East 87th Street

If you walk around the streets of New York, particularly the old residential neighborhoods, you will occasionally pass small group of houses that were probably part of an entire block when first built.  Some people are blessed to live in such a house on such a block, while the rest of us can only wonder what life is like inside.

The Church and its Garden

Franny and David Eberhart are so blessed.  Moreover, it was the  home of David’s parents, and carries with it the burdens (or privileges) of tradition and responsibility.  Sometimes, these extend not only to the house but to the neighborhood as well; Frannie tends the garden at the church around the corner as well as her own. 

But first, the house and the block.  The houses on the western end of East 87^th Street off Second Avenue were built by the Rhinelander family in 1890 as rental properties.  They were designed by Renwick, Aspinwall and Russell, the architects of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 

The Eberhart House

It was one of six houses, a not uncommon configuration in Manhattan in the late 19^th century.  The entire city was divided up into 25x100 foot lots: four lots purchased at the same time could hold six houses.  The group of six at the eastern end of the street were built in 1886, and designed by another famous architect of the time, Henry Hardenburg of The Dakota fame.

The houses were built for families of modest means; the initial renter was a postman.  Marcus Eberhart, the first of the family to arrive in this country, came in the 1870’s and worked at Steinway Pianos.  Later, the family had a foundry on East 76^th street producing manhole covers.  The Eberharts bought the house from the Rhinelanders in the 1950’s and passed it on to David and Franny in 1977.   The house could have no wiser custodian than Franny, who is the Chair of the Historic House Trust of New York City

It is an airy, beautiful house, with a broad landing for a central staircase that rises from a full-width open parlor floor, wrapping around itself all the way up to a sky light.  The house is never dark, the fate of so many brownstones.

Steps Through the Eberhart Garden

The Eberharts’ garden is directly off the dining room, which had been the kitchen before they flipped the rooms.  The grade of the garden was 3 ½ feet higher than the new dining room doors, so the garden was pushed back, and steps cut through a ridge of schist, which still remains.

As all north-facing gardens in the city, it is green and cool, but offers a limited palette.  Some plants have done very well; a sycamore planted bare-root is now six stories high, and annuals have been added since my visit.  But I think it’s fair to say that Franny’s gardening heart lies around the corner at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 East 88^th Street.

Built by the Rhinelander granddaughters in1897-9 as a tribute to their father and grandfather, it sits next to the family’s Children’s Aid Society, designed by Calvert Vaux.  The church was a settlement church, free of charges for pews, and open to all.  It was built to serve a neighborhood of immigrants and transients, it was planned to foster clubs and societies designed to improve social conditions.  It remains a community church to this day.

The North Facade

 It occupies 11 full city lots plus an additional parcel purchased to accommodate a sizeable garden, which sets the buildings back from the street. It continues to provide a quiet space in an increasingly hectic city.  You would not know that the disruption of the Second Avenue subway construction is only a block away.

“I’ve been working in the garden for 30 years. David and I were married here,” Franny says.  When asked how much time she devotes to it?  “Not enough. A dozen other people volunteer regularly, but the driving force behind us is Helen Palmer, who lives across the street and looks after the garden.  There is no budget for the garden, but we manage to add a few azaleas.  People arrive with plants, and we plant what they bring.”

The day I visited the garden, the lawn was carpeted with falling cherry blossoms, a dogwood was getting ready to open, iris foliage had made its appearance, azaleas were blooming and boxwood anchored the corners.  The golden brick glowed and the gates were open. 

The gates are always open.  A magnificent tower dominates the site; you can’t miss it.  If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and sit for a while.  Amid the city’s constant re-building, it’s reassuring to know that some things will always be here.

July Calendar

If I were limited to one plant family (Heaven forbid) it would be hydrangeas.  They come into their own in July, which is when I settle in for the summer, or try to.  I miss the peonies and iris almost every year, but have never missed the hydrangeas.  The two northeast native hydrangea species that work for us in the Catskills are arborescens, and quercifolia.  The macrophylla, though risky here, is too good to resist, so we have taken a flyer. The temperamental Nikko Blue will not bloom well this year because of a late spring frost, but we have last year to remember.  Petiolaris is clambering over a shed, for late summer we’ve planted Tardiva, and we are ready for further trials.

Early Stage Arborescens

Preparation and maintenance are not difficult. For best performance, the soil should be amended with organic material, acid in character, and well-drained. Moisture seems to be the critical growth factor.  Hydrangeas must be well-watered; a drooping plant is a sure sign there is not enough moisture in the soil.  As the summer sun swings around on its daily course and hits the plant directly, you can watch an under-watered hydrangea wilt.

Unidentified Hydrangea in a Connecticut Garden

Pruning, on the other hand is tricky.  If your hydrangea refuses to bloom, incorrect pruning is likely to be the culprit.  It is a tricky task, and your best guide is Michael Dirr’s masterly book, Hydrangeas.


Week One

Enjoy the holiday weekend.  Everything can wait.

Beware of ticks.  This is supposed to be a particularly bad year.  No flip-flops in the garden, please.

Keep track of summer dry spells –- when they start and how long they last.  A simple rain gauge will tell you when it’s wise to water.

It’s time to cage or stake tomatoes.  If you stake them they will need to be tied periodically and trimmed.  Remove suckers or short leafy stems that sprout in the axils of the side or main stems.

If you have newly purchased flowers and shrubs, they will be blooming earlier this year than next. Make a note in your journal.

Week Two

Cleome in the Garden If you missed starting annuals from seed, and didn’t have the foresight to buy flats, your last hope is the potted annual at your local nursery.  They are expensive, but if you missed the boat earlier, it’s still not too late to sail into summer.

For terraces and patios, try herbs in pots instead of flowers.  We are doing it this year, and it’s nice having them closer to the kitchen.

Week Three

Lay in a good supply of stakes while they are still available. Or make your own by saving twiggy branch cuttings.  They are good for propping up billowy perennials like peonies or baptisia.

Monarda, Late July Most flowers will need staking, but if this is not your game observe flowers that can stand on their own feet.  Monarda, daylilies, meadow rue, Shasta daisies are all good bets.  But unless you are mad for monarda, beware.  It takes over.

Set stakes early for all plants likely to need support.  Landscape –size perennials bought late in the season will need them.  Set stakes well below the top of the plants.

Calibrochia Check moisture in large plant containers every three or four days.  Check hanging baskets and small pots daily.

Hellebores are getting better each year.  They are still holding their foliage in our garden, along with the heucheras.

Week Four

Once your annuals start to flower, pick faded flowers so that they don’t form seed pods.  Seed formation drains strength and will prevent reflowering.

If you are growing dahlias and are pinching back for bigger flower heads, cease and desist by August 1.

This is the month when you realize you need a shade tree.  Pick your location now, decide on the tree and place your order for fall planting.

Replenish the mulch in your flower borders to keep roots cool and to maintain moisture in the upcoming dry season.  Water well first so that you are not mulching dry soil.

H. Nikko Blue, July 4th 2011 If you have plants in containers and are planning a vacation, group them together in the shade, provide each with a good saucer and water thoroughly before leaving.