A resident-led effort to transform a neglected tree island into a resilient, pollinator-friendly micro-meadow — one block from the High Line, and a pitching wedge from its inspiration and namesake, Little Island.
For pollinators, pedestrians, and pause.
40.7473° N · 74.0055° W · 5 × 10 ft · One arched curb
About the project
Some of the most visible public spaces in West Chelsea are also the most overlooked: tree islands, curbside edges, bike-lane islands, small fragments of soil embedded in the street.
Itty Island turns one of these spaces into a cared-for neighborhood garden — a tiny island of beauty and ecological value between the sidewalk and the bike lane on 24th Street.
What's growing
The island has been enriched with compost, cultivated, and planted with hardy perennials and pollinator-friendly plants chosen for resilience, texture, and the ability to survive next to a bike lane in Manhattan. More height and movement are on the way.
In the ground now
- ●Lady's mantle Alchemilla mollis
- ●Jerusalem sage Phlomis russeliana
- ●Russian sage Salvia yangii
- ●Lamb's ear Stachys byzantina
- ●Hidcote lavender Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'
- ●Catmint Nepeta sp.
- ●Ice plant Delosperma sp.
- ●Moonshine yarrow Achillea 'Moonshine'
- ●Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
- ●Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa
- ●Aztec tobacco Nicotiana rustica
- ●Joe Pye weed Eutrochium maculatum
- ●Japanese anemone Anemone × hybrida
- ●Autumn Joy sedum Hylotelephium 'Autumn Joy'
- ●Pink muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
- ●Elijah blue fescue Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'
- ●Wild lupine Lupinus perennis
Follow along
The whole process, documented in real time.
Contact
Questions, ideas, donations, partnerships, or private garden projects — we're listening.
Reach out about Itty Island, or about creating something small, wild, and beautiful in your own corner of the city.
Thank you — your message is on its way. We'll be in touch soon.