As the snowdrops fade, daffodils explode in a burst of yellow across the landscape. Tulips begin to emerge, peeking through recently planted violas, and magnolia buds crack open. These all provide a lavish display, but in the midst of this let us take a moment to appreciate the sustained beauty of our hellebores. Since snow still covered much of the garden in late winter, our considerable collection of Helleborus species and hybrids have been consistently blooming in shades of pink, white, deep purple, green, and yellow. They really deserve a place in your garden, too.
While there are many species in the genus Helleborus, recent hybridization has produced a wide range of colorful, easy to grow plants. Helleborus × hybridus cultivars are best grown in partial shade in evenly moist, well-drained soil. In this climate blooms emerge on new growth in late winter, and can persist through spring. Large sepals take the place of petals as the colorful portion of the flower, and flowers nod at the top of 12- to 15-inch stalks. New leaves emerge around this time, which grow into an excellent glossy evergreen ground cover. Old leaves can be removed in the spring for aesthetic reasons, but care should be taken not to damage the new growth.
Every year the Pantone Color Institute—in an astute publicity move—announces a “color of the year.” Foodies and Italian expatriates will rejoice in discovering that the color for 2015 is Marsala. For the uninitiated, Marsala is a fortified Sicilian wine that is similar to port, sherry, and Madeira.
Like sherry, Marsala comes in a range of ages, colors, and sweetness levels. A drier Marsala is traditionally served chilled between the first and second course, and paired with parmesan, gorgonzola, or another tangy cheese. Sweet Marsalas are served at room temperature as a dessert wine. Most of us have encountered Marsala as a reduction of the wine, prepared with shallots, mushrooms, and herbs for the well-known chicken dish.
As far as the color of the year is concerned, many of us will be delighted that earthy tones are back. They are so wearable! Marsala (the color, that is) is a warm and seductive earthy wine-red. Colorists have described it as hearty, nurturing, stylish, and sophisticated. I am looking forward to wearing the shade on my lips and nails. It partners well with blue-grey, pale lilac, silvery pink, purple, blue, tan, golden green, apricot, and ochre.
I thought it would be fun to search out plants that embodied this color. There are lots of burgundies on the market, and there are many wine-colored reds, maroons, and deep brownish-purples. I fired up PowerPoint and started laying out slides. On each slide I placed a color swatch of Marsala, then I perused my favorite online catalogs in search of earthy, fortified, red-brown flowers and foliage.
Someone once said that the best way to see Paris was to get lost in it. It is also a wonderful way to see the Garden, whether it is your first or hundredth visit. Immersing yourself randomly in the beauty of it all is a perfect celebration of Earth Day, which is April 22 for most people or, if you are an avid composter, pretty much every day!
To go exploring, just start anywhere. Go nowhere or everywhere. Follow the sparrows as they tweet away the day. Take selfies with the wild turkeys (from a reasonable distance, of course!) known to stroll along Garden Way. Fill up on Morning Eye Candy, flitting like a hummingbird from one spectacular bloom to another. Wander aimlessly from tree to tree down the trails of the Thain Family Forest.
Yesterday marked the close of this year’s triumphant Orchid Show—which also means the end of Orchid Evenings for the season. But with the days getting longer and the nights getting warmer, it’s a wonderful time of year to come enjoy an evening event at the Garden. That’s why this Saturday, as part of our popular annual Antique Garden Furniture Fair, we are pleased to invite you to our first Young Collectors’ Night—an evening in the Conservatory Tent with cocktails, refreshments, and centuries of classic design inspiration for the home and garden from more than thirty established vendors.
Your ticket includes one complimentary glass of champagne as you explore the treasures on display while enjoying the sounds of the Dolce Ensemble. Further refreshments and drinks from Stephen STARR will be available for purchase throughout the event. Tickets are available online, like all of our popular evening events—but this party will be one night only! We hope to see you there.
And while you’re here, take advantage of the weather by soaking in the sun while delighting in the budding cherry blossoms, blooming magnolias, and breathtaking rhododendrons. Programs abound to help guide your weekend activities, so read on, and see what piques your interest!
Each year, as spring sets in and the ground thaws, First Lady Michelle Obama takes to the White House’s Kitchen Garden to replant it for the season. Naturally, she doesn’t do this alone! Tackling the task alongside the First Lady this year were several of The New York Botanical Garden’s own greenthumbs who’d made the trek down to Washington, D.C., as part of the Let’s Move! fifth anniversary.
Students Nare Kande, a fourth-grader from Harlem; and Sarala Beepat, a sixth-grader from the Bronx; joined Toby Adams, the Director of NYBG’s Edible Academy, to help plant radish seeds, bok choy, and other vegetables with Mrs. Obama on April 15. Each student has plenty of experience planting and tending the vegetable beds of NYBG’s Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden as part of our Children’s Gardening Program, so they certainly had the skills needed to help kickstart spring at the White House.
Every week I peruse Shop in the Garden to see what orchids they have in stock, and the selection this year has been stupendous. I received Oncidium ‘Sharry Baby’ (a.k.a. the chocolate orchid) from a grower and shared her powerful fragrance with a delighted audience. Fortunately, this in-demand orchid was available to purchase in the Shop, and every chocoholic in the audience went scurrying over to capture this odiferous orchid and take her home.
As the flowers on Oncidium ‘Sharry Baby’ began to wane, I got my hands on one of her progeny, Oncidium Heaven Scent ‘Redolence’. Heaven Scent ‘Redolence’ is the offspring of Oncidium ‘Sharry Baby’ and Oncidium ‘Ruffles’. Initially, she was not as pervasively pungent as her name would suggest. After a week of taunting me with the suggestion of a fragrance, she came into her own.
As the snowdrops fade, daffodils explode in a burst of yellow across the landscape. Tulips begin to emerge, peeking through recently planted violas, and magnolia buds crack open. These all provide a lavish display, but in the midst of this let us take a moment to appreciate the sustained beauty of our hellebores. Since snow still covered much of the garden in late winter, our considerable collection of Helleborus species and hybrids have been consistently blooming in shades of pink, white, deep purple, green, and yellow. They really deserve a place in your garden, too.
