Ed. note: Sandy Wolkenberg is a Citizen Scientist who has been working in the Thain Family Forest for three and a half years. Over the course of a week on Plant Talk, Sandy will share a five-part series of posts on The New York Botanical Garden’s Citizen Scientist Tree Phenology Program. If Sandy’s experiences motivate you to want to know more about becoming a Citizen Scientist, check out the Garden’s Volunteer Program page.

Now, imagine that it is early to mid-March, the beginning of the spring season. Citizen Scientists excitedly descend upon the Thain Family Forest! We scan the designated trees looking for “emerging leaves.” Protocols describe ”emerging leaves” as follows: ”In at least 3 locations on the plant, an emerging leaf is visible. A leaf is considered emerging once the green tip is visible at the end of the leaf bud, but before it has fully unfolded to expose the leaf stalk (petiole) or leaf base.”

Aching necks and high fives! Learn more about the joys of phenology below.

From August 27 – September 25, families can explore Mario Batali’s Edible Garden in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and enjoy daily gardening activities and cooking demonstrations showcasing kid-friendly recipes with the chance to sample and search for ingredients in the garden. We are posting the recipes from Mario Batali’s Edible Garden here on the NYBG blog, Plant Talk, so check back often.

Shaved Turnip Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano and New York Botanical Garden Honey

Mark Ladner, Executive Chef, Del Posto

1 bunch smallish turnips, with tops
1 ounce New York Botanical Garden honey
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, for shaving
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce extra virgin olive oil
Coarsley ground black pepper

Remove tops from the turnips. Wash and dry both the tops and the bottoms very well. Discard discolored, holey, wilted, or rotted parts.

Mix honey, lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper in a medium bowl. Using a Japanese mandolin, shave turnips into mixing bowl. Add turnip tops and a generous shaving of cheese.

Gently toss, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve immediately.

Soft Focus

Sharp Focus

Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen