 It took a while but Hawthorne is now a fully tree-lined street. Thanks to the Million Trees Project, at least 8 new trees (I haven't completed my census) were planted on Friday morning. I didn't do a survey of the types of trees we got but I do know that the two on the north side of the street just off of Flatbush (seen here) are willow oaks.
I am happy that we have trees. My son is happy that there is mulch to get dirty in. And he was even happier that he got to watch the Dragonetti Brothers' front-end loader (see below) scoop and drop dirt for a few minutes.
Note: Anyone who references a certain novel by Betty Smith in the comments will be permanently banned for predictability.
 It took a year or two but it looks like the Million Trees Project is finally delivering: several sidewalk cuts for street trees have appeared on the block between Flatbush and Bedford. If all goes according to plan, the trees should be planted this spring.
Requesting the trees was easy. The hard part is going to be keeping them alive. Most of the trees are located in spots where the building owners didn't actually approve them, so it's going to be up to others people on the block to help water and maintain them.
Keeping street trees alive generally isn't too tough -- the Parks Department picks particularly hardy species. But the stretch of Hawthorne on the north side, near Flatbush, is relentlessly sunny, with all the reflected concrete, and the trees there will need regular watering.
Want to help out? Come to the next block party meeting to discuss. Or email us at brooklynite282 at gmail and we'll follow up.
 Now that New York City is no longer collecting leaves for compost, I'd love to find a way for neighbors with fall leaves to get them to someone who can use them. If any of you PLGers compost and could use some leaves, please leave a note in the comments (or email me at brooklynite282 at gmail). Likewise, if you have leaves that you're going to trash, note that in the comments. Hopefully, with minimal wrangling, we'll be able to keep at least a few piles out of the landfill.
(Photo: Sustainable Flatbush)
 When I moved to PLG, the site at 27 Lincoln Road was a crumbling building - one I charmingly referred to as a "festering rathole" - hidden behind construction fencing as the Lincoln Road overpass was being refurbished. The building was purchased by Henry Herbst who, amid considerable controversy, planned to turn it into a gleaming 23-story glass tower. The building was demolished and then the economy exploded. To nobody's surprise, the building hasn't progressed since the demolition. The only apparent work to date has been the PLGArts Wall Mural project.
 There was a break in the wall a few weeks ago, though, and I was able to reach my phone in and snap a picture of the inside of the site. There is always something a little beautiful about the way nature reclaims spaces after people abandon them (like, for example, the pre-renovation High Line).
I have since noticed that there is a glass window cut into the fence on the side of the lot facing Flatbush Avenue, so if you are interested in taking a closer look you are free to do so.
MillionTreesNYC is doing several tree giveaways this spring, including two in Brooklyn, the first of which is this weekend: Green Fort Green and Clinton Hill & FAB Alliance Giveaway (Brooklyn)
Saturday April 17th and Sunday April 18th 10 am – 3 pm
Putnam Triangle (Putnam Avenue & Fulton Street)
More details here.
 This Thursday, LinRoFORMA (the block association for Lincoln between Flatbush and Ocean), is holding a free workshop on street tree care, at 6 pm:
Carla Osorio of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's Greenbridge program will teach us how to support the healthy development of our street trees and how to beautify tree pits without harming the trees. All participants will receive a set of hand gardening tools!
We'll meet in the lobby of 40 Lincoln Road at 6:30 PM and use all the
daylight we have.
Keep in mind that there street trees throughout PLG in need of caretakers. The newly planted trees on Parkside near Flatbush could seriously use some mulch and watering this year; if anyone reading this lives in the apartment building on the corner, perhaps you could bug your super about it (or take matters into your own hands).
RELATED:
Why are so many trees on Lincoln dying?
Help the city put more trees in PLG
 Every year around this time, someone posts a question on the Lefferts list about where to buy plants and garden items. So this year we are proactively recommending our local garden shop, Kings County Nursery, on New York Avenue between Fenimore and Rutland. They carry pretty much anything you want, their prices are reasonable, and you don't have to get in a car to shop there. (I bring a large grocery cart for heavy items and that usually does the trick.)
Kings is giving the Hawthorne Street Block Association a discount on street planters, and would most likely be willing to work with other block associations on their street plantings. So call 'em up and ask: 718-493-2363.
 As much as I love Prospect Park, I am sure there is a lot going on there that I don't want to know about. Currently at the top of the list is the mysterious pile of entrails recently found at the lake. According to the Brooklyn Paper, people have found bloody and eviscerated chicken carcasses not once, but twice.
I suspect the entrails are part of a Santeria-like ceremony but I don't know enough about Santeria to be sure and I sure as hell don't want anyone bringing that hoodoo down on me.
Want to unload your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly fashion? You've got two options. The easiest is to just leave it on the curb from January 5 to 15th. The Dept. of Sanitation will come pick it up at some point, though exactly when we can't say. Your other option is to take it to the Parks Department annual Mulchfest, which will be on Saturday, January 9, and Sunday, January 10, from 10 am to 2 pm. Drop off points are at the 3rd Street entrance off of Prospect Park West and at Park Circle (Parkside Avenue and Prospect Park Southwest). You can pick up free mulch there, even if you don't bring an Xmas tree. Be sure to bring your own bags, though. Volunteers are needed to help with Mulchfest. You can sign up for that here. 
 A proposed amendment to zoning rules would make it harder for property owners to turn their stoops and front yards into parking spaces. You need to look no farther than Parkside Avenue to see how curb cuts can make a nice block ugly: many front gardens there have been paved over to serve as driveways. The owners paint the curb in front yellow, removing space available for public parking -- sometimes legally, sometimes not. Flatbush Life has more about the proposed changes here. At the next Community Board 9 meeting, reps from the Department of City Planning will be discussing the zoning changes and answering questions about them. Come on down! Tuesday, December 22
7 pm
Middle School 61 Auditorium
400 Empire Boulevard
Brooklyn NY 11225
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