Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 9 2014, by Matt Newman
Winter storm Hercules left the Library Building swaddled in a frosty scarf of what looks suspiciously like soft serve ice cream.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 6 2014, by Matt Newman
The Giant Peruvian Daffodil’s fist-sized flower may be simple in yellow, but it’s a stunner—and a fragrant one, at that. I’m wondering where these will land after their stay in the Nolen Greenhouses.
Paramongaia weberbaueri – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 5 2014, by Matt Newman
The magnolia buds are getting antsy. Still plenty of winter to go yet!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 4 2014, by Matt Newman
The merpeople in our Fountain of Life aren’t quite so keen on the winter ice as your average iceskater.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on January 3 2014, by Matt Newman
Chances are good that you’re already on the road to recovery from the past two weeks of festivities—the feasts, the parties, the revolving door of sweater-clad family members—and coming back around to business as usual. But the holidays haven’t left the Garden just yet, and our conifers certainly aren’t ready to give up their decorations! Throughout January, we’re keeping the holiday cheer afloat with our continuing Holiday Train Show, friendly visits from our pal Thomas the Tank Engine, and all the winter majesty our 250 acres can summon. This is easily one of the most beautiful times to be outside in New York, so don’t let the couch take up all of your time!
This weekend’s highlights, aside from our ongoing seasonal festivities, are definitely of the wilderness variety. Not only will we be having the usual Saturday Bird Walk at 11 a.m. (it’s an amazing time of year to see the birds, what with most of the foliage fallen from the trees), but we’ll also be hosting a Winter Plant & Tree Tour on Sunday, exploring the bright berries and detailed textures of winter in the Garden. And if you’re looking to warm up, don’t miss our tour of the iconic architectural landmarks that make up the NYBG.
The full schedule is below, but even if you don’t follow it, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the NYBG on your own. Anyone who’s spent time walking the quiet trails of our Forest can tell you that!
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 3 2014, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on January 2 2014, by Matt Newman
Winter in the Garden is far from a sleepy season. With the deciduous trees stripped of their leaves and the branches reaching over and across one other, the grounds adopt a new face—one defined by stark lines and contrasts sparked with small bunches of colorful berries. Groups of birds lunch in and around the trees, and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch sight of a hunting raptor, a Red-tailed Hawk or a Great-horned Owl on a diurnal run. In the conifers you’ll see the classic hunter greens of snow-dusted pine needles arching above the first blooming snowdrops.
Once you’ve admired the New York miniatures of the Holiday Train Show with all its twinkling lights, and stopped to sing along with your kids during a performance of All Aboard with Thomas & Friends, be sure to save some daylight for a walk in the 50-acre Forest. It’s about as close as you can get to seclusion in NYC, and well worth the time spent aimlessly wandering the winding trails. And I do mean aimlessly—it’s pretty gratifying to find yourself strolling along a path you’ve never seen before, more so with a little snow blanketing the branches above.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 2 2014, by Matt Newman
First snowdrops of the season seen in the Azalea Garden! Or at least the first we could get pictures of. Horticulture tells us these little guys had been briefly popping their heads up throughout December thanks to the oscillating temperatures, but they should be a more steady presence around the grounds going forward.
Galanthus – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on December 12 2013, by Matt Newman
On November 23 we had the singular pleasure of hosting one of America’s most prolific and critically acclaimed writers, friend of the Garden and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. And though you may know his many works in print—he likes to call his poems “a form of travel writing”—his oeuvre took on an entirely new luster as a sold-out crowd of fans, Garden Members, and curious readers gathered in the Ross Hall for an hour of recitation by the living master himself.
Even if you couldn’t make it to the Garden to hear Collins read in person, you’re not out of luck. Our videographer was on hand to preserve the moment in its entirety! So head below for a full reading of poems covering trains, winter weather, the quintessential New York experience, and all the slices of life that have made Collins so revered among writers. If you happen to be at the NYBG in the coming weeks, look for the poetry boards placed throughout Perennial Garden Way, each one offering bits of verse from our visiting poet as part of Poetry for Every Season. It’s the perfect complement to the charming architecture and zipping trains of the Holiday Train Show.
Posted in Around the Garden on December 9 2013, by Matt Newman
So right about now you’re probably in the throes of gift-giving season, hunting down the perfect gift for that special someone, or even something to wrap up for yourself. And I know, Black Friday has already passed (I think that’s a collective sigh of relief I hear). But don’t worry—the NYBG is home to a wide variety of thoughtful gift ideas that’ll help you win genuine smiles from family and friends. And part of the proceeds will support the Garden as well!
Whether it’s a unique domed terrarium from Shop in the Garden, a Membership that offers year-round enjoyment, an exciting Adult Education course in one of a multitude of interesting subjects, or a dedicated bench on our historic landscape, there’s a gift that will both bring joy to the recipient and help carry out far-reaching education, research, and conservation efforts in our New York community and around the globe—a mission we have been committed to for more than 120 years.
Our shop is the first stop for many gift-hunting visitors, and with good reason. It offers a bevy of gifts in rich botanical textures and seasonal themes, as well as books, music, home decor, edibles, and plants for the window sill or home garden. Looking to set someone up with all the necessary gardening kit? We’ve got you covered there, too, with plenty of tools to suit the trade.