Drs. Noel and Patricia Holmgren

The New York Botanical Garden is home to some of the planet’s most talented, accomplished, and prolific botanical scientists. It’s a serious point of pride around here! But we still feel a spark of gratification whenever our staff members earn recognition outside the gates, from a global community of scientists that understands the significance of their contributions. And of the many botanists to receive accolades, especially deserving are Drs. Patricia and Noel Holmgren, 2012′s recipients of the prestigious Asa Gray Award for lifetime achievement in their field.

It’s a special few that can measure out their dedication to this institution in decades. Fewer still who’ve done it all in tandem with their spouse. But for Patricia and Noel, who spent a combined 68 years with the NYBG, this award from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists is something of a highlight for two celebrated careers. The recognition comes in light of the Holmgrens’ work with the Index Herbariorum, an NYBG-based index of the world’s nearly 3,400 herbaria and 10,000 associated curators. First printed in 1952, this internationally-recognized collection has since come under the Holmgrens’ stewardship, now maintained by the pair in both current print editions and a comprehensive digital database.
read more »

First thing’s first: We have released new tickets for the final two Monet Evenings! If you’d like to wander around the water lily pools and stroll down our recreation of Monet’s grand allée, cocktail in hand, while the sun sets behind the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, then you need to snap up your tickets before they sell out again!

Next up, dinnertime in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden! As part of “Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens,” a robust and interactive space in the Family Garden filled with beds of vegetables and herbs used at Mario’s restaurant kitchens, Family Dinners with Mario Batali’s Chefs pairs the produce from these beds with chefs from Mario Batali’s restaurants. On Thursday, July 26 join Chef Frank Langello of Babbo Ristorante and Chef Cruz Goler of Lupa Osteria Romana for an unforgettable dinner. Want to know what’s on the menu? Annie Novak, Assistant Manager of the Family Garden shows you in the video below.

read more »

Walking into work through the Mosholu Gate, I always pass a riot of color thanks to these planters. Sonia Uyterhoeven‘s recently put together a piece on the varieties that went into these Mosholu Gate presentations, as well as those at the Bedford entrance. Highly suggested for home gardeners looking for pointers on matching plants.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen