Tulips are the joy of spring gardens, emerging in April and May from bulbs planted in autumn . We have learned to choose varieties with strong stems that can stand up to the wind in Hammarskjold Plaza. Tulips are classified as early, middle and late, and the trick is to select a varieties for each bloom period to achieve a longer floral display. Hopefully, the late-season tulips will be in their glory when we celebrate the Katharine Hepburn Garden Party around May 12, her birthday,

Red was Hepburn’s favorite color and we make sure to include a vivid red in our selection.

Also blooming in May is the fragrant cherry laurel shrub. Your nose will let you know when the lacy flowers emerge.

In autumn, thousands of volunteers across New York City join together to spruce up our public parks. In the Plaza’s Katharine Hepburn Garden, we plant flower bulbs for spring bloom, clean, paint, rake leaves and enjoy the beauty of autumn. No experience necessary, tools and supplies provided. Children age 9 and up are welcome under the supervision of an adult Public health guidelines remain in effect. Volunteers receive a souvenir floral postcard. 

Arrive any time between 9:30 am and 12 Noon, and work for at least one hour. Please us know if you would like to participate so we can plan ahead!

HOW TO REGISTER: Email fdhp@hammarskjoldplaza.org and provide your contact info: name, phone and approximate time of arrival and departure. On event day, report to  welcome table at garden gate behind Pink Moose cafe. Early birds, OK to  show up at 9 AM. If weather is “iffy” check our website for updates. 

Note: Fridays between 10 and Noon remain regular garden volunteer sessions.  

Healthy parks make healthy neighborhoods! 

Due to possible pop-up shower this Thursday afternoon, and 11 musicians traveling from all points, we cannot risk equipment and safety, so concert date is now Friday 8/20 at 6 PM. 

Enjoy sensual rhythms of the New Trends Orchestra led by Corina  Bartra, widely known in jazz circles as an acclaimed pioneer of Afro-Peruvian jazz with infusions of Latin trends. She has toured in Europe and USA, including appearances at the UN, Kennedy Center, and major jazz festivals.  

LET YOUR NEIGHBORS KNOW! SEE YOU THERE. 

Tonight National Night Out Against Crime takes place  in 70 NYC locations, including Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. The 17th Precinct hosts the event from 5 PM to 8 PM, offering crime-prevention tips (watch out for those phone scams), kids activities, live entertainment and free food, courtesy of Ali Baba Restaurant. With all the hoopla, don’t get distracted from the subject at hand: how can we work together for the safety of our streets and parks? 

Last week,  the park lamps failed to light up after dark. As of last night, the plaza was still in blackout mode. Not safe. Ironically, the focus  of tonight’s event  is crime prevention. At what point does a 311 complaint escalate to an emergency? Are  311 and 911 our only option? 

BLACKOUT: WHO’S IN CHARGE? 

FDHP President Sherrill Kazan made phone calls. When she met  Manhattan Parks Manager Wesley Hamilton at  the Plaza to discuss the location of a sculpture exhibit, she asked, “who is  responsible for repairing the electrical outage?”  Hamilton said he would alert DOT (Dept. of Transportation).  That was more than a week ago; the Plaza  was still  dark last night.

Linfei Yang, who frequents the park, stated, “It was pitch black, you couldn’t see what anyone on the benches was doing. I definitely wouldn’t feel safe walking the Plaza,  and it’s been that way for at least a week.” An FDHP director who walks her dog on the Plaza at all hours  sent SOS emails to CB6 and city officials, citing  the large turn-out for tonight’s event. We reached out to CB6, Councilman Keith Powers office, and the 17th Precinct, alerting then to the electrical outage. Word finally trickled through and the lamps are back on. Yet we still don’t have a direct line to DOT to request service when this type of electrical failure occurs. In the past,  we were told that the Department of Parks (DPR) is responsible for the lamps located on the Plaza while street lamps fall under the jurisdiction of DOT.

THE SAFETY OF PUBLIC SPACE

We encourage you to attend the 17th Precinct Community Council and Build the Block meetings. Get to know our 17th Precinct officers. NYPD has a big job on their hands and we need them to do their job. Our block officers Christopher Carlucci and John Lamneck do patrol  the park but there’s no set schedule. We want patrolmen to get out of their cars and walk the beat. We understand that police authority is limited by civil liberties, but their presence helps curb illegal activity. 

You also have a role to play. It’s time to speak up about the safety of the general public in our parks and streets. Public space is for everyone. 

SHARE THE LOAD

We  serve as community “watch dog” for Midtown East’s largest park and garden.  FDHP custodian Raymond recently reported that 11 flood lamps on the  retaining wall of the garden were out. He happened to notice when he left his cell phone in the  park shed  and returned  at night to retrieve it.  The city provides the power,  but we  purchase the light bulbs, expensive LED floods with a long-life. Just one of the many ways we keep our park clean, green and safe. 

Join Friends to support the beautification and safety of our park by clicking on the green button below. Ask your neighbors to join too. Healthy parks make healthy neighborhoods. 

THIS MESSAGE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY 

FRIENDS OF DAG HAMMARSKJOLD PLAZA

 a community-based, tax-exempt 501c3 nonprofit organization.   

With a  Thursday forecast of stormy weather and sunny skies expected  Friday, the date of the final Salon Talk at the cafe in Dag Plaza has been changed to Friday, July 30 at 6 PM. 

Getting to Know You, Turtle Bay 

PAMELA HANLON, author of Manhattan’s Turtle Bay and A Worldly Affair: New York, the UN and the Story Behind Their Unlikely Bond; highlights  neighborhood landmarks and history with behind-the-scene stories, including her interviews with celebrities like Broadway musical composer Stephen Sondheim. Pamela has given numerous talks and tours of the area and regards Dag Plaza as a neighborhood treasure. 

Meet your neighbors and community organizations. 

WHERE: Pink Moose Cafe in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47th St. betw. 1st and 2nd Aves. 

Join us at Dag Plaza’s Pink Moose Cafe…NYC park architect GEORGE VELLONAKIS recounts his lunch with Katharine Hepburn at her family’s Saybrook, CT estate,  and how he and Hepburn fan Millie Margiotta  saved Kate’s bench from the auction block for the garden that bears her name. Vellonakis reflects on his design inspiration for the fountains, latticed pergolas, entrance dome and the park’s naturalized garden.   

CHARLES HARRIS, architect from the prestigious firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, recounts the collaborative process, aesthetics, and “green design”  of  the United Arab Emirates building, which now overlooks the retaining wall of the Katharine Hepburn Garden, enhancing the Plaza landscape. The building meshes  traditional New York City architecture with  Middle Eastern aesthetics.

NEXT WEEK; July  29, author PAMELA HANLON talks about  historic Turtle Bay. Join Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and the Turtle Bay Association for a grand finale celebration of our community. More about Pam’s historical talk next week! 

Enjoy the Garden’s Reopening: Now that the UAE construction fence has been removed, you can walk the entire garden path  and enjoy Kate’s bench and  the engraved stepping stones bearing quotes by Katharine Hepburn.  Volunteers have been pruning and weeding under the guidance of Parks Gardener Maria Mendez  and plantsman Robert Soret. 

We appreciate your interest and look forward to a great summer in  Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. We welcome your feedback: email fdhp@hammarskjoldplaza.org