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Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Archive: March 2014

The Orchid Show: First Look!

Posted in The Orchid Show on March 10 2014, by Lansing Moore

pink orchids at The Orchid Show: Key West Conteporary at The New York Botanical GardenWe wrapped up our first week of The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary over the weekend, and we already have the first Orchid Evening event under our belts. The Orchid Show this year takes its inspiration from a garden designed by Raymond Jungles for an estate garden in Key West, whisking us away to Florida’s tropical climate. We bedecked the geometric reflecting pools, soaring angular pergolas, and sleek benches of this modern residence with hundreds of orchids! With so many varieties on view, the final effect is dazzling. For a burst of color on this March afternoon, click through for a look at The Orchid Show in all its glory.

There are an estimated 30,000 naturally occurring orchid species and tens of thousands of artificially created hybrids. We couldn’t possibly have room for all of them, but there is a stunning array on display at the Conservatory, and thousands of types in the Garden’s permanent collection.

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This Weekend: Our First Orchid Evening!

Posted in Programs and Events on March 7 2014, by Lansing Moore

0314-White-Orchid-Cluster-250x280Tomorrow is our inaugural Orchid Evening! This special event series, now back for another season, gives guests the chance to admire The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary in the romantic softness of evening light. There is still time to get tickets so you can spend tomorrow evening admiring dozens of rare varieties of orchids, while enjoying music and finely crafted cocktails with a botanical twist.

The very next afternoon is a special lecture on the history and lore of the orchid by Marc Hachadourian, Curator of the Orchid Collection at The New York Botanical Garden. From medicines to aphrodisiacs, generations from around the world have been captivated by these magical and mysterious flowers.

The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a much-loved part of the Garden because of how many environments it can encompass—desert on the right, rainforest on the left, you name it. This year we turned the dial to full-on Florida for The Orchid Show, and stepping into the languid humidity and fresh fragrances of the tropical South is as close as we New Yorkers can get to the Florida Keys right now—without any mosquitoes, either! Click through for this weekend’s full roster of exciting orchid programs.

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Monarch Numbers Dwindle Dramatically

Posted in Wildlife on March 5 2014, by Joyce Newman

Joyce H. Newman holds a Certificate in Horticulture from The New York Botanical Garden and has been a Tour Guide for more than 8 years. She is the former editor of Consumer Reports GreenerChoices.org.

MonarchAs we wait for the weather to warm and some of our most stunning visitors to return to our outdoor collections, we are reminded of the increasing importance of conservation as a consideration in garden planning. Case in point: A new report finds the number of monarch butterflies wintering in the mountains of central Mexico much lower than ever recorded, largely due to the destruction of their habitat, extreme weather, and loss of food supply, the milkweed plant, up north.

These findings mean that cultivating and conserving the monarchs’ sole source of food in our area is more important to their survival than ever. In the Native Plant Garden, there are several species of milkweed, all of which attract monarchs, one of the most highly visible and numerous insects to see throughout the summer months.

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