Laurels & Darts
Laurels: To Neil Calet & Promenade Gardeners
Neil Calet, retired advertising executive and now a community benefactor, may be considered the ‘Godfather’ of the Promenade Gardens. Our pages have recently carried reports of how he spear-headed the creation of a plan to revive the gardens—indeed, to save them—when NYC Parks Department cutbacks first became severe. And the Promenade Gardeners’ good work seems to encourage, and certainly reflect, private efforts. Strolling to the Promenade, visitors pass the colorful plantings in front of 65 and 57 Montague Street –just two of dozens of spirited private gardens that give pleasure to the public.
Below is some research Neil kindly provided to back up our universal feeling, maybe suspicion: something along the lines of “By Golly, plants and flowers make me feel good.” Of course, science tells us that trees and plants eat carbon and give off oxygen….what more do we need to know?