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Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Archive: December 2012

Magnificent Trees of The New York Botanical Garden

Posted in Exhibitions on December 24 2012, by Matt Newman

Magnificent TreesLarry Lederman’s eye for the aesthetic of branches, creased bark, and the leaf’s palette is well-trained, though photography wasn’t his first calling. What was initially a hobby came about late in his career as a Wall Street lawyer, at a time when escaping the office to the relative peace and simplicity of the NYBG‘s Forest seemed a panacea for New York City’s stresses. Here, he found through a lens what many artists chase for years–a muse that inspired through each of the four seasons, well beyond autumn’s changing leaves or the new growth of spring.

That inspiration has grown to encompass more than a hobby, with Lederman’s passion for the trees of the northeast now captured in a new book, Magnificent Trees of The New York Botanical Garden. Inside, you’ll find more than 200 individual photographs of trees growing in our 250-acre landscape, many of which have been captured repeatedly, in the varied lights of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Lederman’s finished effect is one of passing time, outlining the qualities and personalities of the trees as the project plays out.

Speaking with Mr. Lederman, we put together a clear idea of his motivation’s origins, as well as how this book–and the exhibition surrounding it–came together.

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This Weekend: A Cheerful Winter Solstice

Posted in Around the Garden on December 21 2012, by Matt Newman

The Holiday Train ShowThis morning’s raincoat weather hasn’t had us whistling “White Christmas.” Not yet, anyway. But just in time for the winter solstice, it looks like the clouds should be clearing up ahead of a dipping thermometer through the weekend! While we’re not going to see any snowflakes floating on the breeze just yet, it’s safe to say you should be breaking out the knit hats and scarves for any and all pre-holiday adventures in the NYBG this weekend. It’s time to say goodbye to fall, and transition into something a little frostier by comparison.

Bar Car Nights have once again proven a massive success, and it’s just about time to say goodbye for another year. Saturday, December 22, marks the final party under the lights of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory–at least for the 2012 holiday season. And if you’re quick about it, you’ll still have the opportunity to snag a ticket or two for our last few hours of casual cocktails. Seeing as our guest list has filled to capacity for each of the past evening events, this is your cue to be hasty with registration–don’t dawdle! We expect to have a full house once again, especially with this being the last chance for an adults-only Holiday Train Show viewing before Christmas.

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Garden News: We’ll Be Here All Week!

Posted in Around the Garden on December 19 2012, by Matt Newman

Angel of the Waters, 1873This week, we’re back with Kevin Character to recap a few of the holiday events taking place at the NYBG through this weekend and beyond, including the very last of this year’s Bar Car Nights. The turnout this year has been massive, and while that makes for a top notch party, it also means that tickets to these special evening engagements are becoming scarce. If procrastination has been your status quo for the first two Bar Car Nights, now is the time to get jump on the opportunity! Register your tickets online to be sure you get a spot for December 22’s night of cocktails, elegance, and the glow of the Holiday Train Show–one of New York’s most beloved seasonal traditions.

In other major news, the Garden’s ongoing events are drawing such impressive crowds that we have decided to free up our schedule, opening the gates on Mondays through the end of the year to accommodate all of our visitors. That means you can join us a full seven days a week, at least up until the Holiday Train Show packs it in for the season.

Of course, Kevin’s rounds don’t limit him to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, much as our Plant Talk fans love to catch him there. Over in the Shop in the Garden, he joins Maria Colletti for an introduction to our terrarium selection, something home horticulturists and gift givers alike are welcome to take advantage of. If you’re interested in piecing together your own plant world under glass, but can’t make it to the Shop to consult our experts, Conservatory Manager Christian Primeau is more than glad to get you caught up in this video.

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New York’s Nodding Ladies

Posted in Gardens and Collections on December 19 2012, by Matt Newman

Spiranthes cernuaLadies’ tresses orchids aren’t the most flamboyant flowers in the redesigned Native Plant Garden. Neither are they the most exotic orchids you’ll ever come upon. But seeing them sprout up from the wetland area, I can’t help but find these local perennials engaging. Few people realize how widespread the world’s orchid population really is, and far from being the exclusive charge of southern climes and tropical islands, members of the Orchidaceae family range across much of the United States and into Canada. Naturally, that includes New York.

But make no mistake: these aren’t the neon-painted Phalaenopsis orchids you see lining the shelves at your local florist, though their occasional fragrance makes up for such docile color. They’re small and narrow in profile, rising into a tall, green “spike” around which spirals a staircase of drowsy white flowers. They look a bit like stressed snowdrops, wound into coils that grow in stiff stands. Thriving in a wide range of habitats–fields, damp meadows, moist thickets and grassy swamps among them–that clean simplicity might explain the allure of this New York City orchid.

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