We’re looking at early summer days in the Garden this weekend! Already we’re seeing warmer temperatures, welcome afternoon showers, and the flushed, vivid shade of green that comes with the hotter months. But bring on the sunglasses and short sleeves; they’re all the better for a picnic.

There’s just about two weeks left in the season, officially, meaning you still have time to catch the early color of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden with an expert-led tour. Afterward, jump right into a session with our Gardener for Public Education, Sonia Uyterhoeven, whose top-notch rosarian wisdom will set you on the path to tending New Dawns and Mr. Lincolns of your own. (It’s okay to be the envy of the Home Owner’s Association, suburbanites.)
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The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden may have the most stage presence, but off in the Earth-Kind® Rose Trial beds, understudies are practicing for their shot at the spotlight. These starlets aren’t pampered, either; they’re thriving without the chemical coddling that so many roses are notorious for.

When they’re done with their auditions (I’m really pushing the tasteful limits of this conceit, aren’t I?), those that make the cut could become available as choice breeds for rosarians frustrated with the tending trends of more high-maintenance varieties.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

The fleur-de-lis may predate the French monarchy, but it’s forever the nation of the Seine that we associate it with, and in turn the iris that inspired the symbol. It’s timely, then, that the irises are blooming now for Monet’s Garden, just as they are across the Atlantic in the artist’s garden at Giverny, settled in the north of France. Walking through our own display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, you’ll come upon several breeds of royal purple flower poking proudly from between the delphiniums, poppies, and furry mullein stalks. But outside, the iris is a constant spring resident!

In ancient Greece, Iris was considered the goddess of the rainbow, a messenger between divinity and humanity who carried the word of the pantheon to Earth. Her flowers do their best to make their namesake proud in at least that first regard, sprouting up along borders and plots throughout the Garden in every shade of purple, blue, pink, and often white or yellow. (True red remains the sought after grail of the iris connoisseur, a color that no amount of hybridizing has been able to produce reliably.) Not the full range of the rainbow, but pretty close, to be sure.
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The Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden may pique your appetite with its rows of arugula, fennel, and newly-settled tomato plants, but even the most practical plot benefits from a touch of border brightness.

Spiraea japonica ‘Anthony Waterer’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

This is what the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden looks like at its best! Can you believe those climbers scrambling over the pergola? And the white and pink clouds of shrub roses filling out the beds between every bordering path. The weather’s looking to be easy-going this weekend, and this kind of pomp and circumstance won’t stretch out forever–just a heads up, New York.

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

A box without hinges, key, or lid,
Yet golden treasure inside is hid.

And I thought I’d never get to quote Bilbo Baggins on this blog.

Sawtooth Stewartia (Stewartia serrata) — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

I’ll admit I have a softness for roses, a fondness for orchids, and a weakness for flame-orange poppies. Still, it’s seldom I find an eyeful of flowers so inspirational as an hour spent under the leaves of the trees.

You’ll best understand what I mean while walking the trails of the NYBG‘s Forest around this time of year, arched over in each direction with lacing branches of every shape and angle. The effect is something like slipping a green gel over a stage light. Sun filters down through the canopy and dapples the forest floor with piebald images both cloudy and sharp. It cools you, or seems to, on the most scorching afternoons. And there’s a freshness to the scene that chimes in to remind you–with something resembling pride–of winter’s distance.
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Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Loitering in the Rose Garden? Not a crime (during open hours, anyway). In fact, there may be no better place to dawdle. Now’s the time, too–the roses are reaching their peak this weekend!

Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen

Three-day weekend? We’ll take it! After a virtual roller coaster of activity here in the office, we’re as relieved as you are to see that calming stretch of calendar squares laid out before us. Entering the opening days of the year’s most anticipated exhibition was one thing, but biting our nails over the conclusion of the Partners in Preservation competition made for an atmosphere a few notches below peaceful! We’re immensely proud of what we have accomplished, and with smooth sailing from here on out, there’s plenty to celebrate at the NYBG this Memorial Day (yep, we’re open Monday, too!)

Monet’s Garden is dazzling thousands of visitors in its first week. Even with those few dreary days of drizzle, the grounds have been alive with guests taking the tram to see the Conservatory‘s own Giverny, viewing the masterworks of the great Impressionist in the Library, and everything in between. As if we weren’t already enjoying the outcome, the cherry on the sundae arrived Tuesday morning. Thanks to you, our many generous supporters, The New York Botanical Garden will receive a grant of $250,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, being used to restore and preserve our long-treasured Rock Garden. A month of campaigning for votes (not to mention the patience of our fans) paid off with a spot in the winner’s circle!
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