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Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Archive: December 2015

This Weekend: Bach, Vivaldi, Handel

Posted in Programs and Events on December 18 2015, by Vilina Phan

The NYBG WeekendAs we celebrate the peak of the holiday season at the Garden, we thought it appropriate to ring in the winter solstice (it’s actually Tuesday, December 22, but who’s counting?) with a weekend performance suited to the nostalgic sights and sounds of the season. And what better group to fit the bill than an ensemble of cellos, violins, and flutes?

This Sunday, December 20, sit for a performance of selections by Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel during the last of Le Train Bleu’s 2015 Winter Harmonies concerts. With Ransom Wilson at the helm, you can be sure of a rousing take on these classic compositions. And it’s not just for adults, either—the ensemble set aside time for a kid-friendly performance at 2 p.m. that features introductions to each of the instruments being played. At 4 p.m., they’ll return with a concert geared toward adults. Learn more here, and don’t forget to grab these special tickets.

The Holiday Train Show continues throughout the month and into January, and because it’s late December, we’ll be open this coming Monday to accommodate everyone who’s out and about during this beautiful time of year. As a reminder to everyone out there who’s planning on joining us for Bar Car Nights, our events for this weekend—December 18 and 19 respectively—are both sold out as of today, so don’t sleep too long on tickets to upcoming nights!

It’s going to be a musical spectacle of a weekend, of that much I’m more than sure. See everything that’s happening below.

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For Tree Lovers: Iconic Trees of New York City

Posted in Shop/Book Reviews on December 16 2015, by Joyce Newman

Joyce H. Newman is an environmental journalist and teacher. She holds a Certificate in Horticulture from The New York Botanical Garden.

New York City of TreesFor Benjamin Swett, photographer and author of New York City of Trees, every tree has a story, and their stories connect us to the past as well as foreshadow the future. His award-winning book, available at NYBG Shop (Quantuck Lane Press, $29.95), features NYBG‘s “good-looking” European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’), the unusual snake branch spruce (Picea abies ‘Virgata’) and magnificent dawn redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostoboides) located in the Benenson Ornamental Conifers collection, and the stunning grove of four Tanyosho pines (Pinus densiflora ‘Umbraculiferas’) near the reflecting pool beyond the Conservatory Gate at NYBG.

Swett credits NYBG’s Todd Forrest and Deanna Curtis, both experts in woody plants, for being “enormously helpful to me, not only in my research into the many trees included from the NYBG, but also on general questions of forestry and the history of the different species.”

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This Weekend: Warm Weather & Holiday Mondays

Posted in Around the Garden on December 11 2015, by Vilina Phan

The NYBG WeekendThe Holiday Train Show is in full swing with plenty of activities to get you in the holiday spirit—and with the thermometer nearing 60 degrees, there aren’t many excuses to stay inside! Better yet, we will be open this Monday as well as the following two Mondays—perfect for when the kids start their vacation or when visiting family members come to town.

Kids and the young at heart will delight in the scaled models of classic New York landmarks, built entirely of bark, twigs, seeds, and other natural materials, while seeing G-scale trains zip between these works of art is a special treat. And this weekend features a holiday a cappella group singing your favorite carols; a live poetry reading with former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins on Saturday, featuring works including those on display at the Leon Levy Visitor Center and Perennial Garden Way; and the first installment of the Winter Harmonies Concert Series on Sunday, featuring Le Train Bleu and acclaimed flutist and music director Ransom Wilson.

Come see why a winter visit to the Garden has become one of New York’s favorite holiday traditions. Grab your tickets today!

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In Praise (and Fear) of the Coconut

Posted in Horticulture on December 9 2015, by Christian Primeau

Christian Primeau is NYBG‘s Manager of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

Cocos nucifera dotting the Dominican coast
Cocos nucifera dotting the Dominican coast

Winter is coming. It’s only a matter of time before you’ll be climbing crusty brown mountains of ice and snow at street corners, fording knee deep slush puddles, or creeping down the Bronx River Parkway in your car at speeds that give the illusion you’re traveling in reverse (this all assumes our unseasonably warm fall turns a sharp corner). But before you jet off to the tropics for well-deserved respite, beware an unheralded danger. Not a  rogue wave accident on the best paddle board for beginners or exotic jellyfish—I speak of something far more dangerous.

Worldwide, sharks are responsible for approximately five fatalities each year. By comparison, falling coconuts take roughly 150 lives. That’s right—while visiting a tropical coast you are 30 times more likely to be dispatched by an unassuming and immobile coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) than the ocean’s most evolved, sleek, and efficient predator.

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