by KYW’s Phran Novelli

How much space do you need to garden? Not much.

This spring, our friends set out just a few pots on their fire escape – outdoor space doesn’t get much tighter than that. They’re not growing a tree there in Brooklyn, just a pot of succulents, plus two little ones filled with fluffy grass – some greenery to soften their view. But when they went to put their air conditioner in that window they found a surprise –a nest tucked into the slight shelter between pots. They couldn’t bring themselves to disturb the nest and soon two eggs appeared. So our friends endured two weeks of heat waves without A/C and watched through their window as the mourning doves hatched and grew, and their parents tended them until they flew.

A nice reminder that there’s really no place at all too small for you to garden and create a happy habitat for all kinds of nature – even the slim step of a fire escape.

(Photos by Chuanda Tan)