Peach and raspberry pies, savoy cabbage, pear cider, pickled beets, Macintosh apples, parsnips and tomato juice! This is just a sampling of the fresh baked, picked, or pressed eats stacked high during last week’s Greenmarket cornucopia, and there’s sure to be more this Wednesday as we dig deeper into the fall harvest.

Believe it or not, the crowds have only grown since the thermometer started dipping. I guess you can’t underestimate the power of fresh fruits and vegetables to mobilize New Yorkers before the sleet and snow start falling, though the threat of pale, “cardboard” tomatoes on the horizon might also have something to do with it! So if your schedule is lax and your fruit bowl is looking a touch on the skinny side, scribble “Greenmarket” into the October 3 slot in your organizer, leave your produce bag by the door, and drop a couple bucks on your Metrocard for a stop in the Bronx.
read more »

Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.

The other week I was out in the Home Gardening Center teaching Garden visitors how to divide their favorite perennials. The demonstration ended and several visitors lingered around the display table in the Ken Roman Gazebo, inspecting the divisions and their various root systems.

This is the informal part of the demonstration when we unwind by chatting informally about our gardens, comparing seasonal notes, and planning for our future. It was during one of these conversations that a woman suddenly exclaimed, “You know, what I would really like to grow next year is the moonflower!”

The funny thing is that I had been admiring a moonflower just several nights earlier while downtown in the Financial District. I passed around several pictures taken on my smartphone, listening to the “oohs” and “aahs” of the small crowd.

The moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is a night blooming member of the morning glory family. It is a tender perennial in the American tropics and is used as an annual in the north. It has heart-shaped (cordate) leaves and flowers that are in the typical saucer shape of a morning glory. Ipomoea alba’s pristine white blooms reach five to six inches in diameter and exude a delicious perfume.
read more »

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen