Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 8 2012, by Matt Newman
Pixels of spring green are starting to poke through the branches in the Forest. That means a finite wait until we can get out there to revel in the sound of the breeze through leafy boughs.
I’m not trying to wax poetic. I just really want to do this.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 7 2012, by Matt Newman
“Tinka.” What a name for a cultivar. Look at this tulip and tell me–would it fall more in line with a Tinkerbell, or some intriguing Russian femme fatale?
Tulipa ‘Tinka’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on April 6 2012, by Matt Newman
Cherry blossoms and Easter pastels make for a fair combination, don’t you think? The calendar’s once again rolled into a holiday weekend at The New York Botanical Garden, which just happens to fall in line with the start of spring break for the schoolyard set. That makes for a rare opportunity: a Monday opening! This weather is too marvelous for the kids to sit at home.
The Orchid Show is, of course, the belle of the ball right now, but our 250 acres are making a strong showing as new plants and trees burst into their spring finery with each passing day. Walk among the fields of daffodils and tulips, admire the hellebores, or peek in on the early azaleas–and don’t forget the brilliant cherry and plum blossoms brightening trees throughout the Garden.
Posted in Around the Garden, Video on April 4 2012, by Matt Newman
To punctuate the beauty of the tenth annual Orchid Show with a glimpse of the prismatic flower pageant taking place outdoors, Friend of the Garden Jim Franco was generous enough to share some of his latest video footage with us. The man clearly has a knack for capturing just what it is that embodies the perfect spring day (and I can say without question that today is one of those days–the packed tour trams are a pretty good indicator if the blue skies aren’t enough).
There are so many flowers bursting to life throughout the Garden that we’re almost having trouble keeping track of them all. But that’s our job. All you have to do is show up, explore, and take in spring’s colors.
Posted in Around the Garden, Wildlife on April 2 2012, by Matt Newman
It’s a rare day when you can step out under the trees of The New York Botanical Garden without the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk ringing overhead. We usually owe the pleasant racket to Rose and Vince, along with the many hatchlings they’ve reared since setting up shop in the Bronx years ago. And Pat Gonzalez–Member and Friend of the Garden–can point out that a solid number of the hawks hunting in the skies over our 250 acres are directly related to the celebrity pair.
But Rose and Vince aren’t loyalists–while the birds may hunt at the NYBG, they tend to waffle on which site they call home. In the past, the two have occasionally settled down in the upper reaches of the Garden’s architecture. Fordham University across the way has often been called home, as well.
Posted in Adult Education on March 30 2012, by Matt Newman
Roberta Rosenthal’s talent with the brush extends well beyond her own canvas. By helming painting courses here at The New York Botanical Garden, her legacy as a botanical painter and an instructor has trickled down to the many burgeoning artists to have studied under her in the last 25 years. But her coursework is far from a paint-by-numbers explainer for weekend hobbyists.
“The more I can get students to ask questions and develop answers for themselves, the more I can expect them to be life-long learners who will continue to develop their artistic skills and understanding,” writes Roberta. Her courses focus not only on technical ability, but on working within a social environment in which critiques from peers and instructors become integral to the process of maturing as an artist.
Posted in Around the Garden on March 30 2012, by Matt Newman
What an offbeat week it’s been. Having caught word that we were making fun of it, the “long-gone” winter suddenly came knocking with frosty, clear afternoons and frigid nights; there was some worry in the northeast that confused plants with early flowers would take a hit. But spring isn’t bowing out. Stop by the NYBG and you’ll find yourself surrounded by thousands of airy plum and cherry blossoms flooding branches across the Garden. The apple blossoms, the last of the magnolias–all come together to create a pink and white snowfall of petals.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on March 30 2012, by Matt Newman
Magnolia x soulangeana — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on March 29 2012, by Matt Newman
The cold snap of the past few days may be pitching everyone into sighs and confusion, but the Garden‘s caretakers aren’t wasting any time waiting for the summer sun to seize the reins. It takes an ambitious cherry picker and a steady-handed crew to give the Conservatory its yearly whitewashing.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in The Orchid Show on March 28 2012, by Matt Newman
Every now and again an event comes along during an exhibition like the Orchid Show that eclipses the beauty of the flowers themselves. It’s a statement you might find a bit on the mushy side, but I think you’ll agree that it’s apt. Because when Qu and Wahnzen stepped into the Conservatory a few weeks ago, one of the pair knew very little of the fairytale moment unfolding.
Qu had spent months meticulously planning out his proposal, ever since he got word that his college sweetheart would be in New York for her birthday. “We met while studying at Oxford,” he says. One a philosophy major and the other a chemist in training, their divergent paths might well have left them strangers if not for a serendipitous thread of connection: “We were both members of the Varsity Ballroom Dance team.”