Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education. Join her each weekend for home gardening demonstrations on a variety of topics in the Home Gardening Center.

Last week I blogged about Doug Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home and the natural life cycles and interdependence among species in an ecological community. What happens when the balance of nature is disrupted?

The problem usually arises when an invasive species comes in and completely overturns the equilibrium—a process in which humans are intimately involved.

Not only are we generally responsible for introducing exotic, invasive species, we also mangle the environment with construction equipment, paved roadways, big lawns (a great American monoculture), and other means that disrupt natural communities. These disturbances provide invasive species with an ideal opportunity to colonize. read more »

The Guinness World Record-holding giant pumpkin is here!

The pumpkin, grown by Chris Stevens in New Richmond, Wisconsin weighs 1,810 1/2 pounds.  It will be on display at The New York Botanical Garden through Halloween along with two other giant pumpkins.  The second weightiest of the group (shown at right) clocks in at 1,725 pounds and was grown by Ken Sweet in Washington, Michigan.  The third gourd in the giant pumpkin trio was grown by Steve Connolly in Sharon, Massachusetts and weighs 1,674 1/2 pounds.

Pictures cannot convey how impressive these amazing, sustainably-grown ‘Atlantic Giants’ are. So come see them for yourself! The pumpkins will be on display around the reflecting pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center through Sunday, October 31.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 29, 30, and 31 renowned pumpkin carver Steve Cully will be at the Botanical Garden to carve the record-setting gourd. Cully will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the Largest Jack ‘O Lantern which he already holds!

To plan your visit and learn more about the pumpkins and the Garden, click here. And for eleven fun facts we learned about giant pumpkins from the growers themselves, click here.

Here are some fun facts I learned about giant pumpkins from the farmers that grow them.

- During peak growth, the pumpkins can add as much as 50 pounds of weight per day.

- The pale color of the pumpkins has been genetically selected for because the farmers think it looks nice. The pale salmon color also contains tinge of blue that highlights the genetic heritage of the Blue Hubbard squash.

For more fun pumpkin facts and an exclusive photo gallery head below the break.

Rustin Dwyer is Visual Media Production Specialist at The New York Botanical Garden.

What makes a good olive oil? What’s the deal with whole wheat pasta? How much should I pay?

The “Master of Molto Gusto” paid us a visit last weekend and took time to answer all these questions and more. Here are some amazing images from last weekend’s event, so check it out if you missed it . . .

New York state’s largest free bicycle tour, the 15th annual Tour de Bronx, is coming to The New York Botanical Garden!

There may be two rides; a leisurely 25-mile ride for all ages and skill levels, and a more athletic ride that clocks in at 40 miles, but both end at the Botanical Garden.

Learn more about the Tour de Bronx below the jump.

The first of three giant pumpkins that will call The New York Botanical Garden home through Halloween (as part of Halloween Hoorah) arrived today. And what an arrival it was! The 1,725 pound beauty was grown by farmer Ken Sweet in Michigan–40 miles north of Detroit on the border of the towns of Romeo and Armada–and was driven here by his two buddies Don van Houtte and Mark Mikula.  The two men set out yesterday, stopped in Pennsylvania for a rest and arrived behind the Conservatory around 11 a.m. They were greeted by a small fleet of golf carts bringing smiling Garden employees, and one very large forklift.

After a few photo ops with the employees, the giant pumpkin was lifted gently from its truck by the forklift, and carried in a caravan of golf carts to its resting spot by the reflecting pool in front of the Leon Levy Visitors Center where it will shortly be joined by two pumpkin buddies, including the new world record holder, a behemoth weighing in at 1,800 pounds!

Click here for exclusive pictures of the arrival of the first giant pumpkin!

The holidays are fast approaching, and with them comes the cherished New York City tradition of the Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden.

All the old favorites will be here: the original Yankee Stadium, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Belvedere Castle, Pennsylvania Station.  But there always has to be something new under the glittering dome of the Conservatory!

So this year the Botanical Garden and the workshop of Applied Imagination are adding some planes to our trains with the iconic Eero Saarinen-designed Trans World Airlines Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport.  The modernist masterpiece (now known as JetBlue’s Terminal 5) comes complete with tarmac, runway, and several airplanes including the Concorde.

Get an exclusive first look at the model and planes below.

These Images of the Garden from Autumns Past Set the Mood

And the feeling is completely mutual!

The celebrity chef and philanthropist came to The New York Botanical Garden on Saturday to do a cooking demo for the finale weekend of The Edible Garden.

Just before thrilling the audience with his amazing food, anecdotes, tips, and tricks, we got a few minutes to ask Mario what he likes about the Botanical Garden.

Turns out: He likes the Garden quite a bit. We’re blushing!

Mario loves us! He really loves us!

Stay tuned for more from Mario’s demo. We’ll be posting another video soon, and recipes, too.

Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education. Join her each weekend for home gardening demonstrations on a variety of topics in the Home Gardening Center.

The lovely title of Douglas Tallamy’s acclaimed book Bringing Nature Home implies that as gardeners and environmentally minded citizens, one of our directives is to invite nature—birds, bees, butterflies, and other critters—into our landscapes.

As I wrote about in the past few weeks, invasive plants change face of our natural landscape, and so do pollution and urban sprawl. In his book, an outstanding homage to biodiversity, Tallamy looks at two other destructive forces: habitat destruction and the loss of species.

Biodiversity is synonymous with a balanced ecological community. Plants, insects, and other animals have all co-evolved in communities with complex, interconnected lives that are dependent on one another.

Many insects are specialists, meaning that they feed on specific plants. This is nature’s way of ensuring that species are not decimated by predators. How do plants do this? read more »