Apart from cultivating delicious foods and discovering the secrets of gardening, an integral appeal of participating in the Beach 91st Street Community Garden is the sense of community it fosters. Over the years, from my initial membership to assuming a leadership role, the garden has provided me with a unique avenue to connect with individuals in Rockaway whom I might never have crossed paths with otherwise. Our group is a sea of cultures and age ranges, yet we find ourselves united by our shared love for the soil.
Fred monitoring his lettuce sprouts.
I met Fredrico Phillips about three years ago. Trotting down Beach 91, all smiles and shirtless. When he learned I was the manager of the community garden, Fred expressed his interest in joining but said he had little experience. “No problem!” Part of the garden’s mission is to educate our neighbors about the benefits of growing organic foods, and how-to and to demonstrate eco-sustainable practices through action.
This year after being on the waiting list, Fred received a plot! Not only has he begun an early season with a variety of lettuces, but he’s also an active member at our meetings and has volunteered to help with a very special project I’d like to share about.
The garden site map serves as a comprehensive guide, showcasing everything the garden has to offer and aiding members in locating various features. With significant infrastructure changes over the past two years, including the addition of two new common space planting beds, a pergola, and a communal herb bed, it was time for an update. I reached out to members for design assistance in recreating the map for the 2024 season and Fred eagerly volunteered to lend his talents!
Frederico, originally from Algarve, Portugal, has lived in NYC far and wide before settling in Rockaway in September 2021. “I came for the ocean but the sense of being in a community of friendly, like-minded people is something that makes me feel closer to home. There’s nature, surf, active people, gardening, airplanes, cats and dogs… I mean it kinda has it all.” The opportunity to learn about gardening and to be more self-sustainable is why Fred was eager to join the B91 Garden. He said, “It’s like learning life skills, hopefully, I will be growing food for a long time and this is the beginning.” Fred enjoys eating Zucchini because the word sounds cool. Also, he feels it’s an easy veggie to cook fried, grilled and it can be tossed into any and every dish.
Frederico Phillips is a 3D rendering artist with over 14 years in this specialized industry. His work is tailored for the advertising and branding sphere. With a focus on event and architecture visualization, Frederico’s skills breathe life into concepts through stunning visual representations. His mastery extends to 3D food & beverage modeling, as well as product rendering, ensuring every detail is meticulously crafted to captivate audiences and elevate brands. So when you see a box of Rice Krispie Treats in Key Food this weekend, know that your neighbor Fred illustrated those scrumptious delights!
Rice Krispie Treats illustration designed by Frederico Phillips.
Through our collaboration on the site map, I learned about Fred’s process, the tools he uses, and how I can apply what I learned from him to my 2D graphic work. Primarily Fred illustrates in 3D Max and uses Adobe Creative Suite. In the past few years, he’s been experimenting with AI platforms. Fred taught me the basics of this wild new technology! I learned about uprise.us and magnific.ai which assist in insanely detailed effects. I’ve been using Midjourney, the AI App that generates images from text prompts from us humans, to create our visual intentions.
The finished 3D design of the B91 Garden site map is just incredible. I never imagined it to be so detailed, accurate, and beautiful. It truly evokes the spirit of the garden and so on behalf of the Beach 91st Community Garden, I’d like to say, thank you Fred for your outstanding work!
Site Map Designed by Fredrico Phillips. I asked Fred if he could illustrate our garden cats, “Yes, of course!
This Sunday, May 19th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Beach 91st Street Community Garden is hosting its annual plant sale fundraiser. Enjoy the spring air and vibrant blooms while spending time with friends and neighbors —bring a blanket and picnic to make the most of the day. This year, there are some exciting new additions you won’t want to miss!
A delightful selection of plants to elevate your greenery game will be for sale. Offerings include tomatoes, aromatic basil, peppers, chives, and other herbs perfect for culinary adventures. An array of perennial favorites such as the graceful walkers low, autumn joy, the ever-charming daylily, persicaria ‘red dragon’, and various beach grasses to add texture and coastal charm will be available to you. For indoor oasis seekers, look for these houseplants: the regal purple queen, spider plants, soothing aloe vera, stick plants, and more.
New this year, the B91 Garden will have a cute selection of garden tools and accessories for purchase. A raffle for two free Queens Botanical Garden tickets, and some freebies too! There will be a limited amount of B91 totes designed by artist Phil Rodriguez. The tote bag was screen printed at Kingsland Printing (WBE) owned by the lovely Sara Gates.
