Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 31 2013, by Matt Newman
Sometimes the passions you develop come small and unexpected. I like to think our horticulturists find inspiration in subtle beauties.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on August 30 2013, by Matt Newman
For the last few months, Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World has awed thousands of visitors with its exotic medicinal specimens, ancient botanical texts, and unique tasting experiences. We’ve watched The Italian Renaissance Garden shift with the days as the species in the Conservatory have cycled through. And after dark, we’ve lit up the night with Cocktail Evenings & Summer Concerts. But even with a little under two weeks to go on the exhibition schedule, we’re still not winding down!
This being the penultimate weekend for Wild Medicine, it’s all too fitting that it lands on a holiday. So we’re stretching the weekend straight into Labor Day Monday with a packed schedule of Conservatory tours, family-friendly jaunts through the music and dance of the Renaissance, and casual home gardening demonstrations to pique your palate.
With only a short time left ahead of the September 8 curtain call, we’re also readying for our closing presentation, a long-awaited lecture by NYBG ethnobotanist and Wild Medicine curator Dr. Michael Balick. On Saturday, September 7, Dr. Balick’s Ancient Wisdom and Modern Medicine opens a door to the relationships between plants, people, and culture, a core theme of our exhibition and a study he’s pursued in locales around the world. Tickets to this exclusive event are limited, so it’s best if you register sooner rather than later.
Again, we’re opening our gates for this special holiday Monday and we’re just 20 minutes from Grand Central. Don’t miss out on the closing window to see one of the most celebrated NYC exhibitions of the summer!
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 30 2013, by Matt Newman
It still baffles me when skeptical gardeners call native plants “weeds.”
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 29 2013, by Matt Newman
Magnolia virginiana ‘MVHH’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Video on August 28 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s a tiny industry of flitting and buzzing that calls the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden home late in summer, and you know we never miss out on a chance to celebrate something. Plus, pollinators are important! At some point, most of the fruits and vegetables that land on your plate benefit from the busy activities of these nectar-nursing bugs. That goes just as well for the edibles growing in the Family Garden.
Bring the kids along and join us through October 11 to learn about these important insects, such as the honeybees coming and going from our rooftop apiaries, and the monarch butterflies making pitstops in the Garden on their way to Mexico for the winter. Our experts—often the same people who don those odd bee suits to retrieve our homegrown honey—will show you the inner workings of a beehive and offer samples from different nectar sources. In the meadow, you’ll find monarchs fueling up on nectar before taking to the skies for their marathon flight. And even if bugs aren’t your bag, there’s always a hands-on activity to dive into.
In any case, maybe our Family Garden queen bee, Annie Novak, can give you a better idea of what the pollinators are up to these days.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 28 2013, by Matt Newman
If you’re walking to the NYBG from the 4, B, or D subway trains, look for the bright-eyed swamp rose-mallows growing in one or two home gardens along the way. You’ll see them here, of course, but finding something so colorful thriving so casually along the city sidewalk is a treat.
Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Luna White’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on August 27 2013, by Matt Newman
Sweet, savory, and that piquant point right in the middle—the Greenmarket‘s been representing our favorite flavors in equal measures of late. Judging by the number of colleagues snacking on fresh donut peaches last Wednesday, this week’s gathering should have no shortage of the fuzzy fruits out for sale. And the apples aren’t making themselves scarce, either—try the Ginger Golds if you have the chance. We’ve also seen heaps of plums, blueberries, watermelon and nectarines out on the tables of late. On the vegetable front, plan for broccoli, kale, onions, tomatoes of every shape and color, reliable radishes, a few kinds of peppers staggered over the Scoville scale, and some yellow summer squash.
There’s more, of course (fresh-baked bread, anybody?), and with each week there are new entries and exits for the various crops on offer, but this tentative list gives you an idea of what to expect. And how many bags to bring if you’ve got a stock of canvas!
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 27 2013, by Matt Newman
Coaxing our kiku to life is an exercise in daily tedium, sure, but these nurturing hours add up to some of the most breathtaking chrysanthemum displays you’ll ever witness. The end result is easily greater than the sum of its parts.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on August 26 2013, by Matt Newman
Don’t worry, not every aspect of the yearly back-to-school crunch has to involve elbowing your way through the school supplies aisle. In fact, with our #NYBGWFM recipe contest, you won’t even have to leave your couch.
Back in July, The New York Botanical Garden and Whole Foods Market teamed up to launch the first in a series of quick and easy recipe contests in our area, asking you all to submit your favorite no-cook cherry recipes for a chance at a Whole Foods gift card. This time around, we’re looking for the unique treats that spruce up your kid’s lunchbox. Whether it’s a tried and true variation on Ants on a Log, a neat spin on ham and cheese, or your student’s favorite cafeteria confection, we want to know what makes your brown bag skills the best on the block!
We make the submission process as pain-free as possible, too. If you’re on Twitter, just tweet your no-cook (that’s an important requirement) recipe or the recipe link using the #NYBGWFM hashtag. If you’d prefer, you can also leave us your recipe in the comments at the bottom of this post. After the August 30 deadline, Whole Foods Market Culinary Demonstration Specialists will pick a winner local to the New York City area to receive a $50 Whole Foods gift card. Better yet, that recipe will be prepared in the winner’s local Whole Foods Market store and made available for visitors to sample.
Again, this particular contest ends on Friday, August 30. We’re planning one more come September, but seeing as you can double up on your chances by participating in both, there’s no reason to miss out on this round!
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on August 26 2013, by Matt Newman
They say the day is what you make of it, so you don’t necessarily have to have the moody Monday blues. This little bluestem seems destined to it, though. To which musician’s stylings does the aptly-named cultivar best relate?
Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen