Morning Eye Candy: Playful Shadows
Posted in Photography on October 9 2014, by Lansing Moore
Kiku is best enjoyed in the morning light, when the chrysanthemums and bamboo are glowing.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Archive: October 2014
Treat Yourself to Some Taro
Posted in Horticulture on October 8 2014, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.
Last week, I discussed the various taros or elephant’s ears (Colocasia esculenta) that we had on display in the Home Gardening Center. What I didn’t mention was that these robust tropical plants with their gigantic floppy leaves and their large round corms can be edible when properly prepared. Taro—or Cocoyam, or Yu Yu Tou—is a popular staple for many cultures.
It is believed that taro is indigenous to India. In Southeast Asia, it was grown near or in rice fields. In ancient times the Greeks and the Romans brought taro to Egypt and the Mediterranean. Spanish and Portuguese explorers then transported it to the New World. It is revered in Hawaii through prayers and takes on many forms in the cuisine. It goes without saying that taro is a globally important food source.
Morning Eye Candy: Beelicious
Posted in Photography on October 8 2014, by Lansing Moore
Look at the detail in this macro shot! You can almost taste the nectar.
In the Home Gardening Center – Photo by Patricia Gonzalez
Seed Saving: Simple Steps
Posted in Horticulture on October 7 2014, by Sara Katz
Sara Katz is the Community Horticulturist for Bronx Green-Up, the community garden outreach program of The New York Botanical Garden.
Along with juicy-ugly tomatoes, fresh herbs, and those peppers that made the best hot sauce, gardeners should harvest the seeds from their most prized plants of the growing season. In my Bronx community garden plot, one basil plant is reserved for setting seed, while the others are for eating with Arthur Avenue smoked mozzarella and in-season heirloom tomatoes.
Saving seeds carries on the work of our ancestors, who selected plant varieties using excellent foresight—and their taste buds. An ancient practice dating back to the Stone Age, the first saved seeds were part and parcel in man’s transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer. As plants began to be domesticated, varieties were selected for their flavor, beauty, resilience, and abundance.
Morning Eye Candy: Mellow Yellow
Posted in Photography on October 7 2014, by Lansing Moore
The golden hues of fall are coming to NYBG—you don’t want to miss peak color!
In the Native Plant Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
NYBG Brings The Haunted Pumpkin Garden to Grand Central
Posted in Programs and Events on October 6 2014, by Lansing Moore
Next Friday, October 17, NYBG is taking over Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal with a showstopping display of gargantuan gourds! Carve a little time out of your daily commute between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to see Ray Villafane and his team begin their work on an impressive zombie carving. Ray Villafane is an Arizona-based sculptor best known for his highly detailed pumpkin carvings. A regular competitor on the Food Network, Villafane was recently a finalist on Halloween Wars.
The apocalyptic pumpkin sculpture will begin coming to life on October 17, but those who want to see the finished projects in all its bone-chilling glory will have to come to our Pumpkin Carving Weekend here at NYBG on October 18 & 19, when Ray will continue to lead festive demonstrations for visitors. Click through for more information, plus a special sneak preview of the apocalyptic zombie carving that Ray has in store for us!
Morning Eye Candy: Starry Night
Posted in Photography on October 6 2014, by Lansing Moore
This macro shot brings out the color of a night sky just after the sun sets in the cup of this Japanese gentian, complete with stars.
Gentiana makinoi ‘Marsha’ in the Azalea Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Morning Eye Candy: Inspiring Sweetspire
Posted in Photography on October 5 2014, by Lansing Moore
Virginia sweetspire, looking just as sweet here in New York.
Itea virginica ‘Little Henry’™ in the Azalea Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Morning Eye Candy: An Anemone of Many
Posted in Photography on October 4 2014, by Lansing Moore
Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ in the Azalea Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
This Weekend: Kiku Takes Root at NYBG
Posted in Programs and Events on October 3 2014, by Lansing Moore
The first weekend of Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden begins tomorrow, and to celebrate we have a full schedule of special programs. Come admire hundreds of meticulously trained kiku in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and attend our special Kiku Poetry Reading with Chase Twichell; view demonstrations of Ikebana: The Art of Japanese Flower Arranging; and enjoying a delicious meal at our Japanese Pop-Up Restaurant. There are many ways to immerse yourself in the beautiful traditions of Japanese gardens.
At the same time, The Haunted Pumpkin Garden is continuing to fill the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden with spooky seasonal fun for the whole family. This weekend includes Halloween Parades and the chance to meet the Creepy Critters of Halloween! Read on for the full schedule of programs and events this weekend for Kiku and The Haunted Pumpkin Garden—as well as a special tour covering the History of NYBG!