to tend hives in the city limits, and it is a complete delight to bring the bees back.

You can sit quietly and watch them, and listen to the gentle hum of the hive. What you need to know is that they are not aggressive, however they are scared by fast motion and vibration. Grai Rice from HoneybeeLives.org will be doing a couple of hive introductions to garden members, once the colony is more established and honeybees are accustomed to their new urban environment.

Photos courtesy of La Plaza...

Fired up to start a new year at La Plaza

The 9th Annual Zoroastrian Fire Jumping Event took place this evening at La Plaza Cultural on Ninth Street at Avenue C... EVG reader Cheyenne shared these photos...



Per tonight's invite:

Jumping over fire is a symbolic gesture to start a fresh new year. This tradition is celebrated for ringing in the Persian New Year and has been celebrated since at least 1700 BCE of the early Zoroastrian era.

... and by most accounts there was a nice turnout... (perhaps due to the new J/Z stop on the corner?)

Tonight at La Plaza Cultural: Jump over fire

[Photo from last year by Ryan John Lee]

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

9th Annual Zoroastrian Fire Jumping Event
Tuesday, March 13 (Rain/Snow date: Wednesday, March 14), 6:30 p.m.
La Plaza Cultural Community Garden, SW corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street

Jumping over fire is a symbolic gesture to start a fresh new year. This tradition is celebrated for ringing in the Persian New Year and has been celebrated since at least 1700 BCE of the early Zoroastrian era.

There will be music, dancing and snacks; wear your best fireproof pants. The Rude Mechanical Orchestra will also be playing. Invite your friends to this winter to spring fire extravaganza.

Something for the kids at La Plaza this Halloween

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

The fun starts at 4 p.m. here on the southwest corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street on Halloween (Oct. 31!) ... find more details here.

Willow tree post mortem at La Plaza

Back on Friday, workers removed the rotting willow tree from the southwest corner of La Plaza Cultural on Avenue C and Ninth Street.

EVG correspondent Steven stopped by the community garden today... there is a pile of chips from the 40-year-old tree, nicknamed Cher, available to take...





Also, it appears that following the clean up after the removal, community gardeners found steps to a path inside La Plaza ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
A wake for the last willow trees at La Plaza Cultural

At the Weeping Willow Wake


[Photo from Sunday]

So long Cher, the willow tree of La Plaza Cultural

Workers arrived this morning at La Plaza Cultural to remove the willow tree in the southwest corner of the community garden here on Avenue C and Ninth Street.

The tree, nicknamed Cher, was in bad shape, as this shot of the rotting trunk shows...



EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos...











... and later via Bobby Williams...



Previously on EV Grieve:
A wake for the last willow trees at La Plaza Cultural

At the Weeping Willow Wake

La Plaza's grand willow tree comes down tomorrow

Back in July, officials at La Plaza Cultural announced that the last two willow trees in the community garden on the southwest corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street would have to be removed.

The trees, nicknamed Cher and Krusty, are rotting, and may be in danger of falling during a storm. La Plaza gardeners have said that the trees are more than 40 years old.

The Parks Department announced that they will have the larger of the two willows — the one near Avenue C nicknamed Cher — removed tomorrow morning. (The second willow, Krusty, located near the gazebo, is also in poor shape and will likely need to come down at some point.)

During the work on Friday, La Plaza will be closed.

Last night, La Plaza gardeners removed any lawn furniture in Cher's path ... and said their final goodbyes.

Rev. Billy presided over a Weeping Willow Wake on July 9.


[Photo on July 9 by Steven]

Updated 5 p.m.

EVG regular Jose Garcia shares some flyers that someone placed at La Plaza...





Previously on EV Grieve:
A wake for the last willow trees at La Plaza Cultural

At the Weeping Willow Wake

[Updated] Free Shakespeare at La Plaza Cultural this weekend

Via the EVG inbox...

This Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. [time change from 7 p.m.] at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden!

