Dear Ms. Demeanor: There are ugly, dead flowers outside my condo. How do I get my building to maintain the planters?
One option is to form a gardening committee and pitch in.
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I live in a condo with planters in front of the building. For years, the planters have been well cared for, and filled with blooming flowers in the spring. This year, the flowers are all dead. How do I get my building to maintain the planters? Signed, Wilted
Dear Wilted,
I see a committee in your future. First, speak to a member of the board and see why those flowers are not being cultivated. My guess is that the board members are too busy with other matters. However, you could point out that pretty flowers in front of a building add value and are much more esthetically pleasing than dead ones. So, why don’t you volunteer to form a committee with others in your building who may have a green thumb and want to take matters into their own (soil-filled) hands?
Another alternative is to hire a local florist to plant things that do not need a lot of attention. They may also be able to provide maintenance at a low cost. Florists may be interested because it could be free advertising. They could place a discreet sign with their logo and contact info in between the posies. My building did this and the cost was relatively low. For our roof garden, we have a committee that does the planting and upkeep. Many city people get their “country” groove on by doing this and the results make everyone happy.
Either way, dead flowers are a major turn off, so pull them pronto.
Ms. Demeanor
Dianne Ackerman is the new voice of reason behind Ms. Demeanor. She has lived in her Upper East Side co-op for the past 20 years and is the vice president of her co-op board. She is filled with opinions that she gladly shares with all who ask—and some who do not. Have something that needs sorting out? Drop her an email.
