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What's Blooming on the Upper West Side

5/20/2022

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Reprinted with permission from the West Side Rag May 20, 2022. All copyrights reserved.
By Meg A. Parsont

​After the cherry tree and crabapple blossoms have given way to foliage and the flamboyant tulips have faded, it’s hard to imagine what Mother Nature could possibly do for an encore. But as we enter full-blown spring (finally!), there are plenty of new arrivals—some showy, like the stately horse chestnut trees in Central and Riverside Parks with their massive white clusters of flowers, and some more subtle, like the delicate lily of the valley that has made an appearance this week in our community gardens.
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Azaleas in the 91st Street Garden; photo by Meg Parsont.
The air is noticeably sweeter as you approach the 91st Street Garden in Riverside Park. The lilac bush by the gate of the octagon is at its most fragrant, and its scent blends beautifully with the lily of the valley and some brand-new roses that have just bloomed this week. The linden trees in the park and lining Riverside Drive are also on the verge of bursting into bloom, when their pale yellow flowers will fill the air with their honeyed perfume.
In the 91st Street Garden, the peony bushes are peppered with buds waiting to explode, the roses have begun their long season of blooming, and the bearded irises are beginning to make an appearance. We often think of irises as being purple—and many are—but irises grow in a surprising range of colors, and there are several along the western edge of the garden that are a unique coppery orange with streaks of yellow on the petals.
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Clematis in the 91st Street Garden; photo by Meg Parsont.
The purple and mauve bearded irises will be blooming any day now, but meanwhile, for anyone craving a burst of purple, be sure to look for the vibrant climbing clematis plants near the gate to the rectangle portion of the garden. And for another blast of color, the fuchsia and light coral-colored azaleas in the octagon are at their peak right now.
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Irises and lilacs in the Lotus Garden; photo by Shanna Forlano.
​As you walk up the steps to the Lotus Garden, the fresh scents of lilacs and lily of the valley permeate the air, enhancing the Garden of Eden feeling of this green space perched over a parking garage on 97th Street. Purple bearded irises and both purple and white allium (Mt. Everest allium) are blooming, along with patches of bluebells.
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Rose in the Lotus Garden; photo by Shanna Forlano.
​There are also some lovely early roses including a pale pink one called Jeanne Lejoie. The gardener who tends the plot where this rose grows says it’s actually a miniature rose, although it can grow to be quite tall! It’s been in the garden since the garden was founded in 1983.
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Allium in the West Side Community Garden; photo by Meg Parsont.
Fun floral Fact: With a single globe-like flower that can reach more than three or four inches in diameter perched on top of a stem that towers over most other plants in the garden, it’s hard to imagine the allium is a close relative of the humble onion!

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Toad lily, blue hosta, astilbe foliage in the Lotus Garden; photo by Shanna Forlano.
​The foliage in our community gardens is just as beautiful as the flowers themselves. In the Lotus Garden, the leaves of toad lily, various varieties of hosta, Japanese fern, and astilbe—many of which will be flowering later in the season— combine to create a stunning patchwork of colors and textures.
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Oxalis in the West Side Community Garden; photo by Meg Parsont.
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And in the West Side Community Garden, the amethyst-colored leaves of an oxalis (a common houseplant that’s also a perennial in the garden) provide a welcome splash of color.
This is a time of transition in the West Side Community Garden as their gardeners clear out approximately 12,000 tulip bulbs (which they give away or compost) to make room for the next wave of perennials and annuals.
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White bleeding heart in the West Side Community Garden; photo by Meg Parsont.
Among the perennials now making an appearance are white bleeding hearts and aquilegia, a native plant which grows throughout the garden in a wide range of colors including deep purple, cream, orange with yellow, and two-toned purple and white. There’s also an elegant peachy-orange calla lily in one of the plant beds towards the fence that’s not to be missed.
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Bearded irises in the West Community Garden; photo by Meg Parsont.
A cluster of mauve and velvety burgundy bearded irises stands tall toward the back of the garden. And cascading over the trellis on the path heading to the 90th Street entrance, the aptly-named beauty bush is in peak bloom right now. Unlike the mauve-colored hellebore, which started blooming in March and is still going strong, the beauty bush only blooms for a few weeks. During that time, the bench under the trellis is the best seat in the house!
Plan a visit:
​The West Side Community Garden (89-90th Streets, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues)
https://www.westsidecommunitygarden.org
Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk

