Rooftop Linnaeus

57 years serving Manhattan's gardeners

2016-02-13T05:49:00.000-08:00

For many years the Gravanis family operated the family business as Dimitri's Garden Center. Now their daughter carries on the family business as Urban Garden Center together with her family. She likes to say, "We are growing into our 4th generation," says Aspasia Gatanas, who is referring to her grandchildren who visit the shop often. Her grandchildren, together with her daughter-in-law, Sara, started the UGC Kid's Club. It is a workshop program that connects families to nature in an urban setting.

The family leased property at the La Marqueta public market on 116th Street and Park Avenue. They call the property "Lot 6". It is a sprawling 20,000 sf space that includes a chicken coop and a funky greenhouse. They pack in the space with indoor and outdoor plants, trees, flowers, garden supplies and more. All this under the MTA railroad track. The Village Voice voted them Best Garden Center in NYC a few years ago.

Being at La Marqueta is something special to the family. When Aspasia's parents first came to the United States, they settled right on 117th and Pleasant Avenue. Just 4 blocks away from the business. It was the same 4 blocks Aspasia's parents walked to the then Park Avenue Public Market on 116th St. and Park Avenue. She recalls making the trip to the market and buying things like bacalao, vegetables, and clothes. They keep this sense of history alive in the space. You will find old photographs of their old shop. You could also find the Christopher Bell book "East Harlem Revisited", where Aspasia's family is featured showing pictures of how they lived here in East Harlem from the 1940s to 1960s.

Stop on by, they keep great hours 9 to 7 daily. For more information about Urban Garden Center, check out their website at www.UrbanGardenNYC.com. You can also find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

#ThinkSpring at Urban Garden Center Open Daily 9 to 7

2015-05-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

Urban Garden Center is open daily from 9 to 7
Conveniently located at 116th St. and Park Ave. and only 1 block from the 6 train.

They carry a large selection of indoor plants, succulents, string gardens, air plants, herbs, vegetables, outdoor trees & shrubs, annual flowers, perennials, garden supplies, organic top soil and potting mix, organic mulch, organic fertilizer, garden supplies and more.

They have a community compost program where they take in food scraps and turn it into compost they distribute for FREE to anyone who can walk or bike it out of their store.

The UGC Kids Club hosts workshops for kids of ALL ages.

They also do a pig roast and lamb roast all spring and summer long.

Their garden services division GRNRF is well equipped to handle any project in your NYC garden.

For more information, please visit their website at www.UrbanGardenNYC.com.

FREE TREES Sunday May 10th at Urban Garden Center

2015-05-02T03:50:00.000-07:00

FREE TREES Sunday May 10th at Urban Garden Center
Registration is LIVE:
https://www.nyrp.org/green-spaces/events/tree-giveaway-urban-garden-center/

Need a Christmas Tree in NYC?

2014-12-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Stop by the Urban Garden Center!

Urban Garden Center has trees from 2' to 26' tall.

They carry premium Balsam Fir and premium Fraser Fir trees. The Balsam fir proudly come from Upstate New York and the Fraser Fir come from North Carolina. Yes, they are one of the few dealers that only sell trees grown in the United States.

Want to support a New York State farmer? The best way to do so is only buy from dealers that are local and that buy from New York State growers. Here is a link to the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York: http://www.christmastreesny.org/

Most of the farmers come from an area in New York called the Tug Hill Plateau. This area of New York is colder than the areas in Canada that a lot of the tree dealers come from. It also gets over 200" of snow per year due to the lake effect snow pattern that comes off Lake Ontario. The cold really helps keep the trees looking fresh and help them last longer in your home.

Another great reason to buy from local dealers is that they hire locally, contribute to the city's economy and will be there when the season is over.

Here are some articles showing where you might find reputable dealers here in New York City:

New York City Christmas Tree Buying Guide by Tara Conry of AMNewYork

Where to buy a real Christmas Tree in Manhattan by Elissa Garay of About.com

For more information about Urban Garden Center, visit their website at www.UrbanGardenNYC.com.

(great friends and loyal customers the Ritz family - the good folks behind the Green Bronx Machine)

Shop Small at Urban Garden Center this Saturday

2014-11-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

This Saturday is #ShopSmallhttps://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/small-business/shop-small/about/?linknav=us-open-shopsmall-homepage-about Saturday and we are kicking it off in a big way with our friends at TASCbarwww.tascbar.com. We will be raffling off a Christmas tree each Saturday until Christmas. All you have to do is make a purchase of $10 or more (If you use your American Express card, there are added benefits from AMEX too) at any one of our vendors including Urban Garden Center, Harlem Seoul, Tutubell and Tasc Bar to qualify for the tree. We will announce the winner each Sunday morning and your tree will be available for pick up!

Event details:

Join us on Saturday, November 29th to kick off the East Harlem Holiday Market - Presented by Urban Garden Center LLC and TASCbar.

SHOP SMALL - Support local businesses!
We’re kicking off the Holiday Market on Small Business Saturday to support local businesses in East Harlem and Harlem.

Come get all of your holiday shopping done!

-local vendors
-Christmas tree giveaway
-Harlem Seoul pig roast
-free gift bags
-deluxe tote bag raffle
…and more!

12pm-9pm
at Urban Garden Center
1640 Park Ave - under the tracks at 116th St.

VENDORS: We’re accepting applications until Nov 28th! Email davidbowie@tascbar.com for an application.

EAST HARLEM HOLIDAY MARKET will be open EVERY Saturday until Christmas.
*Discounts* for vendors who sign up for multiple Saturdays.

Holiday Market Dates:

11/29/2014 SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY KICK-OFF
12/6/2014
12/13/2014
12/20/2014

TASCbar is an affordable community co-working space in East Harlem.

Urban Garden Center now has an online store!

2014-11-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Urban Garden Center, located at 1640 Park Avenue at 116th Street in New York City, just announced the opening of an on-line store. You can order Christmas trees, wreaths, soil, garden supplies and more. Most of the items are available for local delivery and some items can be shipped nationwide. Check it out at http://bitly.com/10yMvLM

They still sell certain handmade items at their Etsy store. You can go there via this link: http://bitly.com/1xUIsXj

#shoplocal

They will be hosting a Holiday Market each Saturday starting on #ShopSmallSaturday along with their weekly pig roast called Harlem Seoul.

Need firewood in New York City?

2014-11-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

Buying firewood can be a real challenge. You find bundles available in many bodegas and super markets. You also can get large quantities delivered to your place loose. Then you can purchase firewood by the City Cord. City Cord? Well, Urban Garden Center has come up with a concept of getting you the right amount in bundles delivered to your door. A city cord is 15 bundles of wood. The amount of actual wood depends on the length of the wood. They carry 12", 16" and 24" bundles. Next time you think of ordering firewood, give them a shot. They only carry kiln dried hardwood from the Catskill region of New York State.

Urban Garden Center gearing up for the holidays

2014-11-11T05:00:00.001-08:00

This year the team at Urban Garden Center are gearing up early for the Christmas holiday season. They are transforming their garden center under the tracks into a Winter Wonderland. They also made a commitment to buy a majority of their Christmas Trees from the growers of the State of New York. They are teaming up with the New York Christmas Tree Growers Association, a group of tree growers from Saratoga, NY to the Tug Hill Plateau region of NY, to bring NYS grown trees to New York City. UGC will be one of two tree dealers taking this pledge this Christmas. They will be the only dealer in the Upper East Side, East Harlem, and the rest of Upper Manhattan who will feature these beautiful trees.

