Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Archive: January 2009
Posted in Gardens and Collections on January 15 2009, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
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The Botanical Garden’s living collections is among the greatest in the world and contains more than 1 million plants. Jon Peter, Plant Records Manager, periodically shines the spotlight on a particular species that can be found within our 250 acres.
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Botanical Name: Ilex verticillata
Common Name(s): Winterberry
Family Name: Aquifoliaceae (Holly family)
Native Range: USA—Maine to Florida, west to Minnesota and Texas
Canada—Newfoundland to Ontario
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 through 9
Location(s) within NYBG: Native Plant Garden, Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Home Gardening Center
Site Requirements: Sun to partial shade; well-drained, moist, organic soil; can tolerate extended periods of flooding
Interesting Note: This native species is one of a small number of hollies that are deciduous, losing their leaves in the autumn to reveal the orange to red berries that persist into winter. The berries become an important food source for birds when other sources diminish. Like all hollies, this species is dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female plants and both need to be present for pollination of flowers and subsequent production of fruit.
In a previous video entry, The Garden’s own Sonia Uyterhoeven talked about winterberry and other types of plants that provide beauty and food for wildlife.
Editor’s note: Though winter is not even a month old, birds have already eaten all the fruit from the Garden’s winterberry shrubs.
Posted in Gardens and Collections on January 14 2009, by Plant Talk
Carol Capobianco is Editorial Content Manager at The New York Botanical Garden.
What a glorious sight to come upon: the beautiful orchids displayed in the Orchid Rotunda on the second floor of the Library Building. Brilliant hues, fantastic shapes, lovely arrangements.
The continuous show of these colorful gems that brighten any gloomy day had been on hiatus since mid-April of 2008, when the display case was installed with the maquettes and found objects of sculptor Henry Moore in conjunction with the Moore in America exhibition across the Garden grounds.
Though Moore in America has been extended to March 15, the artist’s scale models, tools, and collection of bones, rocks, and other natural bits and pieces have been removed to make room, once again, for the spectacular, delicate orchids. And just in time. These magical flowers whet our appetite daily for the upcoming annual Orchid Show, which opens February 28 in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
In the meantime, on a cold, gray day—or any day—come marvel at this display, which is refreshed twice a week. It is sure to lift your spirits.
Posted in Learning Experiences on January 13 2009, by Plant Talk
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Joan McGillicuddy, a double certificate graduate of the Continuing Education program, now has her own design company, The Surrogate Gardener, on Long Island.
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It’s a new year, so it is time for me to see which lectures in the American Gardening Lecture Series I might be able to schedule. I started attending NYBG’s Lecture Series years ago as part of a personal goal to expand my plant knowledge. I went on to complete two certificates, one in Horticulture and one in Landscape Design, through the Botanical Garden’s Continuing Education program and now have a career as a landscape designer. Yet, every year I still make time to attend several of the lectures in this series. I am an unrepentant plantaholic. In spite of what some garden design books say about having a plan, several past presenters have admitted to the same compulsions, so I merrily continue to experiment with new plants.
It doesn’t matter how many garden books or magazines I read, there is nothing like the immediacy of listening in person to experts— landscape architects and designers, plant hybridizers and nurserymen, authors and garden curators—impart their knowledge. The Lecture Series always offers a diverse mix of subjects and speakers, and I always leave inspired to try new plant introductions, new combinations of tried and true plants, or new horticultural practices. Then there is the added treat of reviewing the books laid out like jewels on the tables in the Gallery outside the Lecture Hall, which only tempts me to go to the Shop to review the entire book collection.
The Lecture Series is scheduled at a perfect time of the year, when my garden is quiet and nursery catalogs are arriving and I have time to track down the plants I am inspired to try. After the lectures and a bowl of soup at the Cafe, I stroll through NYBG’s gardens and see which plants are greeting the new year, since it is warmer here than at my home on Long Island. My favorite plant is the large Hamamelis on the outer drive that holds its yellow flowers through the snow. It always signals to me that spring is around the corner. The Ladies’ Border, which runs along the south side of the Conservatory, always has something new in bloom each month of the series, whether it is January, February, or March. It might be Mahonia, Edgeworthia, Hamamelis, Helleborus, or Camellia. This year it will be a treat to watch the emergence of the display beds across from the Cafe entrance, known as Seasonal Walk, that were created by the well-known designers Piet Oudolf and Jacqueline van der Kloet. I happened to see the beds being installed this past fall, and they look to be an intriguing mix of bulbs, perennials, and grasses.
At a time when much of the world news is gloomy, it is nice to have all this to look forward to.
Posted in Gardening Tips on January 12 2009, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Winter Wonderland
Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden.
The Garden looks like a winter wonderland when it snows. The quiet and calm of the white landscape is deceptive. The aftermath of a storm causes us to scurry around shaking the snow off hedges and prized evergreen shrubs as well as clearing paths and benches.
The yew hedge that delineates the perennial garden struggles under the weight of wet snow. Brooms and rakes (not shovels) are used to gently remove the snow. The snow blowers are instructed to point their machines away from the hedge to minimize unnecessary damage. When removing snow in your own home gardens, push upward with the broom rather than downward to minimize pressure. Remember not to use hedges and foundation borders as dump sites for excess snow.