The Lotus Garden (97th Street between West End Avenue and Broadway)
https://thelotusgarden.org
Open to the public on Sunday afternoons between 1-4 pm, from April 10-mid-November

The 91st Street Garden on the Promenade level of Riverside Park
http://www.thegardenpeople.org
Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk

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What’s Blooming on the Upper West Side – Mother’s Day Edition

5/6/2022

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Reprinted with permission from the West Side Rag May 6, 2022. All copyrights reserved.
By Meg A. Parsont
Mother’s Day and flowers go hand-in-hand, and many of our city’s flowers are blooming just in time! The azaleas are budding in dazzling shades of pink, fuchsia, and scarlet, the lilacs are burgeoning, and some precocious peonies are making an appearance in the community gardens and parks on the Upper West Side. To top it all off, tulips, cherry trees, redbud, and crabapples are still going strong, thanks to the cooler than usual spring we’ve been experiencing.
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Tulips in The Lotus Garden. Photograph by Shanna Forlana.

Surrounded by buildings on West 97th Street, the Lotus Garden tends to get a lot of shade, so their tulips are just reaching their peak. Plots are overflowing with a wide range of varieties and colors, beautifully curated to complement the plants surrounding them. With their extra-full double blooms, some of them masquerade as peonies, and are fittingly known as peony tulips.

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Peony buds in The Lotus Garden. Photograph by Shanna Forlano.

True peonies are also beginning to bud, and there are at least three lilac bushes in the garden as well as a number of azalea bushes that are likely to burst into bloom just in time for Mother’s Day on May 8. If you look closely in one of the plots, you’ll notice lovely purple anemones (Anemone blanda Blue Shades) that are grown from bulbs. Interestingly, these little flowers close up at night and open again in daylight.

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Ostrich ferns and tulips in The West Side Community Garden. Photograph by Meg A. Parsont.

In the West Side Community Garden on 89th Street, the ferns are unfurling, the tree peonies are in full profusion, and the tulips continue to put on a dazzling display. The heirloom tulips are among the last to bloom, along the garden path leading to the 90th Street entrance. Near the 89th Street entrance, clusters of white and multi-colored tulips are beautifully framed by groves of bright-green ostrich ferns (named for their resemblance to ostrich feathers).

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Bleeding hearts in The West Side Community Garden. Photograph by Meg A. Parsont.

Two tree peonies are in full bloom right now, towards the back of the main portion of the West Side Community Garden. With their brilliant magenta flowers, you can’t miss them! On a much more diminutive scale but no less brilliant, look for the fuchsia-colored bleeding heart nestled among the greenery near the 89th Street entrance.
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 Budding dwarf lilac in The 91st Street Garden. Photograph by Meg A. Parsont.

In the 91st Street Garden on the Promenade level of Riverside Park, most of the tulips have given way to the next wave of flowers. In the octagon portion of the garden, a pinky-purple dwarf lilac bush and several azalea bushes are on the brink of blooming. There’s also a stunning patch of pale purple creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera “Sherwood Purple”), whose blooms attract queen bumble bees and other early spring pollinators.
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Creeping phlox in The 91st Street Garden. Photograph by Meg A. Parsont.

