Morning Eye Candy: On the Fringe
Posted in Photography on May 27 2014, by Matt Newman
Dianthus ‘Bath’s Pink’ in the Rock Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on May 27 2014, by Matt Newman
Dianthus ‘Bath’s Pink’ in the Rock Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on May 25 2014, by Matt Newman
Sundays are an especially good time for green. Especially a green dappled by sunlight.
In the Native Plant Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on May 24 2014, by Matt Newman
The daydreamy colors of the Azalea Garden’s spring bloom have peaked and are on their way back down. The last of the fireworks aren’t at all quiet, of course.
Rhododendron ‘Hinomayo’ – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Horticulture on May 23 2014, by Kristin Schleiter
Kristin Schleiter is the NYBG’s Associate Vice President of Outdoor Gardens and Senior Curator. She oversees the wonderful gardening team that keeps our flowering gardens looking top notch, curates the herbaceous gardens and collections, and manages the curator of woody plants. She lives and gardens in Fairfield, CT.
One of my favorite plants on our new Seasonal Walk so far is the Himalayan fox tail lily, Eremerus himalaicus. Re-designed by renowned designer Piet Oudolf and planted late last fall, it has been a thrill to watch the garden unfold. After a very cold winter filled with lots of nail-biting, the plants have emerged healthy, happy, and simply glorious. As all the best gardens do, this one changes magically from week to week. The leading characters now are our native columbine Aquilegia canadensis (complete with hummingbirds darting around enjoying the red and yellow flowers) and the magical Himalayan fox tail lily. Elegant spires of white star-shaped flowers dance gracefully down the length of the double border. They are four feet tall this year, but hold the promise of more height in years to come as they settle in.
Fox tail lilies are easy to plant. Their tubers look much like a sea star with a whole mess of legs wearing a dunce cap. Dig a hole wide enough to spread out their roots but not too deep—their noses should be just a few inches underground. They don’t enjoy wet soil and love the sun.
The Seasonal Walk is only just beginning to seduce with its tapestry of plants. I love the fox tail lilies now, but I’m sure there is something else that will start blooming next month that will steal my fickle heart.
Posted in Programs and Events on May 23 2014, by Lansing Moore
Happy Friday! It’s a particularly happy one because it’s almost Memorial Day. That means we have three days of exciting activities for all ages lined up to help you celebrate the official beginning of summer at the Garden with a well-deserved long weekend.
This weekend is the time to revel in the lyricism of past masters with this Saturday’s Groundbreakers Poetry Reading, an enlightening journey to a past century through the words of Edna St. Vincent Millay—words you can also see adorning the grounds in our Groundbreakers Poetry Walk. None other than renowned feminist poet Eavan Boland will be in attendance to recite these classic poems. Meanwhile, the little ones can celebrate Memorial Day with the uplifting music of John Philip Sousa and make some tunes of their own during SousaKazooza! It’s just one of a whole roster of new family programs we have lined up for summer—and it all begins this weekend at the Garden!
Click through for more details on all the ways you can enjoy the world of Groundbreakers, and explore a glittering era of America’s past this Memorial Day Weekend.
Posted in Photography on May 23 2014, by Matt Newman
Spot the lone fowl taking time out for some sunbathing. That or he’s claimed his new throne.
In the Native Plant Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on May 22 2014, by Lansing Moore
Gardening is both an art and a science. While our new Groundbreakers exhibition examines the art of landscape architecture and ornamental plantings, next week’s Annual Science Open House will dive headfirst into the cutting-edge research and history of innovation that distinguishes NYBG. It’s amazing to witness the variety of work that goes on at the Garden, much of which goes unseen by visitors who come to admire the serene landscape. Join expert tour guides next week on an exclusive peek behind the scenes of the real “groundbreaking” work that goes on right here in New York.
The Open House kicks off next Thursday, May 29, with our not-to-be-missed evening hosted by bestselling authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Amy Stewart. Click through for complete details on all four days of scientific exploration!
Posted in Photography on May 22 2014, by Matt Newman
A forest in spring is, bar none, the best-dressed thing in New York.
Thain Family Forest – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on May 21 2014, by Lansing Moore
The centerpiece of the new Groundbreakers exhibit is naturally the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and its interpretation of The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Maine, but the exhibit continues throughout the Garden grounds. There is much to enjoy outdoors under the bright May sun, and the Groundbreakers Poetry Walk offers moments of reflection to those who stroll through the Perennial Garden and beyond. Occasionally, as on this Saturday, May 24, we set aside some time for a live reading with one of poetry’s greats—one such as Eavan Boland.
This year’s poetry displays honor the spirit of Groundbreaking women from the early 20th Century with the works of Edna St. Vincent Millay, the third woman to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Her eloquent writing captures the beauty of nature while evoking the cultural triumphs of the era she lived in alongside the Groundbreakers celebrated in the exhibit. Millay was a fascinating figure and poetry aficionados and history buffs alike will not want to miss out on this Saturday’s Groundbreakers Poetry Reading. Click through for details about Millay’s life, and more on this exciting poetry event!
Posted in Photography on May 21 2014, by Matt Newman
Groundbreakers in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen