Brooklyn "Yards"

Last week, when I mentioned the front yard in front of someone's house, Missy commented:

You said that flower was sprouted from a crack in the front yard. Do you call the front a yard, even if it's tile/concrete/sidewalk? Small town southerners want to know! :)

Well, yes, we do, but it's not an easy answer because the gardens/yards are as diverse as the population. Some have short stoops and no yards, some have stoops that extend to the sidewalk, some have A LOT of plant life, some have nothing but concrete - and then there's everything in between.

So I figured I'd share some photos with you today.

Some are plain.

Some have a small tree in courtyard/yard

Some are more elaborate.

To give an idea of how things change with various owners - when my daughters were little, one of their friends lived in this building. That back area was an elaborate play spot with rubber pads, sand boxes, climbing toys, plants, etc. Now it's just a place for the garbage.

Some have pine trees.  :)

I think these are gardenias.

As you can see, most have a small concrete area in front that houses trash cans. Some people leave as is, but some create elaborate gardens. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden runs a contest each year for The Greenest Block in Brooklyn. If you're interested, this site has photos of the blocks chosen each year from 1995 - present (except it's 2015). This is last year's winner.  It takes some serious work and neighborhood cooperation!