This Weekend: The Verse of Key West
Posted in Programs and Events on April 4 2014, by Lansing Moore
This Sunday is the Key West Poetry Reading! This special event will bring together three celebrated poets to read the masterpieces currently on display in the Perennial Garden‘s Key West Poetry Walk. Co-presented with the Poetry Society of America, the lineup of readers includes such accomplished poets as Henri Cole, the poetry editor of The New Republic; Tracy K. Smith, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry; and David Yezzi, writer of Slate‘s Book of the Year in Azores.
April 6 is also our next Member’s Day. Your Member ID will get you free parking plus discounts at the Dining Pavilion and Shop in the Garden. Members are also eligible for four half-price tickets for their friends and family, so enjoy the spring weather with your loved ones at NYBG! You can learn more about the benefits of Membership here. We also have plenty of activities for families, as this weekend sees the return of Dig! Plant! Grow! to our growing schedule of spring Children’s Programs.
Unfortunately, this Saturday’s Orchid Evening is sold out, but tickets are still available for April 12 and beyond! Click through to find out the recipe for next weekend’s signature cocktail, The Backyard Collins, and don’t miss out on our Priceless NY champagne pre-parties for future evenings—they’re the perfect way to make a full night of your Orchid Show adventure.
Saturday, April 5
Roaming Orchid Guides – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Meet in the Palm Dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Garden guides highlight parts of the permanent collection and special exhibition to add insight to your experience of The Orchid Show. They will provide an in-depth look at rare and extraordinary orchid specimens on display.
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert to learn about bird-friendly habitats, migrating species, and birds that make a permanent home at the Garden.
Garden Highlights: Spring Awakening Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Sights and scents emerge across the 250-acres of the Botanical Garden. Join a Garden Guide for a walking tour featuring highlights of the gardens and plant collections, like the Native Plant and Perennial Gardens.
Escape to Paradise: The Music of Key West – 1 & 3 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
The sounds of tropical rock and island music transport you to Key West with lyrics that evoke a warm, lush locale and a laid-back lifestyle, plus rhythms of the acoustic guitar, congas, and percussion instruments.
About the Band: Jimmy Kenny and The Pirate Beach Band‘s musicians have over 20 years of live playing experience. They pride themselves on bringing the most authentic listening experience possible in a tribute to the music of Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band among others, including your favorite tropical hits, reggae, Top 40 Americana, and the best in New and Classic Country.
Orchid Care Q&A – 1:30–4:30 p.m.
In Shop in the Garden
Gardening and orchid experts share their best secrets and explain the simple steps to healthy plants as they help you choose the right plant for your home.
Orchid Care Demonstrations: Orchid ABCs – 2 & 3 p.m.
In the Conservatory GreenSchool
Don’t leave The Orchid Show empty handed. If you have ever successfully grown a houseplant…you can grow orchids. Learn the ABCs of orchid care and tips for making these beauties thrive.
Rock Garden Tour – 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitors Center
The Rock Garden is a 2 1/2-acre oasis complete with a pond and waterfall and featuring alpine plants from six continents. Join an expertly trained Garden Guide for a walking tour to see and learn more about these jewel-like plants.
Orchid Evenings – 7–9 p.m.
In the Conservatory
Tomorrow’s Orchid Evening is SOLD OUT! But don’t worry, you can still view The Orchid Show with a cocktail in hand at next week’s Orchid Evening on April 12. Music and unforgettable beauty make for one of New York City’s most romantic date destinations. Your ticket includes a complimentary cocktail and special dinner offers at our restaurant partners on Little Italy’s Arthur Avenue and beyond. April 12 will have DJ Julio Pezua spinning tunes for the event. Details below:
Cocktail Partner: Next week’s signature cocktail, The Backyard Collins, embodies the simple pleasures of a day at the beach. A sparkling blend of Half Moon gin, basil syrup, Basement Bitters, and a splash of seltzer, finished with a refreshing slice of cucumber. Courtesy of Tuthilltown Spirits.
Non-Member $30/Member $20 (Adults 21 and over) Advance tickets recommended; includes one specialty cocktail.
Start the night off with a champagne pre-party at Shop in the Garden from 6 to 7 p.m. Learn more at priceless.com/newyork.
