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Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Archive: October 2014

This Weekend: Carve Out Some Family Time

Posted in Programs and Events on October 17 2014, by Lansing Moore

Ray Villafane pumpkin picasso master carving class
Ray Villafane leads his sold out Pumpkin Picasso carving class at NYBG

Ray Villafane is back at NYBG tomorrow for Pumpkin Carving Weekend. See this year’s massive zombie carving come to life after touring The Haunted Pumpkin Garden. Check out Ray’s exclusive artist’s rendering of his apocalyptic pumpkin vision here—it’s like no jack-o’-lantern you’ve ever seen! In fact, Ray is at Grand Central Terminal today until 7 p.m. beginning work on his masterpiece in a live demonstration that is open to the public! Stop by if you’re in midtown, but come to the Garden this weekend to see the finished product.

Kids are welcome to complete the Halloween fun with the Budding Masters Creepy Pumpkin Carving Adventure this Saturday, open exclusively to MasterCard cardholders. Saturday and Sunday will also feature the return of Creepy Creatures of Halloween. Erik Zeidler, the host of this popular and educational program, recently visited Good Day New York with some of his amazing reptiles to discuss his work with the Garden. Head below to check out some of the eye-popping live creatures your family can visit this weekend, along with our impressive pumpkin installation.

Kiku has only a couple of weeks left, so come enjoy a bite at our Japanese Pop-Up Restaurant while there’s still time! In the meanwhile, enjoy this Creepy Creatures clip from Good Day New York, and check out the full schedule of weekend programs.

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Fruiting Frame of Mind

Posted in Horticulture on October 16 2014, by Jaime Morin

Jaime Morin is The New York Botanical Garden’s Assistant Curator in horticulture. She works with the plant records and curation teams to help keep the garden’s information on its living collections up to date. She also oversees the details of the garden’s Living Collections Phenology Project.

Callicarpa japonica beautyberry
Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica)

Autumn is by far my favorite season. I know it doesn’t bring that sigh of relief the first warm day of spring seems to evoke, nor does it allow for long days at the beach or lake. Yet, what it lacks in promised warmth it makes up for in color. As a native New Englander I was brought up with a strong appreciation for bright fall foliage and the joys of falling into a freshly raked pile of leaves. What I didn’t begin to appreciate until I started really looking at plants in my professional life were the bright colors and interesting forms of fruit and seeds that autumn delivers to us. I don’t mean tasty fall favorites like the apple, but the smaller seed carriers that are often missed if you’re not looking for them.

Take a couple of my favorite colorful fruiting shrubs, beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.) and winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), as examples. Callicarpa have attractive arching branches with demure flowers in early summer, but they shine brightest in fall when dense clusters of vibrant purple fruit cling along the stems creating the late season echo to the pink redbud flowers from spring. Similarly, Ilex verticillata isn’t your typical wall of evergreen holly foliage. By late October this shrub has dropped its foliage and the females are covered with fruit in fiery hues like orange or red.

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The Humanities Institute: Summer/Fall Colloquia, 2014

Posted in From the Library, Humanities Institute on October 15 2014, by Vanessa Sellers

ColloquiumBy exploring innovative approaches to studies in the environmental humanities, the Humanities Institute aims to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences. To further the connection between the disciplines, the Institute offers short- and long-term fellowship programs for students and scholars from a wide range of backgrounds and holds a number of events, including symposia, seminars, and colloquia.

Various seminars and colloquia, or dynamic “round table brainstorming sessions,” were held in July and September in which graduate students from New York universities and institutes of art and science—including the Bard Graduate Center, the Cooper Hewitt-Smithsonian Design Museum, and Fordham University—participated. The events featured a historic book and manuscript viewing in the Mertz Library’s Rare Book Room, followed by lively debate. During the discussions, students tried to define what form a humanities research center should take on to be most relevant in today’s rapidly changing world.

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This Week at the Greenmarket: The Artist Formerly Known As Quince

Posted in Programs and Events on October 15 2014, by Lansing Moore

Quince Nora Singley The Kitchn The Cheesemonger
Photo by Nora Singley via The Kitchn

NYBG’s Greenmarket is open today until 3 p.m. Stop by for fresh spaghetti squash, leeks, apples, and more seasonal delicacies. If you’re looking for a fun new recipe to try out, we have an exciting use for one of today’s special Greenmarket offerings: quince!

These interesting fruits can be difficult to find, but they are available at NYBG today. Membrillo is a quince paste popular in Spain, that can be enjoyed on toast like any preserve, or better yet, on a cracker with cheese for a sweet and savory treat.

Make you own membrillo with this easy recipe, and with holiday parties just around the corner you will have a delicious addition to any cheese platter—or a unique homemade gift.

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Morning Eye Candy: Kiku Crossing

Posted in Photography on October 15 2014, by Lansing Moore

Kiku displays hundreds of chrysanthemums in a variety of traditional as well as contemporary designs, such as this quaint little bridge formation.

Kiku the Art of the Japanese garden Haupt Conservatory
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen