Eating better can be a constant struggle, especially for big city dwellers more likely to hit the hot dog cart than the produce aisle. For the many whose budget won’t allow for splurging on organics, the thought of piling a basket high with healthy foods is far off. But thanks to Health Bucks, a city-wide coupon program geared toward low- and fixed-income residents, bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to the table may be less of a trial.

Just as we’re all about the beauty and preservation of nature, The New York Botanical Garden stands behind the delicious, great-for-you goodness that comes out of it! It’s why you’ll find some of the area’s finest farm-raised fruits and vegetables for sale along Garden Way, Wednesday mornings through November. Blackberries and blueberries, kale, apples, cucumbers, fresh herbs–the Greenmarket is a weekly cornucopia of home-grown, seasonal garden goodies. Now made that much easier on wallets thanks to a city-wide initiative.
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Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.

The Bedford Gate, opened in April

Last week we discussed the container displays at the Mosholu Gate entrance (the train station entrance) of the Garden. This week we will take a look at the containers that adorn the recently-opened Bedford Gate.

Bedford Gate was created in honor of the new parking garage that the NYBG built adjacent to the train station. Once you park your car in the garage, walk over the Bedford Bridge, cross the street and enter the Garden. The Perennial Garden walk, which takes you past the Home Gardening Center, Seasonal Walk, the Conservatory and the Perennial Garden, is right there. The Garden Café is also situated directly across from the Home Gardening Center. It is certainly a convenient point of entry.

While the Mosholu Gate containers are in full sun, the Bedford Gate is in a shady part of the Garden. Tall trees provide a cool canopy while rhododendrons, azaleas and variegated Japanese hakone grass create the understory planting. The containers at the Bedford Gate are two large, faux terra cotta containers. The display includes some of the annuals we discussed last week. Coleus ‘Red Carpet’ and the golden-leaved sweet potato vine named ‘Margarita’ spill over the edges of the containers. Repeating annuals in multiple container displays throughout the Garden creates a nice sense of continuity.
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Quercus rubra — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen