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From Sandy’s Devastation to a Bountiful Harvest
This story from our archives shows how New York residents transformed their storm-damaged yard into a garden of plenty
Annie Thornton
September 8, 2017
Houzz Editorial Staff
This profile was originally published in a 2015 story about gardens around the world.
Location: Belle Harbor, New York
Who gardens here: Jacqueline Cashen, owner of Big Dog Imprints; Gary Streisand, her fiancé; and a few neighbors
Size: The front garden is about 484 square feet (45 square meters) and a small side garden is 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Location: Belle Harbor, New York
Who gardens here: Jacqueline Cashen, owner of Big Dog Imprints; Gary Streisand, her fiancé; and a few neighbors
Size: The front garden is about 484 square feet (45 square meters) and a small side garden is 90 square feet (8.4 square meters)
Jacqueline Cashen’s beach community in the Queens borough of New York City was devastated when Hurricane Sandy hit nearly three years ago. “We had about 3 or 4 feet of sand covering the property and all over the streets,” she says. “We had no electricity, no heat, no streets to travel on.” Instead of replacing the front lawn, she decided to replant it with edibles.
Now, a year after planting, the garden provides Cashen — seen in the previous photo with fiancé Gary Streisand, left, and neighbor Dan Epstein — and her friends with a place to gather and weed, water and reap the bounty.
“This, to me, was the way to rebuild,” Cashen says. Her daughter Michelle works with the Brooklyn Grange and Edgemere Farm, two large urban farms in New York City. “She was a big influence and big help,” Cashen says.
Now, a year after planting, the garden provides Cashen — seen in the previous photo with fiancé Gary Streisand, left, and neighbor Dan Epstein — and her friends with a place to gather and weed, water and reap the bounty.
“This, to me, was the way to rebuild,” Cashen says. Her daughter Michelle works with the Brooklyn Grange and Edgemere Farm, two large urban farms in New York City. “She was a big influence and big help,” Cashen says.
Why do it: “It’s so hard to get fresh organic produce here in the Rockaways,” Cashen says. “We have to take bridges to get to the mainland, and it’s always a trek to get to a healthy store.”
A typical day: “Watering, weeding and feeling good. I inspect the plants for any dead leaves or bad fruit and pull out what could potentially become moldy or infected,” Cashen says.“The compost, which we do in the backyard, is occasionally applied onto some of the soil to feed the plants. The time-consuming job is tying up the tomatoes to the trellis; I need four hands.”
What’s growing: In the larger front plot there’s sweet corn, broccoli, beans, red leaf lettuce, zucchini, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, peppers, cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, beets, carrots, arugula, spinach, cucumbers, ground cherries and tomatoes. In the smaller side plot are fennel, leeks and assorted herbs.
A typical day: “Watering, weeding and feeling good. I inspect the plants for any dead leaves or bad fruit and pull out what could potentially become moldy or infected,” Cashen says.“The compost, which we do in the backyard, is occasionally applied onto some of the soil to feed the plants. The time-consuming job is tying up the tomatoes to the trellis; I need four hands.”
What’s growing: In the larger front plot there’s sweet corn, broccoli, beans, red leaf lettuce, zucchini, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, peppers, cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, beets, carrots, arugula, spinach, cucumbers, ground cherries and tomatoes. In the smaller side plot are fennel, leeks and assorted herbs.
“This is so much more beautiful and useful than a front lawn,” Cashen says. She wants to grow more ground cherries, more lettuces, more corn and learn more about system growing.
What she loves most: “The peaceful feeling of watching the seed become a plant that we then eat.”
See more of this garden
What she loves most: “The peaceful feeling of watching the seed become a plant that we then eat.”
See more of this garden
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