Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on May 22 2012, by Matt Newman
Japanese shrub mint. Not what you’re used to seeing crushed at the bottom of your Mojito glass, is it?
Leucosceptrum japonicum ‘Variegatum’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Adult Education, Learning Experiences, Programs and Events on May 21 2012, by Joyce Newman
John Gembecki was going through some very tough times. Downsized after working 28 years for a major corporation, he knew he had to reinvent himself.
“How do I begin?” he kept asking himself. Then one night at a seminar offered by his local Yorktown Heights conservation board, he met Lauretta Jones, a teacher at The New York Botanical Garden, and everything fell into place.
“I took the landscape design five-week summer intensive program and it was an experience I’ll never forget,” John recounted. “It had been a long time since I had been in school and the ‘intense’ part of the program was hard to handle. But my children reminded me of all the things I told them when they wanted to give up because something was hard.”
Posted in Photography on May 21 2012, by Ann Rafalko
Sometimes, two photographs end up next to each other in our photo database, and all I can think is, “I wish I had a wardrobe made exclusively from these color palettes and shapes.” Such is the case with these two.
Magnolia x wieseneri (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Shrub Rose ‘Lady of Shalott’ (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on May 20 2012, by Ann Rafalko
Do you like your roses best when they’re in full-blown full bloom?
Shrub Rose ‘Sophy’s Rose’ (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Or …
Posted in Photography on May 19 2012, by Ann Rafalko
Bienvenue à Monet’s Garden!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Exhibitions, Monet's Garden, Programs and Events on May 18 2012, by Matt Newman
If you’re looking to experience Monet’s famed garden at Giverny this weekend, you’re weighing two options. You can either book a flight for Saturday morning–over a thousand dollars out of pocket on short notice, and an eight-hour flight to Charles De Gaulle airport–or you can throw a few bucks on your MetroCard and hop the subway to the Bronx.
I’m personally not much of a jet setter; lighting off for Europe on a whim doesn’t stir the pot of my daily routine that often, and the occasional craving for a fresh baguette seldom boils over. Maybe the local option is a better bet. The father of Impressionism is here in New York, after all!
Posted in Photography on May 18 2012, by Ann Rafalko
You know you’ve got a hit on your hands when the horticulture staff can’t stop taking pictures of their handiwork! Monet’s Garden opens tomorrow!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on May 17 2012, by Ann Rafalko
It’s not just inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory where the preparations for Monet’s Garden are taking place. Behind the landmark building, in the Courtyard Pools, the Garden’s horticulture staff are preparing the stars of the show; water lilies, including some varieties that Monet grew at Giverny.
Posted in Learning Experiences on May 16 2012, by Tai Montanarella
Tai Montanarella is the Manager of School and Family Programs at The New York Botanical Garden.
How do plants in the rain forest survive? This was the question on the minds of Prospect Hill Elementary School students as they explored the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. It was here at the NYBG that they became first-hand field scientists for a day, embarking on their own botanical expedition through the diverse tropical rooms of our glasshouse.
While they did not have to get on a plane to visit these rain forests, these third graders did have to travel through extreme biomes before they could reach them. This is a museum of plants, after all. Their journey began when they got off the bus, where they were not only greeted by GreenSchool educator Pilar Okeson, but by a fantastic Zelkova tree (Zelkova serrata). Hailing all the way from Japan, this deciduous tree does equally well in the temperate climate of New York City, and can reach 100 feet tall. It was only the first of many exotic plants the children would encounter.
Posted in Programs and Events on May 16 2012, by Marielle Anzelone
Marielle Anzelone is an urban conservation biologist, the former Plant Ecologist for the NYC Department of Parks’ Natural Resources Group, and a contributor to The New York Times. As the founder of NYC Wildflower Week, she and her colleagues work to protect New York’s natural heritage by inspiring the city’s residents.
Most New Yorkers don’t realize that there is bona fide nature to be found throughout the five boroughs. Believe it or not, New York City has more open space than any other city in North America, including towering forests, vibrant marshes, and grassy meadows. That adds up to over 53,000 acres of natural landscape!
NYC Wildflower Week is an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the native flora that calls The Big Apple home, bringing together thousands of New Yorkers to experience an extraordinary range of activities. Here at The New York Botanical Garden we are proud to host a far-reaching tour of native flora on Friday, May 18. Aside from being free with the price of admission to the Garden (and led by three of our most brilliant botanical minds), the tour will also give you a sneak peek at our as-yet-unopened Native Plant Garden.
For their fifth year, NYCWW is expanding to include all of NYC nature, including salamanders, birds, and mushrooms–and it’s all happening between now and Sunday, May 20. Free events include guided nature walks, garden tours, and children’s interactive fairs. For more information visit the NYC Wildflower Week’s website, and get to know the nature near you!