SECRET GARDENS

New York City is built on secrets - which stocks will go up or down, how to get into the hottest speakeasy, where to procure the best martini - but no mystery is as charming and delightful as the island's myriad "secret" community gardens. In the concrete jungle, nothing soothes the jaded stone heart like these mythical plots of land that offer urban respite from the endless pavement. In a place where every square foot is prized and each inch more expensive than the next, these delightful sanctuaries offer priceless green space and speak to the resilient communal spirit of NYC.

Just like each neighborhood of the city, these hidden gems possess distinct personalities and erratic open hours, if you can find them. There's the artsy, eclectic The Creative Little Garden in Alphabet City - one of many to be discovered in the East Village alone - and the mature, leafy Tudor City Greens tucked way back on Second Avenue. For a more meditative mood, contemplate St. Luke's in the Fields Garden down a path on barrow Street, or behold the trickling waterfall and stately ivy clad walls of Greenacre Park on E. 51st. They are everywhere, simply waiting to be discovered.

How does this garden grow? Like any well-cultivated flower bed, the notes are composed, well-ordered, and intended to surprise and delight. Just like the intriguing feeling one gets upon discovering a mysterious new space, the cheerful, sparkling notes reveal themselves with clementine and an effervescent kir royale accord, which competes for your olfactory attention alongside juicy anjou pear perfectly contrasted with fresh ivy leaves. Next, follow the path in to the middle and notice the delicate rose and rose de grasse, decadent tuberose and luxurious star jasmine. The bottom notes are a sensual floral blend of a rich amber, florentine iris and clean fresh musk.