A tree (and some other crap) grows in Brooklyn

It is not often the case that I get to brag about having produced something tangible. A cry of "look at the fully normalized relational database I designed!" just does not bring the crowds beating down my door the way it ought to.

In that spirit I have taken photos of all the plants I'm growing on my rooftop deck. My thumb is thoroughly green, as you can see.



Sunflowers and a Cypress Vine, which it taking over the Time Warner utility pole (I hope it shorts out their switching office).


From the left: sunflowers, lilies and a white rose bush I bought Saturday.


Elephant ears, clematis and (mixed in) morning glories. There are also some marigolds in the two barrels.


Elephant ears, up close. I thought I was just going to get one ear out of each of the three bulbs I planted. This thing just EXPLODED....



In the lower right, African Violet (second bloom of the year).


In the rectangular planters, morning glories (regrowth from last year's plantings).



Clematis and Morning Glories (from the other side). The idea here was to, with some help, get them to grow up and into the oak tree that overhangs that spot. The string I set up for them to grow on sags rather severely under their weight so it looks chaotic (which it is) but I think next season I'll get it right.



Here is the string I've set up THIS year.. it's about 20 feet long and I know the MGs will just eat it up (and the clematis will soon follow).


In the metal barrel: ivy, which I'm told will grow (over the next two centuries, perhaps) to cover the entire neighbor's exterior wall (and increase the value of my property by $50k at least I'm sure).


Sunflower. The one on the right recently decapitated by a hungry squirrel. The fox urine I bought should prevent that but I don't always remember to sprinkle it about regularly. I'm told mothballs and/or soap (!) would work as well. Any other ideas?


The lilly, now in the spotlight. Who needs orchids?


Zinnias.



MGs, growing up the sides of the stage area.

More sunflowers. Always, more sunflowers. Never enough.

The greenhouses I bought. They're quite cheap.










Marigolds and a hydrangea (in the foreground of the green planter, post-bloom). There is also a stowaway tree (planted by a bird I imagine) which I've just learned would swallow my entire building if left unchecked (and apparently is of the species that inspired the book from which this article's title is derived). Scary stuff since there are actually three others growing in various containers around the deck -- good thing it's not an actual yard so I imagine it will grow to the extent that the pots will allow -- killing everything else it shares space with...)

And, finally, what allowed me to fire Time Warner's CEO.
More people should take this option, I think.