Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on March 3 2011, by Plant Talk
In anticipation of opening day of The Orchid Show: On Broadway, we decided to dedicate this week’s “Morning Eye Candy” posts to the cast of characters that will play both starring roles and bit parts in the Garden‘s ode to all things orchid and Broadway.
(photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Previously Featured Cast Members of The Orchid Show: On Broadway:
Posted in Window Garden Wednesday on March 2 2011, by Plant Talk
Ed. note: Here at the Garden, we are surrounded by plants and knowledgeable plant people, which means that even the average Garden employee/cubicle dweller tends to soak up a lot of information about how to best care for our plants. To many at the Garden, this immersion, combined with a nascent love of plants plus easy access information has driven us to practice what we preach in the form of tending a windowsill garden. On occasional Wednesdays, we’ll introduce you to some of the Garden’s many windowsill gardeners. We hope you enjoy this look at what our window gardeners grow.
Who are you and what do you do at the Garden?
Amy Litt, Director of Plant Genomics and Cullman Curator. I study how plant genes differ among species and how those differences in genes are responsible for differences in plant form and function. In other words I study the genetic basis of plant diversity. I also teach and mentor graduate, undergraduate, and high school students.
What kind of plants do you have in your windowsill garden?
Mostly ferns, and one tiny “living stone.” The latter is a type of desert-adapted plant that grows in the driest parts of Africa. It has almost no stem and very fleshy leaves which store water; it only has 2-4 leaves at a time, and it grows in rocky soil that covers it up to the tops of the fat leaves, to keep it cooler from the hot sun. There are some for sale in the Garden Shop.
Posted in Photography on March 2 2011, by Plant Talk
In anticipation of opening day of The Orchid Show: On Broadway, we decided to dedicate this week’s “Morning Eye Candy” posts to the cast of characters that will play both starring roles and bit parts in the Garden‘s ode to all things orchid and Broadway.
(photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Previously Featured Cast Members of The Orchid Show: On Broadway:
Posted in Gardening Tips on March 1 2011, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
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Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education. |
In ancient Greek the word for theatre (theatron) means a place for seeing. As the New York born actress, Stella Adler once said ‘It is the place people come to see the truths about life’. The Orchid Show: On Broadway with the award-winning set designer Scott Pask and image maker Drew Hodges will be celebrating the universal truth that myriad members of the Orchidaceae family are some of the biggest divas in the plant world.
In the 19th century, Covent Garden used to rely on the brilliant white light produced by lime or calcium flares to illuminate their leading ladies hence the expression “in the limelight”. Every year when the long and dreary winter extends endlessly the Garden explodes with light, color and sensual perfumes from the Orchid Show.
Brassia or spider orchids will send shivers up your spine; Oncidium or dancing ladies mimic tiny flamenco dancers dangling from their flowery spikes and their perfume is often enticing. Ondontoglossum will grab you with the barbs on their labellum; mother natures’ way of giving insects something to take hold of when they feed and pollinate. One of my favorites, Zygopetalum will be giving the ensemble a run for their money with their exquisite hyacinth perfume.
Leave the lime flares at home – most of these orchids like bright dappled light similar to the conditions of their native rainforest homes. The Zygopetalum is semi-terrestrial and prefers a slightly damp moisture-retentive mix that is capable of providing good drainage. The rest of the troupe are epiphytic and do best if you saturate them with water (a heavy rain storm) and then let to begin to dry out. Many of the orchids you will find in the show are complex hybrids that are easy to care for.
With the theatrical backdrop, the producers of the show will make sure that they look their best for opening night. These ladies have their routine down and will not disappoint. The Orchid Show will be open on Saturday March 5th (Friday, March 4th for Member’s Only) and runs until Monday, April 25th.
Home Gardening Demonstrations on basic orchid care will be given on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 and 3:30 p.m. There will also be Cabaret performances in the afternoon. Visit our website for full details of events.
Posted in Photography on March 1 2011, by Plant Talk
In anticipation of opening day of The Orchid Show: On Broadway, we decided to dedicate this week’s “Morning Eye Candy” posts to the cast of characters that will play both starring roles and bit parts in the Garden‘s ode to all things orchid and Broadway.
(photo by Mark Pfeffer)
Previously Featured Cast Members of The Orchid Show: On Broadway: