Manhattan’s verdant oasis

April 29, 2010

Jill put me onto the Chelsea Flower District and I’m very grateful to her. This century old Manhattan district occupies not much more than a block but it’s like stepping off the subway and into an urban botanical garden. Huge vases of blossoms and ferns crowd the pavements and form a lush passage towards each shop.

The experience made me a bit giddy, like being plunged into a box of petals and swimming my way through a kaleidoscope of colours. Yet once I was in the shops the romance faded as custom is brisk and the vendors, though charming, hustle small fries like me who are not buying in bulk.

I dilly-dallied between shops and eventually decided on some classic white tulips for Caro as yesterday was the first day of her festival. The experience was great theatre – event planners talking animatedly about ‘signature centre pieces’, wealthy Upper East Side ladies dripping in jewels planning dinner parties and hulking men striding down the street with huge bunches of flowers slung over their shoulders like slain animals. And me, with a cup of bean soup and bunch of tulips.