Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on February 1 2013, by Matt Newman
I love foggy days at the Garden. Such strange depth between the trees, and everything seems more significant, somehow. You can walk in the Forest and feel as though you’re not going anywhere, or lose the tops of the tulip trees.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in The Orchid Show on January 31 2013, by Matt Newman
Sorbet purples flush the vandas, cymbidiums pop with lime-green bursts; nearby, a moth orchid flaunts its wedding whites. On the whole, orchids are a lot like Carnaval, vibrant and loud and rambunctiously elegant. But as one of the largest flowering plant families on Earth, how do you go about honoring the essence of that variety? It’s simple, really: just look to nature!
Now in its second decade, the NYBG has captured New York City’s imagination with its annual Orchid Show, celebrating what can arguably be called the world’s most beloved flower. This year, we keep the tradition steaming ahead with a new exhibition highlighting the sheer spectrum of orchids found the world over, diving–genus by genus–into every color of this iconic beauty.
In the hands of our Vice President for Glasshouses and Exhibitions, Francisca Coelho, the heights of the Orchidaceae family inspire the city’s most magnificent collection of blossoms under one glass roof, each display an homage to nature’s wild palette.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 31 2013, by Matt Newman
Rhodotypos scandens — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 30 2013, by Matt Newman
Temperature drops make for phenomena even we can’t predict, and this is certainly proof of that. Matthew Cook, Assistant Manager of Arboretum and Grounds here at the NYBG, recently hit the trails to see what he could of the snowfalls and freezing temperatures along the Bronx River–only to find…. well, this baffling design. After asking the Bronx River Alliance if they could hazard a guess at what created these absurd tracks (they couldn’t), this stumped blog staff is now putting the question to its readers.
It definitely looks like one our scientists was doing the worm across the ice, but that’s as much a shot in the dark on my part as “beaver tracks,” “wayward recumbent bicycle,” and “forest hydra.” Maybe there’s a zoologist or accomplished tracker out there who can do us one better. If so, plug in your suggestions in the comments below!
Photo by Matthew Cook
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 29 2013, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in What's Beautiful Now on January 28 2013, by Matt Newman
Other than a few valiant (or confused) snowdrops peeking up from under the soil, the bulk of the NYBG‘s outdoor flowers continue to sleep it off until the early days of spring. That makes the Garden’s beauty less reliant on the landmarks of a map, and moreso on the simple love of exploration! The Forest, home to such a thick canopy in summer, now shows off the linework of its illustrated branches. The warm gradient of the grasses and reeds stands in for bobbing flower heads. And in months like January, the landscape takes on iced-over contrasts with a dab of the noir aesthetic.
2012’s winter offering proved closer to an endless fall than anything climatologists would have preferred, creating some interesting consequences in plant behavior. But this year, climate change aside, winter is making at least the tiniest effort to act the part! For one, buying these boots was hands-down my best decision of 2013–I’ve already saved myself a few embarrassing falls in the snowdrifts we get every few days. Even the fast-flowing Bronx River is still sloughing off the ice that crept in over the course of last week’s dipping thermometer.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 28 2013, by Matt Newman
In the Conservatory, right now. Where the temperatures are a little closer to a Hawaiian forest, and the precipitation comes as mist–not so much sleet.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 27 2013, by Matt Newman
The Bronx River, Twin Lakes, and the Wetlands are all (at least partially) imitating sculpture at the moment. There are upsides to cold snaps!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 26 2013, by Matt Newman
Nothing so suits a plant sans soil as does cheesy title wordplay. While you’re in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for Tropical Paradise, hunt down the epiphyte wall and take a moment to appreciate these “air plants” in full regalia.
Tillandsia duratii — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on January 25 2013, by Matt Newman
In the last few months, thousands of children have come and gone through our Ross Hall, each doing his or her part to help Thomas and Friends™ navigate their way to Brendam Docks. And while it’s been a memorable holiday season for everyone involved, it’s finally time to bid our adieus for one more year; this weekend marks your last chance to catch Thomas before he steams his way home! With six showings between Saturday and Sunday, you’ll find at least a few more opportunities to get in a little sing-along time with your kids–so long as you make a point of registering in advance!
For those who appreciate the lively nature of the NYBG in winter, Debbie Becker returns this Saturday morning to lead her long-running Bird Walk, scoping out the Red-tailed Hawks, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and elusive owls that often call the Garden home. And while it may be a bit nippy outdoors, layering up and hitting the Forest trails is well worth the chilly toes (ski socks are a lifesaver)–winter is hands-down the best time to catch some of our most magnificent avian species on the wing.
Of course, our would-be snowbirds are just as welcome to fly in for a visit, come sun, snow, or any frosty combination of the two. Tropical Paradise is the cure for all things frigid! Inside the Conservatory you’ll find the gems of our permanent collection on special display, highlighting the botanical beauties and curiosities of sunnier climes. For those with a knack for camera work, or anyone who just wants to learn, really, our garden photography experts will be on hand once each weekend, holding workshops for shutterbugs of all skill levels. It’s the ideal warm-up for our Tropical Paradise photography contest, running throughout the exhibition and open to anyone with a Flickr account!