In the rectangle portion of the 91st Street Garden, you’ll see carpets of lavender-colored and hot-pink creeping phlox (Phlox subulata), delicate blue-purple forget-me-nots, and, if you look closely on the east side of the garden, some tiny scarlet-colored species tulips (un-hybridized tulips) which look especially lovely nestled next to the remaining muscari (grape hyacinth). There are several other unusual species of flowers in the garden including the drooping trillium—recognizable by its white three-petalled flower and elegant foliage—and the petite yellow glacier lilies.
What’s the symbolism of some of the flowers blooming right now? (With a nod to the Victorians.)
Azaleas: Temperance, emotional evenness
Bleeding hearts: Passionate love, romance
Forget-me-nots: True love, devotion, and respect
Lilacs: First feelings of love
Peonies: Bashfulness
Tulips: Fame or passion

What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a visit to some of our city’s many green spaces?

Plan a visit:
The West Side Community Garden (89-90th Streets, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues)
https://www.westsidecommunitygarden.org
Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk
The Lotus Garden (97th Street between West End Avenue and Broadway)
https://thelotusgarden.org
Open to the public on Sunday afternoons between 1-4 pm, from April 10-mid-November
The 91st Street Garden on the Promenade level of Riverside Park
http://www.thegardenpeople.org
Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk
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Arbor Day 2022 in and around the 91st Street Garden

4/29/2022

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What's Blooming on the Upper West Side-Earth Day Edition

4/22/2022

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Reprinted with permission from the West Side Rag, April 22, 2002. All copyrights reserved. 
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Design Impression tulips in West Side Community Garden, photo by Meg Parsont.

By Meg A. Parsont
Friday, April 22 is Earth Day, and the perfect time (well, it’s always the perfect time!) to explore some of NYC’s many community gardens and green spaces. As I walked around the Upper West Side today, I saw begonias and pansies planted in tree pits, red and pink geraniums in window boxes, and crabapple trees in full profusion in Riverside Park. This is also prime tulip time, and the Upper West Side has some of the most stunning tulip displays in the city.

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Tulips in West Side Community Garden, photo by Meg Parsont.

Every year, droves of nature lovers make a pilgrimage to the West Side Community Garden, which is known for its annual Tulip Festival (happening now through the first week of May, or so). The festival warrants multiple visits, since new varieties come into bloom every few days while others fade. As I stood in the entrance to the garden earlier this week blissfully taking in the remarkable variety of tulips, I overheard another visitor rave to her friend, “All of this in New York City. Who woulda thunk it?!”

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Margarita tulips in West Side Community Garden, photo by Meg Parsont.
From vibrant red and yellow blooms called “Keizerskroon,” which means “Emperor’s Crown” in Dutch, to delicate pale orange tulips called “Apricot Beauty” to the full, fuchsia-colored “Margarita” which resembles a peony when it opens, the tulips in the West Side Community Garden are a veritable feast for the eyes.


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Grape hyacinth in West Side Community Garden, photo by Meg Parsont.

One small but mighty flower that holds its own among the tulips is the grape hyacinth (muscari) that is in bloom now. You’ll see its electric purple blooms—which resemble petite bunches of grapes—along the borders of some of the flower beds. Interestingly, grape hyacinths aren’t actually related to true hyacinths. 
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Fun Floral Fact
Contrary to popular belief, tulips didn’t originate in Holland! They originally grew wild in Central Asia, and in the Middle Ages were brought to what is now Turkey, where they were cultivated. The word “tulip” is derived from the Persian word for “turban.” By the late sixteenth century, tulips finally reached the Netherlands, where they were such a novelty and in such high demand that they stirred up “Tulip Mania,” with prices skyrocketing as people bought and sold tulip bulbs.
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Tulips and daffodils, 91st Street Garden, photo by Meg Parsont.

Tulips are also flourishing right now in both the Lotus Garden and The 91st Street Garden in Riverside Park. In the 91st Street Garden, the daffodils are still going strong, their yellow blooms contrasting beautifully with the bright red tulips that have been planted in recent years in many of the plots, as well as a number of other tulip varieties.

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Ranunculus, 91st Street Garden, photo by Meg Parsont.

