The sun is beating down in South Philadelphia. One of the best parts of summer in my neighborhood is Bob’s urban garden.
It’s hot enough to make fish soup in the koi pond!
I wonder what kind of plant this is?
This picture is from earlier in the summer.
The bigs news is that Bob built a new Koi pond this year. The other big news is that Turtle has a brand new perch and a big pot of water hyacinth to munch on. He seems happy and does not appear to be eating the new guppies that Bob has added to the pond.
Bob has added new plants, but think he is still deciding on the final design of the garden. He also has a little collection of plants that people are free to take if they want. While I’m sure Boris would like a plant to chew on, I think I will pass on the offer.
Here are some pictures.
Enjoy the Koi pond!
Bob’s urban oasis is still going strong into September. A new turtle has taken up residence in the above-ground koi pond along with two smaller deputy turtles who paddle around furiously. Bob has put a few catfish in the bottom of the pond to keep it clean. The dahlias and gardenias have stopped blooming but the banana tree has started to sprout little babies.
The water lilies have always been my favorite of the flowers but I am partial to the papyrus that grows in the pond. It looks so elegant!
Here are some pictures.
And how could I have forgotten Turtle?
Summer is coming to an end in Bob’s garden. The plants are going to seed and the blossoms are shriveling and dropping off. This would be the time when the turtles would start to get ready for a winter’s sleep, but all of the turtles have been stolen out of the Koi Pond along with most of the beautiful Koi fish. I managed to get a picture of one of them earlier this summer. Isn’t he a handsome fellow? I hope whoever stole him (and shame on that person) gave him a good home.
Here are some end-of-the-summer pictures for you to enjoy.
It’s the end of summer in my neighbor Bob’s sidewalk garden, which now takes up the front of four row houses in South Philadelphia. Bob takes care of the garden and koi pond. The only thing he asks is permission to place a beautiful flowering plant in front of your house, which adds badly needed curb appeal in an urban environment. There’s a new addition to the koi pond this year: A big, sleepy turtle. He just appeared one day. Do you think he’s a magic turtle? Bob thinks he’s blind. All I know is that he’s very lazy. Once I saw him on a Lilly pad and thought he might have died. Then I realized that if Turtle had gone to the great hereafter, it is likely he would have fallen off the Lilly pad. But he bobbed up and down on that Lilly pad for quite some time. Turtle is lazier than a house cat. If you don’t believe me, try to sit through this video.
The Garden
Do you think Turtle is really blind?
Enjoy the slideshow.
Passers By look into the koi pond.
It’s early in the season, but Bob’s garden is already underway. There are new fish in the koi pond, a big, happy turtle, and lots of new plants. Barbra chewed off her perch in the tree, so Bob made her a new one. Enjoy the slide show.
Earlier Posts on Bob’s Garden
Bob’s urban garden is up and running! He added a few banana trees, a palm, and lots of flowers and vines. A new crop of turtles have have moved into the Koi pond, but they are frustratingly camera shy.
Bob kept Koi fish in the pond all winter-even when there was snow on the ground. A heater kept them from freezing, but they weren’t very lively. This spring he added a lot of minnows and for a couple of weeks, they all swam around happily. But there wasn’t enough oxygen for the big guys, so they are now swimming in the great hereafter. The little guys have taken over and will be big guys this time next year.
The lotus blossom sprang up unexpectedly one day. I got curious about lotus blossoms and found this interesting link. Enjoy the slide show.
I wrote about my neighbor Bob’s Urban Garden last year.
Since then, he’s built a wooden Koi pond complete with solar lights that keep it lit at night. Three of the Koi fish from last year are back and bigger (literally!) than ever. They have smaller Koi fish and two turtles to keep them company. Bob’s added a new ceramic fountain, Lilly pads, and an additional wooden tub of flowers in front of our house to give it badly needed curb appeal. Loki the cat is still around checking under cars for hapless pigeons. Barbara the Macaw had a good time mugging for the camera. While I was taking pictures, several people stopped by to admire.
Enjoy the slide show.
My neighbor Bob has created an unexpected jungle paradise (complete with a bright blue Macaw named Barbra) on the sidewalks of South Philadelphia. In addition to lush flowers, vines and elephant ear plants, Bob’s garden boasts an above ground wooden Koi pond complete with gurgling fountain and contented goldfish. Loki, the aptly-named pussy cat, has left the goldfish alone in favor of lying in wait under cars parked on the street, and terrorizing the hapless pigeons who venture under them to escape the summer sun.
Aside from window boxes, most urban gardens are locked up in community land plots or in containers hidden from the street. Bob shares his garden with the world. You don’t need an invitation to smell the flowers, say hello to Barbara or play with Loki. Bob’s urban garden has suffered surprisingly little vandalism which tells me that the passers by are truely enjoying this little nature sanctuary in the middle of a gritty urban landscape. If you click on the “view all images” bar above, you can enjoy my neighbor Bob’s garden, too.
For more information on urban gardens, go to
Rough Terrain Urban Gardens and
Urban Garden
Ornamento 