Inside The New York Botanical Garden

This Week in the Family Garden: Grillin’ Summer Fruits

Posted in Programs and Events on September 26 2012, by Matt Newman

This week in the Ruth Rea Howell Garden, Assistant Manager Annie Novak and her team of gardeners fire up the kitchen for some hearty recipes that celebrate the last of the summer harvest. “Grillin’ Summer Fruits,” as we like to call it, is set to take over our one-acre vegetable garden on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday of this week, at both 2 and 4 p.m. each afternoon. But while the name may suggest otherwise, we’re not talking about peaches and watermelons here!

Each demonstration focuses not on the sweeter fruits, but on the savory ones–those like tomatoes, which are so often mistaken for vegetables. And also making an appearance among the veggie-leaning fruits, a couple that you might not be aware of: zucchini and eggplant. Despite public opinion, these aren’t actually vegetables because their seeds are on the inside! So don’t let your warm-season produce languish in the crisper drawer when you could be throwing a cook-out instead. If there’s one way to celebrate what remains of this picturesque weather, it’s with food.

We’re also moving into the final week of Pollinator Pals in the Family Garden, so be sure to spend some time exploring the inner workings of the apiary–not to mention tasting different kinds of natural honey–through October 5. Our vegetable garden also sports two hard-working beehives of its own, meaning our Family Garden horticulturists are more than capable of answering any beekeeping questions you might have. There’s more still to come before the snow falls, so keep an eye on Plant Talk!