Last night I was watering the garden, and a woman on the sidewalk smoking started talking with me about what I had planted. She gave me many compliments about my choice of stuff, how varied it was, etc. She kind of followed me, planter by planter, commenting on how healthy and happy each planting was.  I've seen her before around the same time, and figure she either lives or works on the block and doesn't or can't smoke inside. I asked if she had a garden where she lived now, and she said "no, not at this time." She spoke very carefully and formally, like that. Having a corner street-level "garden" - big planters between my building and an iron fence - is both great and challenging. One street is residential, the other is commercial, made up mostly of bars and restaurants at the street level. Last night I realized when I work on the 5th ave. side (commercial) I get many compliments and thank-you's, although that side also gets the trash and cigarette butts chucked in. Last night's gifts were half a bagel, which the ants were enjoying, and a wad of gum stuck to a flower leaf. Here's some shots of my garden, and a link to the saga of my stolen plants: