Welcome To Our Backyard
"Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds."
- Professor Pangloss, from Voltaire's Candide
"We must cultivate our garden."
- Candide, from Voltaire's Candide
We were planning to go to Vermont this weekend to enjoy a little rural interlude and, incidentally, re-stock our nearly-depleted stores of Cabot cheddar cheese and cider jelly and baking staples from King Arthur. But the season of final exams is upon us. This means my services as a tutor to private school kids are much in demand at the moment, so I decided to stay home this weekend and make hay while the sun shines -- even if it is pouring down rain at the moment.
Staying home on a holiday weekend really isn't such a bad thing, especially when lots of other people leave the city and things are a bit less crowded. Extra especially is this true when the Conservatory Gardens of Central Park are a mere three blocks
from your home. "Welcome to our backyard," we like to say when we bring visitors for a walk in the gardens. We usually enter at the front gate, so you can see the expanse of lawn with the fountain at the end as you enter the gardens.
I won't only be tutoring this weekend. We have tentative movie plans, a Greenmarket to shop, and the Broadway Panhandler's moving sale to attend. I'm also pondering the possibility of a lovely afternoon stroll, and perhaps even a couple of sandwiches and a jug of iced tea and some fruit and books and blankets to accompany us into our urban backyard. Stay tuned.
All I can say is GORGEOUS! And so near to your home as well? Have a great Memorial Day Weekend. :-)
Posted by: rowena | May 27, 2006 at 02:56 AM
I don't live there of course, but I think a weekend in New York is always nice!
Broadway Panhandler is moving? Where?
Posted by: Cathy | May 27, 2006 at 09:04 AM
Oops, sorry! Should have clicked on the link!
Posted by: Cathy | May 27, 2006 at 09:06 AM
What a gorgeous "backyard", Julie! I hope you go on that urban picnic ... it sounds absolutely delightful.
Happy long weekend!
Posted by: Tania | May 27, 2006 at 11:04 AM
That's stunning, Julie! What lovely garden pictures and thank you for sharing them!
Posted by: Ivonne | May 27, 2006 at 12:42 PM
Oh, I love the Conservatory. And the Harlem Meer, and all those other beauties at the north end of the park. Your pictures are inspiring me to go to my own favorite garden, the Heather Garden at Fort Tryon Park in Inwood, and take some pictures there.
So did you feel, as I did, as if you were hit by a truck when you got home from our Broadway Panhandler adventure? I had all these big hot plans for blogging, but by the time I got home and unpacked all the stuff, it was all I could do to sit upright. Fortunately I have a couple (hundred) bath goodies from Lush to take the ache away. :)
Incidentally, I had a *brilliant* day. I hope you did, too.
Posted by: Bakerina | May 27, 2006 at 10:19 PM
Rowena, it is glorious. If and when you come to NY, I'll take you there...
Cathy, please let me know next time you come up our way again!
Tania, I'm hoping the picnic will happen too -- if not today, then tomorrow.
Ivonne, thanks for the kudos on the pics -- it's such a gorgeous place, you can't go wrong!
Bakerina m'love, we were sooo super-exhausted -- after you left, we still had miles to go before we slept. We didn't get home till nine...but yes, darlin', I did have a lovely time, thanks to the stellar company of you, truly.
Posted by: Julie | May 28, 2006 at 08:06 AM