Garden designers are about vision. They transform worn out frameworks of existing gardens, empty spaces, and natural areas into poetic visions. Where most of us will muster up all of our creative juices only to create something that still looks like we threw a bunch of plants into the ground, the seasoned designer makes the garden seem simultaneously magical and effortless, as if their creation was always meant to occupy the space. On January 31, the well-known British garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith kicked off the 13th Annual Winter Lecture Series at the NYBG, beginning with a lecture on “The Modern Garden: Finding a Language.”
In an eclectic discussion that covered sources of inspiration ranging from cellular biology and psychology to Schumann and Wagner, Stuart-Smith invited us into the inner workings of his mind, giving us a very personal account of the impetus for his designs.
Tiny tropical treats flourish in the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, primped and preened as they wait for their moment to take over the Conservatory.
Pleurothallis cardiothallis — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
This week saw an increase in the number of entrants, which means the competition is really heating up! And don’t forget, you can enter as many times as you want. So escape the onslaught this week’s Alberta Clippers and bask in the warmth of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory (it’s a great way to exercise your Membership, no?).
Curious as to how to enter? Simply upload your pictures to Flickr (please limit them to photographs taken inside the Conservatory during Tropical Paradise), add them to our Group Pool, tag them with #tropicalparadise, and then sit back and hope we pick your pix! And don’t think that just because you’re snapping with an iPhone, you can’t take part–all skill and equipment levels are welcome to participate.
Coming just days after 2012 was named the hottest year on record for the contiguous U.S., the draft report is unique in that it points out the impacts of climate change on specific regions, including the Northeast. It also notes economic risks and adaptive strategies for our area.
The Yale Forum on Climate Change and the Media has excerpted the report’s basic findings, which are deemed the scientific consensus. The findings underscore the human-driven causes of climate change as follows:
— “Global climate is changing, and this is apparent across the U.S. in a wide range of observations. The climate change of the past 50 years is due primarily to human activities, predominantly the burning of fossil fuels.”
— “Some extreme weather and climate events have increased in recent decades, and there is new and stronger evidence that many of these increases are related to human activities.”
— “Human-induced climate change is projected to continue and accelerate significantly if emissions of heat-trapping gases continue to increase.”
“Hello? Yes, hi! I can’t help but notice that you’re not food. So, yeeeeeeah, you’re gonna have to relocate. I can appreciate that you’re a photographer–it’s a very nice camera–but if you’re not edible, we’re not interested. Thanks for your understanding.”
Try not to think of February as the grim side of winter. It’s self-defeating! Instead, turn it into your warm-up to spring, a time to prepare for sunnier months–whether that’s daydreaming away the cold, getting back in shape, or shuffling your bathing suits to an easy-to-reach spot in the closet. In some sense, that’s been the regimen here at the NYBG since the holidays passed, where we’re readying ourselves for the triumphant return of the green by reveling in all things palm-trees-and-coconuts. If you haven’t been to see Tropical Paradiseyet, you can’t say you’ve relaxed this season!
Under the glass of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where the snow and the sleet are stopped at the velvet rope, we’re celebrating our permanent collection–the towering tropical trees and broad-leaved beauties that transform our little corner of New York City into a living rain forest. And in between the tours through our misty cloud forest houses and the rare, exotic species growing within, we’re filling in all the little gaps with tropical music, art, and more. Whether you come for the Caribbean tunes, the ongoing photography events, or the simple opportunity to stuff your gloves in your pocket and breathe, you’ve got until February 24 to make it happen! After that, we’re not losing momentum–you’ll be saying hello to the Orchid Showbefore you can say “strawberry daiquiri.”
I love foggy days at the Garden. Such strange depth between the trees, and everything seems more significant, somehow. You can walk in the Forest and feel as though you’re not going anywhere, or lose the tops of the tulip trees.
