Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Archive: November 2015
Posted in Children's Education on November 25 2015, by Celia Baldwin
Celia Baldwin is a GreenSchool Educator at The New York Botanical Garden.
The Frida Kahlo exhibition that graced the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory from May until October offered visiting GreenSchool students an inspiring way to get inside the head of a wildly talented artist, and make some revealing connections—and art—of their own. As students entered the vivid Casa Azul and strolled alongside the shiny green Swiss cheese plants, smelled the sweet bougainvillea, and examined sunset-hued marigolds and sunflowers up close, they responded with smiles to the color, texture, and forms they noticed. When they saw the papaya-colored pyramid adorned with cacti and succulents, they looked closely, and tried not to touch. This was not some sleepy garden show their teachers were bringing them to, but something bold and fun and relatable.
On October 23, a group of students from Waldwick High School in New Jersey came to view the exhibition with Spanish teacher Vanessa Monell. Their goal was to immerse themselves in the living world of Frida Kahlo after being introduced to her life story in the weeks since school began in September. These high schoolers said they were drawn to Frida’s story of suffering and fortitude, of her strong need to define her life on her own terms and to find a way to communicate her emotional intensity through art.
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Posted in Programs and Events on November 25 2015, by Lansing Moore
Happy Thanksgiving from NYBG! We will be closed on Thursday, November 26, in observance of the holiday—but we will be open this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and for regular hours on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.—so consider walking off all that stuffing with a fall family outing to the Garden!
Admire the crisp autumn landscape, check out the Holiday Train Show®—newly opened in our Haupt Conservatory and bigger than ever before—and don’t miss out on this year’s kiku display in the Bourke-Sullivan Display House of the Nolen Greenhouses. These chrysanthemums will only be up until next Monday, November 29, so time is running out!
View the full schedule of weekend programs and tours below, and we’ll see you in the Garden.
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Posted in Wildlife on November 24 2015, by Patricia Gonzalez
Patricia Gonzalez is an NYBG Visitor Services Attendant and avid wildlife photographer.
This is Hooter, the Great-horned Owl, one of several non-releasable birds of prey that reside at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, which is a non-profit nature reserve in Quogue, NY. Hooter had a lot to say last Sunday at the Garden’s Live Birds of Prey event. So much, in fact, that he was given his own microphone! See him in action here.
Hooter the Great-horned Owl during a demonstration at NYBG – Photo by Patricia Gonzalez
Posted in Photography on November 24 2015, by Matt Newman
Japanese maple (Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’) – Photo by Amy Weiss
Posted in Programs and Events on November 23 2015, by Matt Newman
After 24 years of delighting audiences with its cheerful collection of trains, tracks, and iconic New York City landmarks, the Holiday Train Show returned to NYBG this past weekend, November 21, with a bunch of new experiences in tow! Not only is this year’s exhibition the biggest it’s ever been, with 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, but it boasts new trains, bridges, and dining options for guests of all ages to enjoy.
Saturday’s grand opening saw people from all over the New York region stopping by the Garden to see the show, explore our 250-acre landscape in late fall, and try out tasty treats from Frosty’s Schnapps Haus and the Gingerbread Café, our latest dining additions alongside the Pine Tree Café and Hudson Garden Grill. And on Sunday, with an incredible sunset streaking the sky with pinks and purples overhead, city guests and visitors gathered near the Visitor Center for our annual holiday tree lighting.
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Posted in Around the Garden on November 20 2015, by Lansing Moore
This year’s all-new Holiday Train Show® opens on Saturday, November 21—with more trains, more landmarks, and more dining options than ever! This year’s exhibition features 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, making room for dozens of new trains, bridges, and tracks; a captivating short film of the show’s behind-the-scenes magic; and a stunning multisensory finale of light and sound. With something for everyone, plan your holiday visit today.
New this year, the MasterCard® Gingerbread Café creates a festive setting to enjoy a kid-approved menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts; two gourmet food trucks offering burgers and tacos; and a variety of holiday-themed activities. Color in a gingerbread activity sheet, and stop by our photo kiosk for a memorable souvenir. MasterCard Cardholders receive a complimentary sweet treat with a purchase of $10 or more.
Frosty’s Schnapps Haus, a Bavarian-themed outdoor dining option to keep you warm in winter, offers a variety of treats such as roasted chestnuts and pretzels from an authentic pretzel cart as well as spiked hot beverages. Also at the Visitor Center, enjoy first-class culinary creations at the Pine Tree Café amid one of the Garden’s arboreal wonders: a world-renowned collection of rare and unusual pines from Asia, Europe, and North America that features century-old specimens nearly 100 feet tall. The family-friendly menu ranges from artisanal panini, Neapolitan-style pizza, and signature salads to sweet treats and snacks. For a full-service dining experience, make a reservation at the Hudson Garden Grill, offering innovative New American cuisine and locally sourced ingredients.
Click through to view the full schedule of special events for this weekend’s grand opening—including our annual holiday tree lighting. Plan your visit, and come hungry!
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Posted in Photography on November 20 2015, by Matt Newman
It’s Member Preview Day for the Holiday Train Show. If you happen to be stopping by, be on the look out for our new rendition of the New York Public Library in the Haupt Conservatory. The show opens to the general public tomorrow, November 21!
The New York Public Library in the Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on November 19 2015, by Matt Newman
While the Holiday Train Show is the hot ticket for this weekend, opening Saturday, November 21, don’t forget that Kiku: Spotlight on Tradition is still blooming away in the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections through November 29. If anything, these chrysanthemums are bigger and brighter than ever, and the ozukuri, or “thousand-bloom” design, makes for an incredible centerpiece.
Ozukuri (“thousand-bloom”) kiku in the Bourke-Sullivan Display House – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on November 17 2015, by Matt Newman
We’re in the last moments of Holiday Train Show prep before we throw open the Conservatory doors on Saturday, November 21. Got your tickets yet?
The Holiday Train Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on November 16 2015, by Matt Newman
American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) on the Main Lawn – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
The Frida Kahlo exhibition that graced the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory from May until October offered visiting GreenSchool students an inspiring way to get inside the head of a wildly talented artist, and make some revealing connections—and art—of their own. As students entered the vivid Casa Azul and strolled alongside the shiny green Swiss cheese plants, smelled the sweet bougainvillea, and examined sunset-hued marigolds and sunflowers up close, they responded with smiles to the color, texture, and forms they noticed. When they saw the papaya-colored pyramid adorned with cacti and succulents, they looked closely, and tried not to touch. This was not some sleepy garden show their teachers were bringing them to, but something bold and fun and relatable.
