Corona Virus 4th Blog

Design and InstallationGarden Care
Written By Peter Morris

Its hard to believe when you look out of the window in the morning - with the sun streaming, the birds singing and the garden exploding with color and that beautiful lime green hue that only shows its nose in Spring, that all of this nightmare could possibly be going on.

Window boxes welcoming the Easter Bunny last year - do you think he will be wearing a mask this year ? Designed by our spectacular garden care team.

The streets of New York City are deserted, it feels like we are in a Star Trek saga - all the people have disappeared and now the mission of the Trekkies is to find out what happened to the them . Sad thing is it is not a movie.

Spring is Springing - Corona Virus or not !

I was talking to someone the other day and we mentioned how similar it felt to be here on 09/11 - everyone is scared, the city is deserted, the stores are all closed and people are friendly. ( not something we are known for - except in moments of crisis ) Then we agreed that the big difference was the face masks, gloves and the various degrees of protection that you see (never discount the fact that New Yorker's excel in individuality and we are a weird bunch - so you are seeing all levels of crazy - yesterday morning at the supermarket I saw a man with a water cooler on his head - I kid you not - he had cut the bottom off of one of those big plastic cooler jugs and was wearing it on his head - the front had all condensation from his breath I tried to snap a photo but you have to be a little polite - ok battery was flat!!)

The other big difference is that on that horrific day you had options - you could fantasize about moving to Canada, Mexico, New Zealand or Thailand - now there is nowhere not going through this - and I think that is it - it feels incredibly weird having your choices removed. ( at least that is it for me )

Spectacular Spring flowers planted by our Garden Care team from last year

Its not all about seeing friends ( although I do miss my friends and having an excuse to open a second bottle of wine ) its choices - I don't eat out every night - but its nice to have the option to do so. I don't work out every day - but its nice to think that you can. I'm not someone to hang at the mall of shop frivolously - but its nice to have the option to do so.

A beautifully small space - vastly unused - turned into a lovely little birch grove retreat by our talented Rooftop garden designers.

So yes its the removal of choices and options that is the most difficult - I mean if i chose to sit at home and play on social media all day and lay around watching TV while avoiding the gym - that's a beautiful day but when you are forced to do it - now that's another thing !!

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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Corona Virus 3rd Blog