As you know, each year hundreds of Christmas Tree dealers come from Vermont and Canada to clog our streets in an effort to sell the City's residents Christmas Trees. These dealers don't pay local taxes, hire locally, or make any contribution to our City or State. Supporting New York City dealers featuring New York State grown trees is the best way to keep our local economy healthy. Eh, at least you know where to complain to or compliment when the season is over.

A couple of things about the folks representing the New York Christmas Tree Growers Association, they are honest hardworking family run operations. The dealers in the Tug Hill Plateau endure over 200" of snow per year. That is a lot of snow. They work hard to grow free of any use of chemicals or pesticides. They are constantly reforesting their land. In fact, they are able to collect over 10,000 seedlings from their own land to keep the farm over supplied. Most dealers plant 3 seedlings per tree they cut. The one dealer we went to had no irrigation. His trees grow beautifully without any help (with the exception of some shearing - that dealer did not want us to take pictures because he has a special shearing method). We even saw that some of their trees are grown from the stumps of previously cut trees. Being that the Balsam Fir are indigenous to this region, they grow without fear of naturally created diseases or fungus. The rocky terrain and long snowy winters make any other type of growing almost impossible. Growing trees there makes sense. Heck, it is absolutely beautiful up there.

We hope you take some time to think about where you buy your tree this year.

Urban Garden Center now has an online shop where you can order your tree fast and easy. Visit their new here: https://squareup.com/market/urban-garden-center-llc

For tips on how to choose the right tree, check out a post I wrote a couple years ago.

Tips on Choosing the Right Tree and more

#BuyLocal #SupportLocal #ShopLocal
#NYS

Plant sale this weekend!

2014-10-21T07:38:00.001-07:00

Buy plants they make great pets!

3rd Annual East Harlem Harvest Festival

2014-10-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

This Saturday from 10 to 6
#UndertheTracks
#EHHF2014

100 Free Trees

2014-10-15T05:32:00.001-07:00

Check out our feature in New York Magazine

2014-09-13T02:27:00.000-07:00

Pick up at your local news stand or click this link:

http://nymag.com/shopping/marketsweep/houseplants-2014-9-8/

SALE!! One Day Only!!! 8.22.14

2014-08-21T05:13:00.001-07:00

30% Off all Outdoor trees, shrubs and perennials.

Free Trees! @ Urban Garden Center

2014-04-24T09:15:00.001-07:00

This Sunday (April 27) from 12 to 2.

Urban Garden Center is also having a free bbq for those in attendance.

They are located at 1640 Park Avenue at 116th St.

Urban Garden Center re-opens just in time for Spring season!

2014-04-11T07:20:00.003-07:00

After 24 days not having access to their shop since the March 12th explosion, Urban Garden Center has re-opened.

(photo by Jeff Mays of DNA info)

For the full story by Jeff Mays of DNA info, please click here: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140411/east-harlem/garden-center-heavily-damaged-east-harlem-explosion-reopens

Please vote!

2014-04-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Please vote for Urban Garden Center to be Edible Manhattan's next cover story!

Click here to vote: http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/foodshed-2/vote-edible-manhattans-next-cover/

Thank you!

Now open!

2014-04-05T06:11:00.001-07:00

Urban Garden Center is now open.

Today is the first day since the March 12 gas explosion.

Stop by 116th & Park daily between 9 & 7.

100 Free Trees will be given away at Urban Garden Center

2014-04-02T13:16:00.002-07:00

To reserve your tree, please register online at www.nyrp.org/treegiveaways

We encourage you to be there by 12pm that day Sunday April 27, 2014

Urban Garden Center is located at 116th St. and Park Avenue (1640 Park Avenue)

Deliciously Succulent

2014-03-26T19:37:00.001-07:00

Antique cement container enhanced with gorgeous sedum. Can't wait for "real" Spring. #Sedum Explosion.

Update from Urban Garden Center

2014-03-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone,

While we do whatever we can to open our shop (Urban Garden Center), we are pleased to announce we are able to access the portion of our facility that is located between 117th Street and 118th Street on Park Avenue. This will give us the opportunity to start receiving and delivering supplies to our customers. We will know more about the retail center located on 116th and Park by Friday. That said, we are not accepting compost and used textiles until this portion of the property is accessible and safe for our customers and staff. You may contact the Lower East Side Ecology Center and Wearable Collections where nearby drop off sites are.

The generosity and words of encouragement from our friends, family, customers and neighbors have made this terrible event easier to deal with. While we approach the beginning of Spring, we are reminded that without you we don't exist. Thank you so much for your selfless support!

We wish to take the opportunity to remind our supporters that our friends and neighbors continue to suffer through this tragedy. Their suffering is far worse and they need our support more than ever. While we think of ways to pay back the community here at 116th Street and Park, you are reminded that there are various ways to support those who need it most. Please visit this link for a comprehensive list of various ways to support:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/18/harlem-explosion-help_n_4981153.html

Please Help Rebuild Urban Garden Center

2014-03-17T18:25:00.003-07:00

Please Help Rebuild Urban Garden Center

(photo above by Susan Cohan circa Spring 2013)

(photo above by the Associated Press via the Washington Post March 12, 2014)

(photo by Alexander Gatanas March 12, 2014)

On Wednesday March 12, 2014, we began our day like any other day under the MTA viaduct on East 116th St. and Park Avenue. What we never expected to ever happen, became our reality. An explosion blew up two neighboring buildings directly across from our retail shop. We were directly in the ‘line of fire’ and suffered a lot of damage. Luckily, none of our staff was hurt in the blast. We did, however, lose friends and many are seriously hurt.

While we are thankful for being spared, the timing of this disaster has made our ability to open in time for spring questionable. We continue to endure a long and blistery winter. This made for slower than expected sales. The need for resources are more important than ever. We personally invested into the preparation of spring, which most of the work has been blown away from the explosion. Spring is the most important season for our business and not opening in the next couple of weeks will seriously impact our ability to stay in business.

Please help us bring back the happiness that this unique space under the tracks brought to our community. Other than being a resource of plants and garden supplies, we have a long list of community based programming. We are a destination for many schools in the area where they do field trips and workshops. We are a community compost facility, where we collect food scraps and along with our resident hens, we create FREE compost for our entire community. We have many social based programs like the East Harlem Harvest Festival and Flea Marqueta. Every spring and fall, we get together with New York Restoration Project and give away 100 Free trees. We are also a local CSA pick up location for our friends at the Corbin Hill Farm Project. Without Urban Garden Center, the area under the tracks will remain cold, dark and now a source of pain and sorrow. We must be that “Rose” in Spanish Harlem and your support will make that possible.

We are totally aware that our losses do not compare in anyway the loss that our neighbors are feeling due to their loss, pain and suffering. Our existence will brighten up this devastated part of New York City.

For more information about Urban Garden Center, please visit our website at www.UrbanGardenNYC.com.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this today.

Your friends and neighbors,

The Urban Garden Center family

CLICK HERE TO HELP TODAY!: http://www.gofundme.com/7lf49k

(above Sara Gatanas with Zoe and Stevie - hens too)

(above photo taken by Bryan Ogden of Nicholas and Aspasia Gatanas)

(above photo taken by Bryan Ogden of Dimitri Gatanas)
(Alexander Gatanas will provide his picture soon)

Thank you all for all the outreach thus far, your offers of assistance are the reason why we are able to dust ourselves off and get back up.

Rebuilding Urban Garden Center is dedicated to those who lost their lives and who are injured as a result of the explosion on 116th and Park. You will always be remembered!
To contribute to the relief fund for the people who were directly impacted, please visit the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

Message from 116th Street and Park Avenue

2014-03-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

(Above: Resident Artist Ismena Halkiewicz circa 2012)

As some of you may already know, our family run garden center - Urban Garden Center - located at 1640 Park Avenue was blown away by the explosion on March 12, 2014. Some of us were there getting the shop ready for spring. Thankfully and luckily everyone was spared. Even our resident hens survived the blast. Judging by the news coverage, it is really hard to believe we are still standing.

