Urban Oasis In The Heart of Brooklyn — EXTRA IS MY ORDINARY®

By: Cara Turnbull

Certain ideas may come to mind when people hear that I live in Brooklyn, NY. Small cramped apartment, noisy neighbors, constant sirens, no outdoor space...basically a life without peace and tranquility. While that might be true for some, that hasn’t been my experience for the 15-plus years that I’ve lived here. One thing that has played a major part in allowing me to experience peace and tranquility is my backyard. It’s my urban oasis in the heart of Brooklyn.

Outdoor space in NYC is a hot commodity. Backyards, rooftops, balconies, stoop steps... New Yorkers are always trying to covet a piece of outside for themselves. Fortunately for me, my ground floor apartment in a Brooklyn Brownstone has a private backyard, so I have ample outdoor space. And over time I’ve been able to make it uniquely mine, carving out distinct spaces designed to fulfill my vision for an urban oasis: an outdoor dining area, a lounge area and a vegetable & herb garden, all surrounded by vibrantly green plants.

have to be honest, I lived here for several years before I did anything with the backyard. And when I got to a place where I was ready to do something with the space, all I wanted was a lounge area and an outdoor dining space. I had visions of me entertaining family & friends with a well dressed table of ornately decorated place settings, scrumptious food and specialty cocktails. And when I wasn’t entertaining I saw myself lounging in a comfortable chair with my feet up, sipping tea, reading books or just enjoying the outside. Having a garden was nowhere in my backyard vision. So when my boyfriend suggested it, I resisted.

The idea of having a garden in Brooklyn was so out of the realm of my imagination. I thought I had to be living back home in the Caribbean and have lots of land in order to grow anything. At that time, that was all I knew about gardening and growing food. I didn’t know that urban gardening was a thing. And although my boyfriend didn’t know that urban gardening was a thing either, he saw that there was ample space for me to achieve my backyard vision plus have a garden. Thanks to his persistence (because it took a lot to convince me) I now have a backyard garden that has elevated my outdoor space, and my life, in ways I never imagined.

As with anything, the design of the garden has evolved over the years. After deciding to jump into the world of gardening, we did the simplest thing which was to create beds out of the soil that was already there. The beds were essentially mounds of soil. While that went well for a few years, the soil was constantly sliding with each rainfall. The solution to that issue? Build wooden garden beds! With this decision, the whole garden area underwent an upgrade. In addition to the beds, paving stones were brought into the space. The paving stones were used to create walkways between each bed. And while that is their main function, the aesthetic appeal it brings to the garden doesn’t go unnoticed.

My little backyard garden has me looking forward to spring every year. And I have seasonal allergies, so that says a lot! But knowing that I’m able to get back outside, put my hands in the soil and plant things that I will later use to prepare meals is a rewarding high. Even before I get to the point where I’m cooking and eating what I grow, the whole process of planting and watching those things grow is very satisfying. I imagine this is what my grandmother felt as a plant gardener.

I grew up watching my grandmother spend hours in the yard tending to her plants. And while the plants were beautiful and the yard was lovely I didn’t get why it was so important to her. Now that I also garden I think I understand what it gave her. In addition to the satisfaction of watching something you planted grow, there’s something very therapeutic about putting your hands in the soil. It’s as though you’re connecting with the earth. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t wear gloves when I plant. I want to feel the soil move through my fingers, I want to touch the leaves and flowers of what I’m planting. I see gloves as a barrier to being able to really connect with the earth.

Before I started gardening, I always loved to cook. Cooking with ingredients that you’ve grown takes cooking to a whole other level. I can’t describe the feeling I get each time I head out to the garden to harvest. Whether it’s kale and tomatoes to make a salad or oregano and parsley for marinara sauce, food with ingredients you’ve grown yourself feels like an accomplishment. And I take every opportunity I get to use what I’m growing in the kitchen when I cook. My all time favorite thing to make….PESTO! It has become a summer staple and because I love it so much I’m going to share the recipe.

When I first started the garden, my brother called me a “Brooklyn Hipster”. I’ve come to learn that there are so many of us “Brooklyn Hipsters” planting and gardening in whatever spaces we have. Creating our own urban oases all across Brooklyn.