Bird-Brained and Buggy
Posted in Around the Garden on June 29 2012, by Matt Newman
This might be a bittersweet Saturday for birders. Why? Well, truth be told, we’re bidding adieu to the Bird Walk! But don’t sweat–it’s only for a couple of months. As if the heat hadn’t already driven the point home, the calendar tells us it’s summer, and that means it’s time for a hiatus. Saturday marks this season’s last opportunity to don your boots and binoculars for an expert-led bout of birdwatching. (I am on an alliterative roll today.)
Debbie Becker has been at the head of these outings for over 25 years, making her the absolute authority on the NYBG‘s hawks, owls, and Pileated Woodpeckers (now resettled in the Garden after over seven decades). We can’t wait to have her back on September 1! But there’s no reason to make yourself wait that long, right? Come out tomorrow for the last walk of what I’m still stubbornly calling spring.
It’s also Spider-Man Week for those who lean more toward entomology than ornithology. Bring the kids as we track down the Adventure Garden’s creepier, crawlier residents, then meet some of the spider’s many-legged neighbors in the Discovery Center! There are chances to win all sorts of Spider-Man prizes while you’re here, with the big event taking place on Sunday, July 1, so make some time for your eight-legged (or six-legged) friends and maybe take some Spidey swag home for the effort.
Beyond the wildlife, we’re just now entering the summer phase of Monet’s Garden in the Conservatory–sunflowers and dandelions play off the delphiniums in all the right ways, just one example of how our exhibition continues to change and evolve over its run. In that way, it kind of mimics the Garden itself; there’s always something new to see. Just don’t forget your sunglasses.
Saturday, June 30
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool
This is the last Bird Walk before our summer hiatus! The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with our expert, Debbie Becker, searching for the birds of the season and learning about bird-friendly plants that provide food, shelter, and nesting sites.
Rose Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
Immerse yourself in the fragrance, color, and beauty of the award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden on a tour with a Garden Tour Guide. Learn the differences between Heritage and Modern roses and between floribundas and hybrid teas, as well as facts about rose history, cultivation, and folklore.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Planning Non-Stop Color with Annuals – 2 p.m.
In the Home Gardening Center
Join Gardener for Public Education Sonia Uyterhoeven as she teaches you how to paint your garden with non-stop color. She will introduce a wide range of exciting and unusual annuals while discussing basic maintenance practices and design techniques.
Monet’s Garden Tour – 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Join one of the Garden’s Tour Guides for a tour inside the galleries of the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where horticulturists of The New York Botanical Garden bring to life stunning re-creations of Monet’s most iconic gardens at Giverny. In the Conservatory Courtyard, the focus on the artistry of the great Impressionist continues with a display of water lilies.
Cooking Class: Pizza Night with Leda Meredith — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Master the art of a fun family dinner featuring garden-fresh pizza, enjoyed in the Whole Foods Market Family Garden Kitchen of our outdoor, 1.5-acre Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden. This family-friendly cooking class will get you into the kitchen with confidence, making creative, seasonal meals with ease and enjoyment. Sign up here!
Additional Fee: Member $67, Non-Member $75 (price includes materials fee)
Sunday, July 1
Rose Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
Immerse yourself in the fragrance, color, and beauty of the award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden on a tour with a Garden Tour Guide. Learn the differences between Heritage and Modern roses and between floribundas and hybrid teas, as well as facts about rose history, cultivation, and folklore.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Planning Non-Stop Color with Annuals – 2 p.m.
In the Home Gardening Center
Join Gardener for Public Education Sonia Uyterhoeven as she teaches you how to paint your garden with non-stop color. She will introduce a wide range of exciting and unusual annuals while discussing basic maintenance practices and design techniques.
Monet’s Garden Tour – 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Join one of the Garden’s Tour Guides for a tour inside the galleries of the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where horticulturists of The New York Botanical Garden bring to life stunning re-creations of Monet’s most iconic gardens at Giverny. In the Conservatory Courtyard, the focus on the artistry of the great Impressionist continues with a display of water lilies.
Spider-Man Week: Wild, Wonderful Spiders at the Garden!
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, June 26 through July 1
1:30 to 5:30 p.m. / Friday, 2 to 5:30 p.m.
Be here Sunday for the Spider-Man prize booth near the visitor center! You can be a part of Spider-Man Week at The New York Botanical Garden and get up close and personal with spiders in their natural habitat. Follow spidey clues to find real spiders where they live in the Forest, along the Wetland Trail, and in other spider-friendly corners of the Garden. Stop by the Children’s Adventure Garden where you can meet some more spidey-friends like millipedes, bess beetles, pill bugs, and stick insects. Bring your completed “Wild Spider Scavenger Hunt” to the Visitor Center and pick up great Spider-Man Week prizes while supplies last.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Children’s Outdoor Nature Explorations: Observe and Create
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, May 19 through September 30
Weekdays 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. / Weekends 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Let your inner Monet run wild and be inspired by nature to create art in all its different forms. Movement, music, drawing and painting abound in this outdoor studio for children. Stop by Inspiration Station to play our outdoor marimba. Paint with water and experiment with colors in our Color Clash Studio. Step inside to experiment with the engineering behind aquatic plants. Nature is art–discover it at the Adventure Garden. Also on view: an exhibition by students from Studio in a School.
Spider-Man Week: Wild, Wonderful Spiders at the Garden!
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, June 26 through July 1
1:30 to 5:30 p.m. / Friday, 2 to 5:30 p.m.
Be a part of Spider-Man Week at The New York Botanical Garden and get up close and personal with spiders in their natural habitat. Follow spidey clues to find real spiders where they live in the Forest, along the Wetland Trail, and in other spider-friendly corners of the Garden. Stop by the Children’s Adventure Garden where you can meet some more spidey-friends like millipedes, bess beetles, pill bugs, and stick insects. Bring your completed “Wild Spider Scavenger Hunt” to the Visitor Center and pick up great Spider-Man Week prizes while supplies last.
Sunday, July 1 ONLY! — Stop by the Spider-Man booth at the Visitor Center for more Spidey fun and prizes.
Hands-On Gardening Activities for Families: Sweet and Stinky
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, June 19 through July 26
1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Aromatic alliums and spicy herbs thrive in the summer heat. Follow the sweet and stinky smells to the Family Garden and discover these culinary champions. Savor the scents and tickle your taste buds with cooking demonstrations and samples, and become a green thumb by planting your very own herb to tend at home.
Cooking demonstrations at 2 and 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