We will deal with this tragedy one day at a time. We will dust off and forge ahead. We will not be a victim. The horror and suffering that took place that day is far worse than replacing some bags of soil or some old furniture.

Here is a message from the Urban Garden Center website:

We are closed at the moment. While the rescue & clean up effort is in progress, we are not able to operate the retail portion of the property. The garden center is at the heart of the effort. It comforts us to know that this place that brings so much joy to a lot of us here in East Harlem continues to be there when the community needs us the most. Our suffering cannot even compare to those who lost loved ones and for those who are suffering physically. We expect to be open by April 1. We are making arrangements to operate partially from another location by Monday. Now is the time to support this community. The emotional pain will likely continue for some time. We will all need all the support we can get. Time to keep our heads up and forge ahead.

UPDATE: 3/16/14 - We expect to be partially operational this week. Our retail shop will be closed, but we will begin delivery of certain items like soil and mulch. We continue to provide services. If you need something, please call us at 646-872-3991.

Here are some photos of the garden center when it was a source of joy and happiness for the community of East Harlem:

Check back soon for more updates and posts.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this.

East Harlem, NYC

Where to buy firewood in New York City? Better yet, delivered! Try Firewood2Go.com an Urban Garden Center company

2013-11-01T07:17:00.003-07:00

Finding a reputable firewood dealer located in or around New York City is like finding a needle in a haystack. Most people settle for the grocery store or the supermarket. That wood is either too dry or too wet. They usually store them in plastic bags and they are almost always from Canada, Estonia (believe it or not) or somewhere else not yet known... While there are great dealers throughout the City, the best place to consider is the people who know you best. Your fellow local garden center. Urban Garden Center in East Harlem has a long history of dealing with people who have yards and terraces. They know where you might store it and figured out a great way to deliver you that perfect amount. They coined a phrase called a ,City Cord'. They found that most people do not have the space to fit a face cord or a full cord, but 15 bundles can fit in a closet or on the terrace easily. They use local responsible dealers who only dry their wood with a Kiln (now the law in the State of NY). So the next time you want to grill up a steak or get cozy by the fireplace, think Firewood2go.com (an Urban Garden Center company).

Recycled Pallet Planters

2013-11-01T07:09:00.004-07:00

On a dreary winter's day, I sat there looking out of my office thinking of spring. I noticed stacks and stacks of pallets in the driveway and thought what more can we do with these. They were historically used as tables and displays at our family owned garden center (Urban Garden Center). Then I had an A-HA! moment. Planters! I have since learned it was not an original idea. I did some research and saw what was on the market. None of the planters I saw were built to last. After 50 years of my family building planters for rooftop gardens, I thought we could do better. We have since brought the concept to the home or office. We now have these great miniature versions of our pallet planter. Perfect for paperwhites and amaryllis! They would even make a great wine coaster too. Check them out in our Etsy store...

Where to buy a Christmas Tree in New York City? East Harlem, of course!

2013-11-01T07:00:00.003-07:00

Why buy local? Mom & Pop brick and mortar stores spend all year paying taxes, paying rent, and help bind your community. The best way to reward them is to buy locally. They will remember you, they will not steer you wrong since they are always there and their dollars are spent locally. Please keep this in mind when you think about purchasing your tree this year.

Urban Garden Center in East Harlem is the perfect place to such a thing (definitely a shameless promotion since I am their Chief Garden Designer). Seriously, we face stiff competition every year from people that migrate down from Canada, Vermont and other areas. They pay no sales tax, no local work staff, and are stocked up on ramen noodles. This does not stimulate the community. So, we hope you consider doing the right thing. #BUYLOCAL #SHOPLOCAL