Are you tired of cherry blossom pictures yet? Nope? Good, because I’m not either!

The Waterlily & Lotuses Pool in the courtyard of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a magical place. Summer breezes ripple the surface, playing with the glittering reflection of the Conservatory; koi stick their heads clear out of the water, as if begging for a scratch under the chin; and kaleidoscopic waterlilies and lotuses stir gently, like drowsy dancers at the end of an evening of waltzing. The colors and lingering aromas of these exotic flowers create a enchanted atmosphere, perfect for afternoon daydreaming.

Nymphaea 'Moon Dance'

Nymphaea 'Sioux'

Nymphaea 'Laydekeri Fulgens'

More beauty below.

Things are moving fast here at the Garden; each day brings word of another extraordinarily beautiful plant that has burst into bloom. So, while we’re closed today (but we’ll be open next Monday, April 25), we thought we would share with you some of the amazing flowering trees that are in bloom around our 250-acres. Of course, just as plants burst into flower, they also stop flowering, too, so we cannot guarantee that all of these will still be in bloom when you visit. So, be sure to follow us on Twitter or “like” us on Facebook and get up to the minute updates on what’s beautiful now at the Garden (keeping an eye on the NYBG Blog, Plant Talk can’t hurt either). And if you’ve got a question about whether a specific plant is in bloom, feel free to ask us! We’ll dispatch a plant-porter out into the Garden and get back to you.

Willow-Leaf Magnolia Salicifolia

Cherry Blossoms

In the Mist

Forsythia along the Bronx River

Magnolia 'Columbia'

Cherry Blossoms

Star Magnolia in front of the Library

Weeping Cherry

Near the Library

Magnolia stellata

Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen and Mark Pfeffer.

Nick Leshi is Associate Director of Public Relations and Electronic Media.

In the September 2008 issue of Outside, a health, fitness, and travel magazine, Eric Hansen wrote a two-and-a-half page feature chronicling his quest to find the Bronx’s elusive José the Beaver. Named as a tribute to Congressman José Serrano, the beaver has garnered an urban legend mystique with sightings along the Bronx River. The writer visited The New York Botanical Garden while researching his story and dubbed our institution “a biologically diverse oasis.”

Reading this article made me think of all the other amazing wildlife one can see here on a given day. Yes, the Botanical Garden prides itself as a museum of plants with extensive flora in its 50 gardens and plant collections. But visitors might be surprised at the diversity of fauna they could also stumble upon during a visit here. Our neighbor across Fordham Road may have lions and tigers and bears, but a stroll through NYBG reveals an unexpected variety of life from the animal kingdom.

Birds are abundant, from majestic hawks circling overhead to families of ducks ambling along a path. On the Garden’s popular guided Bird Walks, held Saturday mornings September through June, people seek out robins, blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, and even owls. I’ve been amazed to see wild turkeys, blue herons, plump pheasants, and even what looked like an ibis swooping to grab a koi from one of the pools in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Courtyards.

If you look closely enough, birds aren’t the only wildlife you’ll see. Chipmunks scurry in the Forest. Frogs belch their songs in the ponds of the Rock Garden, while Italian wall lizards dash across nearby stones. From rabbits and turtles to muskrats and squirrels, it’s incredible to realize how many species of life call our 250 acres “home.”

View our Flickr set of some of our animal friends and more!