Snow acts as an excellent insulator during the cold winter months. Small plants can remain covered, but larger or more fragile plants need to be shaken off to ensure that their branches are not disfigured or broken by the weight of the snow.
If you have a narrow, upright conifer (such as an arborvitae) that you are worried will lose its shape, tie susceptible branches with nylon tree ties or arbor ties that you can purchase at a garden center. If you are curious to see how this is done, come and inspect the small arborvitae located at the Fountain of Life in front of the library building. We carefully tie these trees in November. An alternative solution is to place a stake at the back of the tree and loosely wrap garden twine around the tree and stake starting at the bottom and moving upward. This can also be done without a stake by simply attaching the twine to the trunk of the tree and winding the twine around the branches.
These simple yet important steps are taken to ensure that the landscape of the Garden is not only beautiful but also well maintained throughout the winter and into the spring. They are easy for you to do in your own home gardens.
Posted in Holiday Train Show, Kiku, Moore in America on January 9 2009, by Plant Talk
Holiday Train Show and Japanese Art Exhibit Take a Bow
Another exhibition season ends this weekend with the closing of the ever-popular Holiday Train Show as well as the stunning exhibition The Chrysanthemum in Japanese Art.
In fact, you have the value-added opportunity to see four remarkable exhibitions for the price of one All-Garden Pass admission ticket. In addition to these two shows, you can also see Moore in America, which has been extended to March 15, and The Heirloom Tomato: An Exhibition of Photographs by Victor Schrager.
What a deal—especially in these financially challenging times.
Posted in Exhibitions, Moore in America, NYBG in the News on January 8 2009, by Plant Talk
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Nick Leshi is Associate Director of Public Relations and Electronic Media. |
Visitors of all ages have marveled at the sight of the monumental sculpture throughout the grounds of The New York Botanical Garden, where these works of art have stood sentinel since last spring. Moore in America, the largest exhibition of Henry Moore’s art ever displayed in a single venue in the United States, continues to attract praise from audiences and journalists alike, including Time magazine’s art critic Richard Lacayo, who named it one of the Top 10 Museum Exhibits of 2008.
Photographers, in particular, have been drawn to Moore’s captivating forms situated within the Garden’s historic landscape. In partnership with the International Center of Photography, the Botanical Garden hosted a photography contest in celebration of the landmark exhibition. The contest sparked many beautiful submissions, from which four monthly finalists were selected. From those four a grand prize was awarded, to Jimin Kim of Manhattan for his portrait of Large Reclining Figure. His winning image appeared in an advertisement for Moore in America in the December 4–10 issue of Time Out New York.
Runners-up included Julie Salles of Yonkers, Ken Schwarzof Lexington, Massachusetts, and Debra Allen of Pelham Manor. Their images, plus countless others submitted by garden- and art-loving shutterbugs during the months of the competition, showed how the sculpture could look fresh from different angles and with different lighting throughout the day and during the changing seasons, proving Moore’s desire to have viewers approach—and even touch—his artwork from different perspectives.
If you haven’t seen the exhibition yet, now is your chance. Moore in America is being extended through March 15. Even if you’ve seen it in spring, summer, or fall, now is your opportunity to see it in winter. Bring your camera and snap some pics for yourself while you’re at it!
Posted in Programs and Events on January 7 2009, by Plant Talk
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Samantha Buck is an Interpretation Intern for Public Education. |
On my second day as an intern with The New York Botanical Garden, I had the esteemed pleasure of meeting Sir Topham Hatt and Thomas the Tank Engine™ from the Island of Sodor (both of whom were much larger than I remembered from watching the television show as a child). The excitement was palpable as a growing number of fans arrived in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall, the majority of whom toted small children anxious for the experience.
I carefully folded the gray and white paper conductor’s hat that was presented to me, pulled the elastic around my head, and was ready for my adventure! As I was greeted by the silently enthusiastic Sir Topham Hatt, visitors settled in to watch an episode or two of Thomas & Friends, who came to life on the big screen. Following the film, some in the audience went forward to meet Sir Topham Hatt. It was refreshing to see the youngsters interacting with him so animatedly.
I got the royal treatment: becoming an honorary engineer so I could “help Thomas and his friends out if they were ever in trouble.” Younger “engineers” were also presented with coloring pages of Thomas, James, Percy, and Gordon, along with a box of crayons and stickers depicting other favorites. And of course, no visit to this event would be complete without a photo with Thomas the Tank Engine™ himself, happy and eager as ever to meet each and every one of his fans.
Come visit Thomas the Tank Engine™—he’s here through January 11.
Posted in Exhibitions, Holiday Train Show on January 6 2009, by Plant Talk
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Gingerbread Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden includes a display of detailed and fragrant gingerbread creations by renowned pastry chefs in and around New York. Here Leslie Randazzo, co-owner with her husband, Mark Randazzo, of Mark Joseph Cakes, describes how they conceptualized and executed their design.