WalkUpArts presents "Much Ado About Nothing." Directed and original cut by Matt Engle, with performances by Samantha Cunha, Cassie DeMarco, Anthony Gabriele, Stefanie Harris, Germainne Lebron, Kat Peña, Hallie Samuels, Alexander Stene, Jenna Tanzola, and Chelsea Thiboutout. With costumes by Will Atkins and live music with Philip Santos Schaffer.

Admission is Free!

Given the rainy forecast on Saturday, organizers said they'd move the audience into La Plaza's gazebo area. La Plaza is on the southwest corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street.

Find more details here.

At the Weeping Willow Wake

[Photo by Steven]

This afternoon, residents and members of La Plaza Cultural gathered on Ninth Street and Avenue C to bid farewell to the last two willow trees in the community garden.

As previously reported, an inspection showed that the willow nicknamed Cher, located in the corner of the garden by Avenue C, is rotting, and will need to be removed. (The second willow, Krusty, located near the gazebo, is also in poor shape and will likely need to come down as well.)

Rev. Billy, along with members of his choir, presided over the event, titled the Weeping Willow Wake...


[Photo by Steven]


[Photo via @evan_kapitansky]

Reverend Billy and the church of stop shopping at the weeping willow #tree memorial in la Plaza. #weepingwillow #reverendbilly #nyc #park #garden

A post shared by Eden Bee (@edenbrower) on Jul 9, 2017 at 1:39pm PDT

In a statement earlier, La Plaza officials said:

The Parks Department has made a descion that they must come down and will take them down when they have the time. La Plaza Community Garden is saddened by the loss of our great willow trees and is reaching out to the community seeking people's opinion as to where we should go from here.

Here's one opinion...


[Photo by Steven]

The Parks Department has yet to schedule a date for removing the willows, believed to be 41 years old.

-----

Updated 8 p.m.

Here are a few more photos via EVG regular Peter Brownscombe...

A wake for the last willow trees at La Plaza Cultural

The last two willow trees in La Plaza Cultural on the southwest corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street will have to be removed.

A recent inspection by Manhattan Forestry confirmed what some members of the community garden had feared: the trees are rotting.

The willow (nicknamed Cher) in the corner of La Plaza by Avenue C looks especially bad ...



The other willow (aka Krusty) is located near the garden's gazebo.



Here's part of a missive that La Plaza shared:

Our weeping willow trees are around 41 years old. They were first planted in La Plaza thanks to a grant from Plant-A-Lot, and there were originally three willows and three linden trees all planted at the same time. One willow and one linen were toppled by Hurricane Irene. And another linden had to come down after Hurricane Sandy. And recently the Parks Department has determined that the willows are rotting from the inside and are in danger of falling. One even has visible fungus. The Parks Department has made a descion that they must come down and will take them down when they have the time. La Plaza Community Garden is saddened by the loss of our great willow trees and is reaching out to the community seeking people's opinion as to where we should go from here.

On Sunday afternoon, Rev. Billy and members of his choir will lead a weeping willow wake...



Per La Plaza executive director Ross Martin: "We have no idea when the city will come to perform this unthinkable yet necessary act, but it will be soon, so please join us one last time in the green shade."


[Underneath the green shade of Cher the willow tree]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Willow tree down in La Plaza Cultural

Tree muggers at the La Plaza Cultural

Looking for answers about this chicken's death in La Plaza Cultural

[Photo from April by Cheyenne]

On Monday, there was a lot of speculation over the death of Hyacinth, one of the chickens at La Plaza Cultural, the community garden on the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C... fueled in part by this update on the Citizen app...



We never heard anything else to substantiate this report of a sacrifice. In any event, there are flyers up now at La Plaza and surrounding streets asking for more information...



...there is a $50 reward as well...



As we understand it, the garden's remaining two chickens are going to an upstate farm today... a move that had already been in the works before Monday's incident.

H/T @artisanmatters