Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, is more than the founding editor of the home cooking website The Kitchn. She is a cooking inspiration. The Kitchn was born out of Apartment Therapy, a website started by Sara Kate’s husband Maxwell whose stated mission is to “Save the world, one room at a time.”
In The Kitchn, (mission: Inspiring cooks, nourishing homes), experienced cooks and newbies alike swap recipes, tips, tricks, and tales in a chatty, well edited and lovingly curated forum shaped by Sara Kate and her devoted team. But Sara Kate’s world doesn’t revolve entirely around the kitchen. She’s also a passionate home gardener, a fact that comes out in Sara Kate’s list of her “Favorite Things” for holiday gift giving.
Rustin Dwyer is Visual Media Production Specialist at The New York Botanical Garden.
Even pushing 65 years old, he’s still the lovable little engine who just wants to play in the field. In honor of our annual Holiday Train Show, Tootle the Train™ , the star of the classic Little Golden Book, has pulled into Botanical Garden station for a series of performances at the Janet and Arthur Ross Lecture Hall.
The show runs on most days, so be sure to check the website for dates and times.
Because Tuesday is the new Wednesday (at least in this three-day week), we thought we’d take a moment to celebrate the sublime beauty of the Japanese Chrysanthemums currently on display in the Nolen Greenhouses. The mums will only be around until Sunday, November 28. Be sure to bring your camera and a great macro lens, and join our Flickr group pool to show us your best shots.
Landscape Design Alumni Give Back in Honor of Fellow Student
Valerie D’Antonio holds a Certificate in Landscape Design from The New York Botanical Garden’s Continuing Education program and is principal and owner of D’Antonio Landscape Designs, Inc.
The principle of genius loci, a Latin phrase indicating the spirit of a place, is one that landscape designers use to get a sense of a space before they begin to create a garden.
The idea is that every space has its own unique qualities and atmosphere, factors that should be respected during design. There is a feeling one gets when experiencing the intangibles that define a space. For example, a long, winding path through the woods can evoke a quiet, churchlike air.
This particular drizzly, cloudy day as I drive through the Conservatory Gate at The New York Botanical Garden, which I have done countless times, I am greeted by exuberant waves of giant striped grasses, blood-red coleus, and purple Russian sage, which light up the gray skies and fill me with excitement and anticipation.
Another wonderful space, the allée of majestic tulip trees, leads me to the beautifully restored Library building, which gives me a feeling of calm and wonder. The Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden, designed by Lynden B. Miller and punctuated with evergreen ‘Sky Pencil’ hollies, Japanese maple fall-colored leaves, and bird-favorite seed heads of perennial black-eyed Susans and coneflowers, is another one of the Garden’s spaces that exudes a feeling of lushness and beauty.
Written by Burpee Home Gardens Team. Burpee Home Gardens was a Supporting Sponsor of The Edible Garden.
Getting kids to make healthy food choices can be a struggle. One of the best ways to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetable is to provide them with a sense of ownership and understanding of where their food comes from. Children-focused vegetable gardens are a great way to start.
In 2010, Burpee Home Gardens was happy to sponsor a handful of community and youth gardens all over the United States through its “I Can Grow” initiative. We saw the excitement in the participants’ eyes, and we were honored to be a part of programs like The New York Botanical Garden’s The Edible Garden, where the interest in cooking with home-grown produce was celebrated.
Now we’re thrilled to be offering even more chances for youth- and education-focused gardening programs to get the funding and plants they need to be successful and fun. The 2011 “I Can Grow” Youth Garden Award will support and sponsor urban school and community youth gardens with vegetable and herb plants, garden layout expertise, event promotion, and of course money for supplies!
Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education.
In my last blog I mentioned that conditions for proper seed storage are basically the opposite of what seeds need to germinate. To grow they need moisture, warmth, and light; for storage they need cool temperatures, dry atmosphere, and darkness. Most seeds will last for about three years if stored properly—often they last much longer.
What should you do if you have some seeds that have been lying around for several years and you are not sure if they will germinate? There is a simple way to test a seed’s viability before you prep your seed trays and waste your seed sowing medium on something that has little life left in it.
Moisten a few paper towels with water. Place a dozen or so seeds spaced apart on the towel. Then either hold on to one of the edges of the paper towel and roll it up into a spiral, or place a few damp paper towels on top to create what looks like a seed-germination sandwich. Either way the seeds need to be encased on both sides by damp paper towels.
It’s an Azalea Garden of another color: Yellow. No, we’re not genetically engineering plants here at the Garden, we’re just planting for year round color. This new garden won’t open to the public until next Spring, but we’re hoping this beautiful image will entice you to come visit the Azalea Garden both when it opens and a year from now!
The Azalea Garden in Fall (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, is more than the founding editor of the home cooking website The Kitchn. She is a cooking inspiration. The Kitchn was born out of Apartment Therapy, a website started by Sara Kate’s husband Maxwell whose stated mission is to “Save the world, one room at a time.”
