Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Fire Escape Gardens Thriving (and Illegal)
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 19, 2009
Modified Mar 19, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 19, 2009
Modified Mar 19, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Today Brooklyn Based has some tips on growing the perfect garden...on your fire escape. The site eases cases of outdoor space envy by saying, "If you’ve got window sills, a fire escape or a stoop, you’re two months away from homegrown tomatoes and morning glory vines." One commenter quickly sounded his safety whistle with warnings of such an urban escape being illegal—but it's certainly been done before. In fact, earlier this month SustainBlog had a list of vegetables one could grow on their fire escape.
A call to 311 didn't clarify much, they said they didn't have any information on whether or not having plants on a fire escape is illegal or legal, though the operator did say it "sounds like a fire hazard." In the past, in response to reading about a lush garden on a city fire escape, one FDNY battalion chief wrote in to the NY Times saying, "The problem is that a firefighter may someday have to contend with this jungle to save a life and it is illegal to block fire escapes with plants, or any other material."
But let's say you don't put safety first, or simply want to grow some greens out of a perfectly legal window box, let's talk about the real problem here: pigeons and squirrels. Sure the tomatoes growing outside of your abode may look lovely, but in all likelihood they'll look delicious to these urban animals as well. We asked the Brooklyn Botanic Garden if they had any tips to keeping critters away, and they told us to just add blood! (Yes, gardening just got creepy.) Here was their full recommendation: "For windowboxers, GreenBridge recommends using an organic nitrogen fertilizer containing dried blood, which is readily available in garden centers. Humans can’t smell it, but rodents can and it turns them away. Plus it’s a great soil amendment that enhances the soil in your box with nitrogen and other rich organic matter! And for windowboxers who planted their seeds in the fall and are waiting on things to sprout, a small bit of chicken wire is a good protector in the winter months."
Tagged
bbg
fire escape
garden
growth
illegal
legal
plants
windowbox
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .