Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Matt Newman
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on May 1 2013, by Matt Newman
The Native Plant Garden‘s transformation over the last two weeks has put up a spectacle, for sure, but when I ran into Ivo yesterday, he only had eyes for these tiny “pantaloons.” And if his love of these Dutchman’s Breeches didn’t get the point across, his bright orange shirt laid his national pride out for anyone within a mile to see.
Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 23 2013, by Matt Newman
You know, I’m a big fan of walking, especially during spring. I really am. But, every now and again, it seems more prudent to sit and absorb. And stuff your watch in your pocket.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 15 2013, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 14 2013, by Matt Newman
The winter months drag by with all the monotony of reading a dictionary, yet a single week in spring changes everything.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 13 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s almost “go” time for the coming spring ephemerals, and the Native Plant Garden is a canvas ready for painting, so to speak. (The wait is a good kind of anxiety. Trust me.)
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Programs and Events on April 12 2013, by Matt Newman
The magnolia flowers peppering the trees outside the Library Building tell the story a bit better than this wintry rain: spring has arrived, and it’s not going anywhere! Rhododendrons perk in the Azalea Garden, the Home Gardening Center looks a little more like its old self, and keen eyes can spot the nascent greens of young leaves on the tree branches. A more telling signal for the seasonal transition is the sound of the Fountain of Life’s familiar burble.
We’re going into this weekend carrying sunny thoughts piled with excitement, not least because we’re once again on board for two more Orchid Evenings. And while this Saturday’s gathering (as well as that of April 20!) is completely sold out, there are still tickets available for an impromptu cocktail during tonight’s added event! (That would be Friday, April 12.) So have a look at our ticket page and reserve yours while there’s still room, as they’re going fast.
For daytime visitors, of course, the spring scenery is an event in its own right. Just the other day I was out enjoying the thrill of the hunt, so to speak–walking the paths in search of season’s first flowers. The daffodils, I might add, are blowing up throughout our 250 acres. But it’s even more fun sussing out the less populous arrivals, like the first tulips cropping up in the Perennial Garden. For those who’d rather have a primer of what’s happening where, our What’s Beautiful Now post puts up a pretty thorough rundown.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 12 2013, by Matt Newman
The wait is done, the warmth is here, and all that’s left is the coming green.
Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in What's Beautiful Now on April 11 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s been a trying wait, I admit. But I seem to remember someone spouting off a line about “good things” in store for those with a little patience in hand. And after a drawn out season of waffling temperatures and flaky snowstorms–nothing at all like last year’s phoned-in winter–we’re finally seeing the rewards of all that waiting. It’s been a sleepy spring thus far, but the Garden’s now waking up to a fanfare of yellows, pinks, purples and whites!
Some spots, of course, are more alert than others. Most of the trees are still sleeping it off in the early going, but the snow-white and fragrant magnolia blossoms–thousands of them–are blooming en masse across the landscape. Narcissus crowd the lawns in dairy colors, and passersby won’t have any trouble finding hints of spring color along the Seasonal Walk, just to the side of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where netted irises and dainty daffodils already perk up the atmosphere. Across the lawn in the Perennial Garden, orange pansies mingle with soft blue chionodoxa, spotted in between with drowsy snowdrops and a few electric tulips.
And the Ladies’ Border is no slouch, either; you’ll find the fan-favorite ‘Peggy Clarke’ plum blossom tree lighting up the branches with poodle skirt pinks; lime green ‘Honeyhill Joy’ hellebores at full attention; dense bunches of paper bush flowers; and the occasional crowd of bee-friendly Amur Adonis opening to the sky. Further back, look (or sniff) for the perfumed mahonia blossoms, right near the blushing ‘Spring’s Promise’ camellia flowers.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 7 2013, by Matt Newman
They may not put on a show of the usual “spring spectrum”–pinks, bright yellows, all the pastels of new growth. Honestly, they’re a little menacing with their velvety, claret petals. But the flagrant elegance of these hellebores comes in handy when the bright green varieties need balancing out.
Helleborus orientalis ‘Optimism’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Programs and Events on April 5 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s a double whammy for the cocktail crowd this weekend as we launch into our Orchid Show excitement with back-to-back Orchid Evenings, running both tonight (April 5) and Saturday, April 6. That’s twice as many opportunities to see thousands upon thousands of mystifying blooms under the glass of a Conservatory dressed to the nines with ambiance. And if the flowers, mood lighting, and chill grooves don’t set the tone for the perfect night out, I have no doubt the cocktails will drive it all home.
While the April 6 Orchid Evening is completely sold out for incoming visitors, those with tickets in hand will be happy to know that Jack from Brooklyn is kitting us out with one of the most deliciously unique cocktails in the five boroughs, using their very own Sorel–a hibiscus liqueur–to stage the many flavors. But if you don’t yet have a ticket, there’s no call for tears–our first of several new additions to the Orchid Evening schedule launches tonight. Our bartender will be slinging “Vanilla Gales” for the first-of-the-weekend crowd, an orchid-inspired take on the Dark & Stormy that kicks this sparkling rum drink up into the stratosphere.
Tickets are still available for tonight–April 5–if you’d like to join us for cocktails. But register quickly, as they’re moving just as fast! Check out our ticket page for available dates, both tonight and in the future.
For the daylight crowd, there’s just as much to see or do. The Orchid Show is in full swing throughout Saturday and Sunday, while the first of spring’s growth is coming out of hibernation across our 250 acres! Keep your eye out for the snowdrops, crocuses, hellebores and daffodils first on the scene to this sleepy change of season. And if you’re anywhere near the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden while you’re exploring, our staff will be diving headlong into the sowing of spring–they might even need a little help from passersby.
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