Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Matt Newman

What’s Beautiful Now: Crape-myrtles of the Ladies’ Border

Posted in What's Beautiful Now on August 16 2019, by Matt Newman

Find your way to the entrance of the Ladies’ Border, pass under the overhanging greenery, and you’ll see the popping color of summer’s crape-myrtles blooming among the leaves. The punchy pink of Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ and the vivid red of Lagerstroemia indica ‘Dynamite’ are absolute standouts.

Crape-myrtles on the Ladies' Border

Crape-myrtles on the Ladies' Border
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What’s Beautiful Now: On the Water’s Surface

Posted in What's Beautiful Now on August 9 2019, by Matt Newman

The beauty of summer’s water lilies is both a vertical and horizontal experience, painting the surface of the Conservatory Courtyard Pools with purple and neon green lily pads while the flowers—in white, purple, blue, and pink—rise up and reflect on the water. The koi fish that take shelter among their stems are an added bonus.

Nymphaea in the Conservatory Courtyard Pools

<em>Nymphaea</em> in the Conservatory Courtyard Pools
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What’s Beautiful Now: Perennial Delights

Posted in What's Beautiful Now on August 2 2019, by Matt Newman

The “rooms” of the Perennial Garden—hot, cold, and beyond—boast a seasonal bouquet of many varieties of summer bloom, including daylilies, hibiscus, and other warm-weather favorites that thrive in the bright sun. It’s the perfect spot for a stroll, or a sketch, with its meandering paths and abundant color.

Perennial Garden

Perennial Garden
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#plantlove: Joel Ramirez, Web Developer for Biodiversity Information Management

Posted in People on July 29 2019, by Matt Newman

As part of #plantlove at NYBG, we’re talking with people from all over the Garden about what inspires their passion for plants. Today, meet Joel Ramirez, Web Developer for Biodiversity Information Management in the Steere Herbarium.


Photo of Joel Ramirez

My interest in plants started back in high school when I joined the Environmental Club. They offered a program with Wave Hill to learn the invaluable skills for pruning, growing, and composting plants. These types of school-garden partnerships in the Bronx with institutions such as these, including NYBG, help foster a connection between young adults and nature—educating students about the environment. Watching our school garden grow and become a safe haven was uncommon growing up in the Bronx. A “diamond in the dirt,” bringing peace into my heart. Nine years later, I’ve been able to fuse my passion for technology with plant science here at the Garden. Though they cannot speak, plants still communicate with us in their own way, and we must come together to ensure their well-being. Plants are the reason we’re able to live.

What’s Beautiful Now: Native Plant Garden

Posted in What's Beautiful Now on July 26 2019, by Matt Newman

In the Native Plant Garden, summer is the time to get out and explore the plants that call New York home, and you might be surprised at what you find. From lush, sun-dappled ferns under the trees, to carnivorous pitcher plants, to the swallowtail butterflies feeding on butterfly weed, it’s a must-see stop at the height of the seasonal greenery.

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#plantlove: Livia Martinez, Undergraduate Science Intern in the NYBG Plant Research Laboratory

Posted in People on July 17 2019, by Matt Newman

As part of #plantlove at NYBG, we’re talking with people from all over the Garden about what inspires their passion for plants. Today, meet Livia Martinez, Undergraduate Science Intern in the NYBG Plant Research Laboratory.


Photo of Livia Martinez

Where did you grow up, and did that have an impact on your decision to devote your life to plants?

I grew up in South Florida, which I would say had a pretty big impact on my interest in plants. The flora of Florida and the Caribbean are truly unparalleled, and growing up around mangrove forests and cycads and palm trees created a subconscious love for plants that I did not grow to appreciate until I got to high school.

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