B91 garden member Mike Benigno, soap maker and owner of Holland Avenue Soap (@hollandavenuesoapco) will have a sampling of his spring and summer scents. A portion of the proceeds will be generously donated to the garden’s fundraiser. Many soaps in the Holland Avenue collection are crafted using soleseife methods, featuring purified seawater as the primary ingredient. Select bars incorporate B91 Community Garden homegrown herbs, infused into oils during the production process. Pretty sweet, right?!
Photo courtesy of Holland Avenue Soap.
Attention lemonade lovers: Ms. Elise and Ms. Natalie along with their crew will be serving up high-end lemonade drinks with a splash of sunshine. Consider supporting the young entrepreneurs of Rockaway’s future!
Proceeds from the fundraiser will contribute to enhancing garden infrastructure and supporting community events and activities. The B91 Garden extends gratitude to its supporters and the Rockaway community. Follow the garden on IG: @beach91communitygarden to learn more about the group’s community outreach, gardening tips, art projects, and more.
by Paula D.
on July 10, 2024 8:53 am in Food
While browsing the dollar store for hair nets, for my new career in the pizza industry, the pincushions hanging on the wall nearby caught my attention, because a pincushion is a tomato.
Did you ever think, “Why the hell is a pincushion a tomato?” I never did until this profound moment, where all the sound and busyness surrounding me in the store disappeared and it seemed as though there was a glorifying light around all the pincushions
Photo credit, Pook & Pook, Inc.
The history of the tomato pincushion is fascinating and I want to share this important information with you:
During the Victorian Era, it was believed that placing a tomato on the mantle of a new home would bring good luck and prosperity and ward off evil spirits. I’m guessing somehow the poised Victorian Women had a connection to a coven of spicy Sicilian witches and this is how they learned about all the mystical properties of the sacred fruit. The vibrant red hue wards off demons and the plump figure of the tomato signifies wealth, prosperity, and beauty.
When tomatoes were out of season, families improvised with round balls of red fabric filled with sawdust, horse hair, or sand, which they also realized served as a convenient place to store sewing pins. It was common in this era to see pincushions in various vegetable shapes. Despite this, the tomato pincushion prevailed and remains the most popular choice (obviously).
I initially thought the mini tomato tassel hanging off the big tomato was a different variety, most likely a plum. I found it curious though and decided to dig a little. Shockingly, I discovered that it was actually a strawberry?!
Tomato Pincushion.
Hesitating, I walked delicately towards the crowd of black suits standing in clusters on the sand at 94th Street. Why did I feel so nervous? I saw my friend Elise. She’s 9 years old. We started talking about Surf Camp and how excited she is to start it up again in June.
Photo By Frith Fraser.
This would be my first memorial paddle-out.
Our friend Sean organized everyone. He explained what would happen for the newbies… me. We’d paddle out, following his lead, a bit past the jetty. We’d embrace each other’s hands and form a circle. Words would be said in honor of Daniel King. Sean said, “Then, you need to create as much energy as possible in celebration of Dan!” We were told to splash our hands in the water and call out his name. And release the flowers we took from Earth into the ocean.
Photo By Josh Gallagher.
As the waves passed under us, Dan’s long-time friend Jodi Jordan Mulvanerty spoke in the middle of the circle. Her words were so touching:
“It is no substitute, but the last two days have been filled with so much love. I’ve seen people deepen their friendships and make new ones and all of that produced love is a result of Dan King. … because energy is never destroyed, just transferred, I can feel him here with us in the love we have for each other and in the ocean and in Rockaway. …I want to ask everyone to make an effort to tell your friends you love them, to make new connections, and to “Hug your mates.” Do it for Dan.” Keep him alive in your love.”
I was overwhelmed by the connection I felt as one person linked into the larger circle. It felt magical. What happened next I oddly didn’t anticipate. We all surfed and boogie-boarded together. Maybe 50 of us? The waves were a little messy, knee-to-waist high, and easy to ride. People cheered for each other on the waves. People talked about Dan. I felt the energy. It was warm and the sun peaked out. Dan’s people on land laid out their blankets and picnicked. It was a day perfectly suited to honor the life of our mate.
Photo by Lauren Giambalvo.
On Monday, March 18, 2024, we lost a dear friend, the vibrant and creative soul, Daniel King, in a tragic car accident. At 39 years old, he left behind his parents, Paul and Eva King, his sister Sarah King, his nephew Cassidy, and his loving family, near and far. Dan leaves behind his cherished Emma, the radiant beacon of his heart, whose love illuminated his every moment. In solidarity with his family and partner, his colleagues, the creative community, his widespread circle of friends, and his mates in Rockaway Beach, Dan is deeply missed and mourned.
Daniel King and his partner Emma Hastil were featured in the pages of the NY Times. Read about their creative endeavors and journey to Rockaway here.
Dan’s vast artist body of work can be viewed at DanielKing.com.
