Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Archive: March 2013
Posted in Bill Buck, From the Field, Science on March 5 2013, by William R. Buck
January 20, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Puerto Williams, 54°56’S, 67°37’W
I wake up at 5 a.m. and get out of bed. I know sunrise is around this time and that we will be arriving in Puerto Williams shortly thereafter. My early morning is well rewarded; the sunrise is gorgeous, increasing in intensity of pale yellows, pinks, and oranges all on a pale blue palette. The temperature is warm–I am comfortable standing on the upper deck in just my sleeping clothes. The captain and I wave at each other and both go back to our own thoughts. In the distance, on the left (south) shore is a small group of lights that I think must be Puerto Williams and when I point at them the captain confirms my assumption.
Several hours earlier I was up at 1:30 a.m., and to the north the whole coast was ablaze with lights over a large area: Ushuaia. Tiny Puerto Williams provides quite the contrast to Ushuaia. Puerto Williams’ population is around 2,200, which, in actuality, is the population of the entire province with the vast majority of those people living in this, the province’s only town. Puerto Williams is not only the provincial capital of Antártica Chilena, it is also the largest southernmost permanent settlement in the world (there is actually a very small town somewhat further south that is attainable only by ship and that we’ll visit later). It is also a navy town and run by the military for all practical purposes. I first came to Puerto Williams in 2000 and the town has scarcely changed in the intervening years. Indeed, it probably hasn’t changed much in a considerably longer time.
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Posted in Photography on March 5 2013, by Ann Rafalko
And that’s a wrap folks! The contest is over. The judging is (almost) done. Next week we pick the grand prize winners of the Tropical Paradise Photography Contest!
There will be two winners, one in each category: Sense of Place and Macro. Each person will win a seat in the photography class of their choice offered by the Garden’s Adult Education department.
So, without further commentary, let’s meet our final group of winners!
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Posted in Gardening Tips on March 5 2013, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.
Over the past few weeks, we have discussed how to manage storm clean-up after large coastal storms such as Hurricane Sandy, tackling soil testing and how to approach clean-up in creative ways. This week, I’m giving you a practical to-do list to help you get started at home, whether you’re preparing for the next big storm or recovering from the last.
What are some of the things that you can do to get your garden back on track?
— Compare skips, hire one and clean up obvious debris for them skip hire to haul away for you.
— Watch water levels as they drain to understand the topography of your garden.
— If your property is flooded with salt water, the easiest way to get rid of excess salt is to leach it away–soak your yard with 2-4 inches of water.
— Salt does less damage when the soil is already damp, so remember to water your garden when coastal storms are predicted (unless that has been recent rainfall). One inch is sufficient.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on March 5 2013, by Matt Newman
This is not to be missed if you’ve got kids tagging along! While The Orchid Show is already running strong in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, there are plenty of other activities tied into it that take place elsewhere in the NYBG. Not only lectures in Ross Hall, or orchid care demonstrations in the Shop in the Garden, but kid-friendly events in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden–that includes Little Landscapes.
Terrariums are so much more than a Tumblr fad. They’re self-contained worlds that are not only educational, but relaxing and enjoying to put together. So bring your kids for The Orchid Show and make a point of stopping off in our Adventure Garden through April 22, where they’ll have a chance to play architect with a miniature world of their own.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Bill Buck, From the Field, Science on March 4 2013, by William R. Buck
January 19, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Hoste, Bahía Navidad, 55°24’S, 68°12’W
Today is our day to hit the northeast coast of Península Hardy. We moored last night in Bahía Tekenika and left for the peninsula at 5 a.m. We had been told it would take 3-4 hours to reach our first site, but we arrive at 7:30 a.m. Only Blanka and I are up and about. The day promises to be beautiful once again, with partly cloudy skies, almost no wind, and surprisingly warm temperatures. Everyone is complaining about how warm they are inside their rubber rain gear. It would be great if this weather holds up though, but given my previous experience, I cannot be too optimistic.
