CITYist

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, New York is going green. More specifically, Union Square will be turned into a plant kingdom today with an entire wall of native New York species erected on its Southern plaza. This herbaceous oasis is the product of Miguel Nelson, the founder of Woolly Pockets—recycled plastic containers that house plants and turn any concrete jungle into a rainforest.

Nelson has been at work since 7 a.m. this morning to build the plant wall, constructed from 400 woolly pockets, which will stay up all weekend for New Yorkers to enjoy. The aim is to raise awareness for the NYC Grows Festival as well as the Woolly Pocket School Program, where school gardens can be grown on a chain link fence. Talk about city beautification.