About the project

Some of the most visible public spaces in West Chelsea are also the most overlooked: tree islands, curbside edges, bike-lane islands, small fragments of soil embedded in the street.

Itty Island turns one of these spaces into a cared-for neighborhood garden — a tiny island of beauty and ecological value between the sidewalk and the bike lane on 24th Street.

What's growing

The island has been enriched with compost, cultivated, and planted with hardy perennials and pollinator-friendly plants chosen for resilience, texture, and the ability to survive next to a bike lane in Manhattan. More height and movement are on the way.

In the ground now

• ●Lady's mantle Alchemilla mollis
• ●Jerusalem sage Phlomis russeliana
• ●Russian sage Salvia yangii
• ●Lamb's ear Stachys byzantina
• ●Hidcote lavender Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'
• ●Catmint Nepeta sp.
• ●Ice plant Delosperma sp.
• ●Moonshine yarrow Achillea 'Moonshine'
• ●Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
• ●Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa
• ●Aztec tobacco Nicotiana rustica

Coming soon

• ○Pink muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
• ○Joe Pye weed Eutrochium maculatum
• ○Japanese anemone Anemone × hybrida
• ○Autumn Joy sedum Hylotelephium 'Autumn Joy'

A very patient building superintendent has been watering them in the meantime.

Support the island

Every dollar goes directly to the island. There is no overhead. It's fifty square feet.

• → Pollinator-friendly perennials, grasses, and seasonal bulbs
• → Soil improvement, compost, and mulch
• → Protective edging and ongoing maintenance supplies
• → Signage and plant identification markers
• → Replacement plants when the street wins

Black Gold compost, hauled by hand from the hardware store on 23rd.

Get updates

Occasional dispatches on what's growing, what died, and what the city had to say about it.

No more than twice a month. Unsubscribe anytime.

Follow along

The whole process, documented in real time.