Spring Fun For the Whole Family!

Posted in Around the Garden on March 19 2013, by Ann Rafalko

Despite today’s unfortunate weather, spring truly is right around the corner. Tomorrow in fact! And there is evidence all around. Just this morning I saw a robin–slightly disgruntled and a little damp, but a robin nonetheless–strolling around on Tulip Tree Allée.

Snowdrops, crocuses, tiny netted irises, hellebores, fragrant viburnum, and apricot blossoms (an early harbinger of cherry blossoms) are popping up all over in the Home Gardening Center, Seasonal Border, Azalea Garden, and along the Ladies’ Border. In the Thain Family Forest there has been a subtle change of tint to the trees brought about by nascent leaf and flower buds.

In the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, the cozy Discovery Center is home to the  serious family fun of Little Landscapes. Little Landscapes allows children of all ages to explore the tiny world of terrariums with hands-on activities that includes making your own little terrarium to take home! If you would like to indulge in a more substantial bout of terrarium-making, MasterCard cardholders are invited to participate in an exclusive Priceless event where your child can create an adventure- or fantasy-themed terrarium to take home.

If you’re craving an educational getaway for your kids during Spring Break, the Garden’s Spring Break Science Camp may be just the thing. Children aged 8-10 get the chance to go behind the scenes at NYBG to uncover how discoveries are made and plants are cared for.  After visiting with Scientists and Gardeners, campers will use technology like iPads and microscopes to gather their own data while exploring the forest and wetlands.  Throughout the week, all of these experiences will be captured by building dioramas featuring real plants.

Budding master gardeners will get an in-depth gardening experience when the Children’s Gardening Program starts on March 30. The program offers unique activities tailored specifically for each age group and season. Hands-on gardening is the perfect way for kids to get outside and get their hands dirty. Guided by instructors, kids plant, tend, and harvest fresh produce; prepare and taste the fruits of their labor; and enjoy the beautiful natural setting of the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden.

Fun for the whole family can be found inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory where The Orchid Show is putting on a springy display in all the colors of the rainbow. Tens of thousands of blooms–blue and purple vandas, green and yellow cymbidiums, delicate pink and white moth orchids, and more–stand out amid stately palms and exotic tropical leaves. And budding botanists will love stumping the whole family with these exciting orchid factoids.

So don’t let Mother Nature fool you! It’s time to get out of the house and let the little ones run around! Plan your visit and get your tickets now!