95 Halsey Street

2009 Post-season relfection: Have you ever seen such gorgeous peppers? Sharecropper through the eyes of my dear friend, and incredibly talented artist, Andrea Wenglowskyj–romantic and dreamy. Our beginning was anything but.

Making art with live plants is a precarious endeavor, especially seedlings. I trucked 300+ grown from seed by me in Bloomington, Indiana to NYC the first week of June. If we’d have hit a heat wave en-route, the little guys would have been toast.  But as luck had it, the drive was cool and overcast.  Upon arrival, I worked against a ticking clock to get the lot transplanted into 17 locations around the city. What I thought would take 1.5 weeks stretched into 3.5 weeks, due to organizational set backs, and a steep learning curve on the inter-workings of New York transportation systems and supply routes.

95 Halsey was one of the last locations installed. Torrential and relentless rain storms which pummeled the area throughout June, were both a blessing and a curse. Blessing, because like balancing spinning plates, maintaining while installing would have meant further delays.  And curse because the un-transplanted, pelted with so much rain and without sun, withered–some died.  So our peppers were weakened to the point where even several weeks after planting, we doubted their survival.

But the sun eventually shined.  And with Nate’s loving care, a good dose of organic fertilizer, and the amazing fortune of a long growing season…well, you can see for yourself by clicking here our happy ending. Thanks you so much Nate and Andrea for everything!