Our first site is Bahía Allen Gardiner (55°24’S, 68°19’W), named for an early British missionary who, while dying of starvation, maintained his diary and his optimism about establishing a settlement in this region.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on March 4 2013, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on March 3 2013, by Matt Newman
The Orchid Show may be hogging the spotlight for the foreseeable future (and with good reason), but there are further aspects of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory worth exploring. The desert houses? Definitely.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on March 2 2013, by Matt Newman
Aficionados, botanists, greenthumbs, greenhorns, hobbyists, collectors, aesthetes, and everyone who simply can’t help but sate curiosity–all are welcome to join us today for the opening of The Orchid Show, running now through April 22 at The New York Botanical Garden. Keep an eye on Plant Talk for more information on the coming weeks’ events. And for daily eye candy and the everyday goings-on of the exhibition, check out our Instagram and Twitter feeds!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on March 1 2013, by Matt Newman
At long, long last, the wait ends this weekend! Just in time for the first arriving sights and sounds of spring (the crocuses are looking especially lovely), the crowned star of the season opens this weekend in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Thousands upon thousands of orchids–cymbidiums, vandas, moth orchids and more–have been carefully arranged under our famous glasshouse roof, inviting the entire city to experience the return of warmth and color with what is undeniably the most flamboyant combination of the two: The Orchid Show.
Alongside the paradise of blooms our horticulturists have curated in the Conservatory, we’re offering tours, music, free advice for the casual home grower, or more in-depth workshops and lectures for those looking to take their orchid madness to the next level. This Sunday’s lecture in particular highlights the expertise of David Taft, Chair of the Conservation Committee of the Greater New York Orchid Society, whose knowledge of native orchids will make a believer of those who thought these florid beauties kept only to the tropics. Afterward, you can stop into our Shop in the Garden to peruse a collection of rare, delicate, or even easy-to-grow orchids for purchase.
With plenty of time until The Orchid Show comes to a close on April 22, we’ll be offering all sorts of future events and activities to keep your orchid cravings piqued, so stay tuned to Plant Talk in the coming weeks for more on our Orchid Evenings and other entertainments. And for now, think about picking up tickets for this opening weekend–the fanfare is through the roof, and for us, the start of this exhibition is something of a Garden holiday!
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Posted in Bill Buck, From the Field, Science on March 1 2013, by William R. Buck
January 18, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Hoste, Bahía Tekenika, 55°18’S, 68°39’W
It’s been a long day. Initially we planned to leave Seno Ponsonby at 3 a.m, but instead at 10 p.m. we travel for an hour and then tie up to some rocks for the night, leaving again at 5 a.m. and arriving at our current location around 8:30 a.m. The captain and motorman spent most of yesterday working on some mechanical problem I didn’t understand until this morning when I learned that one of the ship’s two batteries would not recharge. This placed a limit on various electrical functions. It appeared as if we might need to go to Puerto Williams early and have someone fly in to fix it. However, miracle Nano (the motorman) managed to fix it today. Apparently this is why we had been traveling in daylight, because the loss of charge was affecting the navigational equipment. I was a bit nervous about all this and chose not to discuss it with the group. Fortunately, everything now seems fine.
All this activity means a slow start this morning. However, about 10:30 we ferry ashore to find one of the most difficult terrains I have ever tried to traverse. There are more downed trees than standing ones, stacked one on top of another at every conceivable angle. In addition, there are numerous large boulders. The whole landscape is coated with a carpet of hornworts, adding a highly precarious nature to our collecting because they are intensely mucilaginous.
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I wake up at 5 a.m. and get out of bed. I know sunrise is around this time and that we will be arriving in Puerto Williams shortly thereafter. My early morning is well rewarded; the sunrise is gorgeous, increasing in intensity of pale yellows, pinks, and oranges all on a pale blue palette. The temperature is warm–I am comfortable standing on the upper deck in just my sleeping clothes. The captain and I wave at each other and both go back to our own thoughts. In the distance, on the left (south) shore is a small group of lights that I think must be Puerto Williams and when I point at them the captain confirms my assumption.