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Although Mark and I had never worked with gingerbread before, we were so enthusiastic about making our gingerbread debut in The New York Botanical Garden’s annual holiday exhibit. Yes, Mark is a pastry chef, but he specializes in custom cakes, so this was quite different.
This year’s theme, “Gingerbread People at Work and at Play,” left us wondering “What do gingerbread people do?” I called my nephew, Harry, whose immediate response was, “the same things we do.” Aha! Brilliant! With our target audience being kids, we thought about careers revered by children. It was my sister who suggested firemen. Then we were on a roll. Mark and I share a love for New York City’s pre-war architecture, so there was no question that we’d model our main structure after an old FDNY house. Through research, Mark found one in Manhattan on Lafayette Street that is stunning.
Our next order of business was a crash course in gingerbread structures, namely, keeping them up. For this, Mark made an icing that was similar in consistency to cement. We cut the gingerbread dough into the dimensions that were already carefully calculated. These large pieces make up the main structure. Then we cut gingerbread dough into equally sized rectangles. These were used as a second layer, to achieve the stones the building is made of. Laying the “stones” was extremely time consuming, because the firehouse had so many dimensions and different shapes to work around and each “stone” had to be trimmed to fit precisely in the appropriate space. The windows were made using a sculptor’s molding material that we melted and poured into the gingerbread’s square openings. As it dried, it solidified beautifully. To light the inside, we used LED Christmas lights that we clipped short. For the roof, we thought the perfect candy would be bite-sized black licorice that we would line up to look like shingles. Unfortunately, after placing on more than half of the licorice we discovered that the oily coating used to keep the pieces from sticking together in the package were also keeping them from sticking to the icing. The solution was Nilla® wafers. We were concerned that they wouldn’t cut easily with a knife, but they worked quite well.
Once the main structure was completed, we began adding the details. Red Twizzlers® were used for each window frame, and icing was piped on to create the appearance of snow. The fire truck was decorated using a sugar dough called “gum paste.” Then we designed the wintry fun that one notices when examining the display closely such as the snowball fight and the boy making a snow angel as the firemen look on.
This entire experience was so rewarding; it felt like a tremendous accomplishment after a total of 70 hours of labor. It was great fun and well worth the effort.
Posted in Gardening Tips on January 5 2009, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Fragrant Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox)
Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden.
They say that nature is about observation, but sometimes it is about just following your nose. Chimonanthus praecox is one such example. It is an underused winter flowering shrub that is often eclipsed by the more popular Hamamelis (witch hazel).
Fragrant wintersweet is a deciduous shrub that is hardy to zone 6b. It tends to be a multi-stemmed, loose-stemmed specimen with a fountain or vase-like shape. It does not have the structural composure that witch hazel possesses. It can get a little gangly with age. Happily, this 10- to 15-foot shrub can be severely cut back after flowering.
The main feature of this shrub is its fragrant winter bloom. It just started flowering in the Home Gardening Center (it’s planted behind the Sensory Garden) in mid-December and should remain in flower through the cold winter months.
It has small half-inch to 1-inch long flowers that look like shredded little cups. The inflorescence (floral structure) is broken down into layers. The outer layer has flat strap-like, waxy, yellowish-white, translucent tepals. The smaller tepals on the inner layer are burgundy. They are also translucent and remind me of what a first coat of burgundy nail polish looks like on your nails. What’s a tepal? It is the botanist’s name for when the flower part (sepals and petals) all look undifferentiated.
Never mind the anatomy, how about the fragrance? It has a pungent smell that is spicy and exotic. It reminds me of ylang ylang, the type of fragrance that gets trapped inside your nostrils.
With its pungent perfume and its poetic little flowers, can we then speculate on how Chimonanthus is pollinated? The general rule of thumb is that trees and shrubs with small, inconspicuous flowers are most likely wind pollinated. They don’t need to put on a show to attract a pollinator; they simply need to extend their branches so their pollen can get caught in a passing gust of wind.
Woody specimens with large, showy flowers and enticing perfumes tend to be insect pollinated. They lure their potential pollinators with sweet smells and sugary nectars. But who in their right mind would be flying about in the middle of winter?
When we look to other winter-flowering shrubs for clues, we are given none. Members of the Hamamelidaceae family such as witch hazel produce fragrant flowers during the winter. These woody plants are wind pollinated, although, curiously enough, fossil evidence indicates the possibility they were once insect pollinated.
Chimonanthus praecox is in the Calycanthaceae family. Members of this family are generally either fly or beetle pollinated. Small, open flowers tend to be fly pollinated while larger, intricate flowers are designed to trap beetles.
Is this exotically fragrant shrub then fly pollinated? The burgundy markings on the inner tepals and its graceful open whorl-like floral structure would suit that pollinator. But in the middle of winter?
Maybe in its native China there are small hovering flies or beetles buzzing around when the shrub is in flower. Here in New York, however, we have decided that Chimonanthus praecox is “nose-pollinated.” That is, it’s fragrance is so enticing that once you dip your nose in for a small whiff you will be back for more.