Other perennials are also beginning to make an appearance in the 91st Street Garden, including a lovely patch of light blue-purple Virginia bluebells (Longwood Blue) by the gate to the rectangle section of the garden. In the plot next to the bluebells, be sure to look for several small clusters of double-ruffled ranunculus blooms in both white and vibrant enamel yellow.


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Fritillaria in Lotus Garden, photo by Shanna Forlano.

Perched over a parking garage on 97th Street, the Lotus Garden is an urban Garden of Eden. It’s home to a number of plants that aren’t commonly seen in the city, in addition to some glorious tulips. Look for purple-speckled fritillaria and delicate light purple violas, which are blooming now.


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Japanese Jack in Pulpit in Lotus Garden, photo by Shanna Forlano.

Also keep an eye out for a cluster of about a dozen funky-looking brown spikes growing out of the soil. Be sure to check back in on them in a few weeks. They may look like something out of a Dr. Seuss story, but they’ll grow into a huge Japanese Jack in the Pulpit!
Bonnie Mitelman, a visitor to the 91st Street Garden, observed of some of the less showy flowers that are starting to make an appearance, “It’s as if they’re saying ‘We’re here and we’re trying the best we can. We may not be able to blow it out of the water like the tulips, but we’re still part of it.’” She went on to reflect, “It says a lot about where we are now, too. And it’s so important to come to the garden, look at the beauty, and be grateful.” Very fitting for Earth Day—and beyond.


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Violas in Lotus Garden, photo by Shanna Forlano.

Plan a visit:
West Side Community Garden (89-90th Streets, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues) Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk Note: Tulip Festival Information Days are on April 23-24, when garden members will be present from 10 am-6 pm to answer questions.
The Lotus Garden (97th Street between West End Avenue and Broadway) Open to the public on Sunday afternoons between 1-4 pm, from April 10-mid-November
The 91st Street Garden on the Promenade level of Riverside Park Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk, near the Hippo Playground

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Reprinted from the West Side Rag- April 8, 2022                   all copyrights reserved

4/8/2022

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​Cherry blossom season on the Upper West Side. Photograph by Meg Parsont.

​By Meg Parsont
After what has felt like an endless winter in so many ways, spring is finally upon us! The magnolia trees are getting ready to burst into bloom in the islands dividing Broadway, groves of cherry trees have graced us with their presence in Central and Riverside Parks, and daffodils are everywhere.
I help tend the 91st Street Garden in Riverside Park (aka The Garden People Garden or the “You’ve Got Mail” Garden), and my fellow gardeners and I have noticed that visitors have become much more connected to the garden over the past couple of years. Whether it’s because people are working from home and have more time to visit or because they are seeking a natural sanctuary, our green spaces play an essential role in our community.

Judy Robinson, President of the West Side Community Garden, reflects that “People are especially grateful for the garden now, in response to Covid restrictions over the past two years. We’re all longing for the chance to relax, feel comfortable, and be surrounded by beauty.”


Louise Kindley, Membership Chair of the Lotus Garden on 97th Street, receives notes from community members expressing their gratitude for this quiet, peaceful place. She says, “My guess is that the pandemic has made people more aware of the need to quite literally ‘stop and smell the roses.’”

So many visitors to our gardens ask, “What’s new in the garden?” This bi-weekly column will provide a glimpse into what’s happening now in the Lotus Garden, the West Side Community Garden, and the 91st Street Garden. Mother Nature can be unpredictable, but we’ll try to focus on what’s in or approaching peak bloom. There are other lovely pockets of green throughout the Upper West Side, so be sure to check them out, too.

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                   Daffodils in 91st Street Garden. Photograph by Meg Parsont.


​For many of us, the arrival of daffodils is the first sign of spring, and we have hosts of golden daffodils (with thanks to William Wordsworth!) in all three community gardens, as well as daffodils with deep orange centers and delicate pale yellow blooms.

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Rock garden in 91st Street Garden. Photograph by Meg Parsont.

​The rock garden plot in the rectangle portion of the 91st Street Garden in Riverside Park has some lovely miniature daffodils nestled among purple Siberian Squill.


​Fun Floral Fact:
What’s the difference between daffodils, jonquils, and Narcissus?
• Daffodils and jonquils all fall under the botanical name of Narcissus.
• The foliage of daffodils is spear-shaped while the foliage of jonquils is rounded.
• Jonquils tend to grow in warmer regions
Smarty Plants:
What play by an American playwright refers to jonquils?
(Answer will appear in our next column on April 22)

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Hellebore in 91st Street Garden. Photograph by Meg Parsont.
​

Other flowers bloom before daffodils as the true harbingers of spring, but they are often less familiar. Hellebore or Lenten rose typically appears in late winter at a time when we most need a reminder that spring is truly on the way! It has a wonderfully long season, and is flourishing now in all three community gardens in varying shades of white, mauve, and raspberry. Look for hellebore in groupings fairly low to the ground.
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Dwarf Irises in Lotus Garden. Photograph by Shanna Forlano.

​Another early bloomer is the dwarf iris, which has the classic markings and vibrant coloration of its more statuesque cousin, only in miniature. The Lotus Garden is home to a lovely patch of these beauties, known by the grand name of Iris Reticulata Katharine Hodgkin.

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​Elderberries in Lotus Garden. Photograph by Shanna Forlano.

​The Lotus Garden also has some flowering shrubs we don’t often see in the city, including an elderberry bush that, as far as their gardeners know, has never fruited—at least not yet!


​The West Side Community Garden is known for its spectacular array of tulips, and while the majority of them will be blooming starting in mid-April, keep an eye out for early bloomers now. In a few weeks, the Lotus Garden and the 91st Street Community Garden will have a generous display of tulips, as well.

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Photographs by Meg Parsont
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​The West Side Community Garden is also home to several cherry trees that are in full bloom now, and to the pink perennial herbaceous plant Corydalis (below), which you will find in a bed near the northernmost cherry tree.

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Corydalis in West Side Community Garden. Photograph by Meg Parsont.

​In the 91st Street Community Garden, be sure to look for low mounds of magenta heather, pink creeping phlox, and other subtle yet colorful signs that spring has finally arrived!
Plan a Visit:
The West Side Community Garden (89-90th Streets, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues)
Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk

The Lotus Garden (97th Street between West End Avenue and Broadway)
Open to the public on Sunday afternoon, between 1-4 p.m., from April 10-mid November

The 91st Street Garden on the Promenade level of Riverside Park, just west of the Hippo Playground,  Open 7 days/week from dawn to dusk

Reprinted with permission from the West Side Rag
https://www.westsiderag.com/2022/04/08/destination-flowers-whats-blooming-on-the-upper-west-side

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April is Blooming, No Foolin'

4/2/2022

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A Sampling of the Season Ahead, Courtesy of Steve Goldstein

3/21/2022

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Spring is Just Weeks Away and the Magic Has Begun

3/4/2022

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Signs of Spring Amidst the Wintry Landscape

2/6/2022

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Ending The Year and Anticipating the Next

12/23/2021

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December's Pleasant Surprises

12/4/2021

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Still Blooming on NYC Marathon Weekend

11/6/2021

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Indigenous Peoples' Day on Manahatta (the Lenape name)

10/11/2021

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Marking the Garden People's 40th Anniversary

10/10/2021

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August 21st - Before Henri Brought Record Rains

8/29/2021

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July is Bee-eautiful

7/10/2021

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Mid-June Endless Wonders

6/20/2021

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Mid-May Irises, Peony Buds and So Much More to See

5/22/2021

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Just Steps Northeast from the 91st Street Garden

5/22/2021

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First Week of May 2021

5/8/2021

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In and Around the Garden

4/30/2021

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The Warsaw Ghetto Memorial in Riverside Park

4/30/2021

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Early April 2021 in the Garden

4/18/2021

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Early April 2021 in Riverside Park

4/18/2021

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Spring is Springing

3/21/2021

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