Because Tuesday is the new Wednesday (at least in this three-day week), we thought we’d take a moment to celebrate the sublime beauty of the Japanese Chrysanthemums currently on display in the Nolen Greenhouses. The mums will only be around until Sunday, November 28. Be sure to bring your camera and a great macro lens, and join our Flickr group pool to show us your best shots.

So why not take advantage of your four-day weekend and come for a visit! There’s plenty more going on at the Garden, too. There’s the Holiday Train Show, hikes in the Forest, a theatrical performance of the beloved Golden Book “Tootle the Train,” and plenty of great shopping.  Enjoy!

Landscape Design Alumni Give Back in Honor of Fellow Student

Valerie D’Antonio holds a Certificate in Landscape Design from The New York Botanical Garden’s Continuing Education program and is principal and owner of D’Antonio Landscape Designs, Inc.

The principle of genius loci, a Latin phrase indicating the spirit of a place, is one that landscape designers use to get a sense of a space before they begin to create a garden.

The idea is that every space has its own unique qualities and atmosphere, factors that should be respected during design. There is a feeling one gets when experiencing the intangibles that define a space. For example, a long, winding path through the woods can evoke a quiet, churchlike air.

This particular drizzly, cloudy day as I drive through the Conservatory Gate at The New York Botanical Garden, which I have done countless times, I am greeted by exuberant waves of giant striped grasses, blood-red coleus, and purple Russian sage, which light up the gray skies and fill me with excitement and anticipation.

Another wonderful space, the allée of majestic tulip trees, leads me to the beautifully restored Library building, which gives me a feeling of calm and wonder. The Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden, designed by Lynden B. Miller and punctuated with evergreen ‘Sky Pencil’ hollies, Japanese maple fall-colored leaves, and bird-favorite seed heads of perennial black-eyed Susans and coneflowers, is another one of the Garden’s spaces that exudes a feeling of lushness and beauty. read more »

Written by Burpee Home Gardens Team. Burpee Home Gardens was a Supporting Sponsor of The Edible Garden.

Getting kids to make healthy food choices can be a struggle. One of the best ways to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetable is to provide them with a sense of ownership and understanding of where their food comes from. Children-focused vegetable gardens are a great way to start.

In 2010, Burpee Home Gardens was happy to sponsor a handful of community and youth gardens all over the United States through its “I Can Grow” initiative. We saw the excitement in the participants’ eyes, and we were honored to be a part of programs like The New York Botanical Garden’s The Edible Garden, where the interest in cooking with home-grown produce was celebrated.

Now we’re thrilled to be offering even more chances for youth- and education-focused gardening programs to get the funding and plants they need to be successful and fun. The 2011 “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award will support and sponsor urban school and community youth gardens with vegetable and herb plants, garden layout expertise, event promotion, and of course money for supplies!

Learn how to apply for this award below.

Pinch me.

Japanese Maple (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)