Sunday, April 6
Members Day – 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Special Member Benefits:
- Free parking with a valid Member ID
- 20% discount on all purchases at Shop in the Garden
- 10% discount at the Dining Pavilion
- Up to four half-price tickets for friends and family
Guest passes will be accepted. For Membership information visit nybg.org/membership
Roaming Orchid Guides – 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Meet in the Palm Dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Garden guides highlight parts of the permanent collection and special exhibition to add insight to your experience of The Orchid Show. They will provide an in-depth look at rare and extraordinary orchid specimens on display.
Spring Highlights Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Join a Garden Guide for a walking tour featuring highlights of the gardens and plant collections that stand out in late winter, and start to look for early signs of spring.
Ross Conifer Arboretum Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum is a historic, 15-acre collection of towering pines, elegant spruces, and mountain firs from around the world. These irreplaceable trees were among the first planted at the Garden, some as far back as the early 1900s. Join an expertly trained Guide for a tour of these exquisite specimens.
Escape to Paradise: The Music of Key West – 1 & 3:30 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
The sounds of tropical rock and island music transport you to Key West with lyrics that evoke a warm, lush locale and a laid-back lifestyle, plus rhythms of the acoustic guitar, congas, and percussion instruments.
About the Band: Jimmy Kenny and The Pirate Beach Band‘s musicians have over 20 years of live playing experience. They pride themselves on bringing the most authentic listening experience possible in a tribute to the music of Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band among others, including your favorite tropical hits, reggae, Top 40 Americana, and the best in New and Classic Country.
Orchid Care Q&A – 1:30–4:30 p.m.
In Shop in the Garden
Gardening and orchid experts share their best secrets and explain the simple steps to healthy plants as they help you choose the right plant for your home.
Orchid Care Demonstrations: Orchid ABCs – 2 & 3 p.m.
In the Conservatory GreenSchool
Don’t leave The Orchid Show empty handed. If you have ever successfully grown a houseplant…you can grow orchids. Learn the ABCs of orchid care and tips for making these beauties thrive.
Poetry for Every Season: Key West Poetry Reading – 2 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
In keeping with The Orchid Show: Key West Contemporary theme, spring poetry highlights the work of the island’s famed poets. During this special reading that compliments the ongoing Key West Poetry Walk, renowned poets read the works of James Merrill, Richard Wilbur, and Elizabeth Bishop, major 20th century American poets who were originally from New England and New York but had an affinity for Key West.
About the Poets:
Henri Cole was born in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1956. He has published eight collections of poetry, including Middle Earth, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. He has received many awards for his work, including the Jackson Prize, the Kingsley Tufts Award, the Rome Prize, the Berlin Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Lenore Marshall Award. His most recent collection is Touch (published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2011). He teaches at Ohio State University and is poetry editor of The New Republic.
Tracy K. Smith is the author of three books of poetry. Her most recent collection, Life on Mars (Graywolf, 2011), won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book. Smith, in her own words, explains that poetry is a way of ”stepping into the mess of experience.” After her undergraduate work at Harvard, Smith earned her MFA at Columbia before going on to be a Stegner Fellow in Poetry at Stanford University from 1997 to 1999. She currently teaches Creative Writing at Princeton University, and has also taught at Columbia, City University of New York, and the University of Pittsburgh.
David Yezzi‘s books of poems include Azores, a Slate magazine book of the year, and Birds of the Air. His libretto for David Conte’s opera Firebird Motel has been performed widely and is available on CD from Arsis. He teaches in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Little Landscapes – 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
In the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
The plant world comes alive in a big way at the Discovery Center this winter. Take a step inside the world of plants and create your own terrarium to bring home. Be inspired to create a rocky, mossy, or floral world in a jar by looking closely at a wide array of artistic and scientific terrariums. While you are at it, use a microscope to take a closer look at some of the featured terrarium characters like moss, lichens, and rocks.
Dig! Plant! Grow!: Wake Up, Garden!– 1:30–5:30 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Rise and shine Family Garden! Help get the garden off to a good start by sowing seeds, planting seedlings, spreading compost, and digging. Observe the rapid changes and new growth on the trees, shrubs, and bulbs in our meadow, and explore germination of seeds up close with microscopes and magnifiers.
Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens – 1:30 – 6 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Kids can explore with Mario’s Menu Mystery game, featuring favorite vegetables and herbs from nine of his restaurants’ kitchens, including Otto and Del Posto.
