Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Plant Talk
Posted in Exhibitions, Programs and Events on January 16 2009, by Plant Talk
The Legacy of George Washington Carver
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Dachell McSween is Publicity Coordinator at The New York Botanical Garden. |
One of my favorite times in the Garden is in January. Yes, I know it is cold outside and it gets dark early, but I look forward to seeing The Life and Work of George Washington Carver exhibit and program in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. This fun and informative exhibit looks at the life of George Washington Carver, the renowned plant scientist who created hundreds of uses for peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes.
Dr. Carver was born to slave parents in Diamond Grove, Missouri, in 1864. As a child, he developed an early interest in plants. In fact, he became known as the “plant doctor” for helping neighbors and friends with ailing plants. He learned to read, write, and spell at home, because there were no schools for blacks in his hometown. In 1891 he became the first black person to enroll at Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, known today as Iowa State University. After completing his Bachelor’s Degree in 1894, Dr. Carver’s professors encouraged him to stay on as a graduate student. He became known for his excellence in plant breeding and was appointed to Iowa State’s faculty, becoming its first black faculty member.
The exhibit in the Children’s Adventure Garden makes me appreciate all of Dr. Carver’s vast accomplishments. I enjoy seeing children transform into “plant scientists” by putting on lab coats and picking up a magnifying glass to diagnose and remedy sick plants, just like Dr. Carver did as a child. The children also create a personal science timeline, plant a soybean to take home, and enjoy stepping into the interactive yellow replica of Dr. Carver’s Jesup wagon, which he used as a traveling school to help spread his agricultural knowledge to farmers and homemakers. The wagon was named after Morris K. Jesup, a New York financier and philanthropist.
As we look forward to celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the inauguration of America’s first black president, it is inspiring to see children get excited about this remarkable program that encourages them not only to learn about plant science, but also to dream big and impact the world, just like Dr. Carver did.
Check out Saturday’s programming
Check out Sunday’s programming
Posted in Gardens and Collections on January 14 2009, by Plant Talk
Carol Capobianco is Editorial Content Manager at The New York Botanical Garden.
What a glorious sight to come upon: the beautiful orchids displayed in the Orchid Rotunda on the second floor of the Library Building. Brilliant hues, fantastic shapes, lovely arrangements.
The continuous show of these colorful gems that brighten any gloomy day had been on hiatus since mid-April of 2008, when the display case was installed with the maquettes and found objects of sculptor Henry Moore in conjunction with the Moore in America exhibition across the Garden grounds.
Though Moore in America has been extended to March 15, the artist’s scale models, tools, and collection of bones, rocks, and other natural bits and pieces have been removed to make room, once again, for the spectacular, delicate orchids. And just in time. These magical flowers whet our appetite daily for the upcoming annual Orchid Show, which opens February 28 in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
In the meantime, on a cold, gray day—or any day—come marvel at this display, which is refreshed twice a week. It is sure to lift your spirits.
Posted in Learning Experiences on January 13 2009, by Plant Talk
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Joan McGillicuddy, a double certificate graduate of the Continuing Education program, now has her own design company, The Surrogate Gardener, on Long Island.
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It’s a new year, so it is time for me to see which lectures in the American Gardening Lecture Series I might be able to schedule. I started attending NYBG’s Lecture Series years ago as part of a personal goal to expand my plant knowledge. I went on to complete two certificates, one in Horticulture and one in Landscape Design, through the Botanical Garden’s Continuing Education program and now have a career as a landscape designer. Yet, every year I still make time to attend several of the lectures in this series. I am an unrepentant plantaholic. In spite of what some garden design books say about having a plan, several past presenters have admitted to the same compulsions, so I merrily continue to experiment with new plants.
It doesn’t matter how many garden books or magazines I read, there is nothing like the immediacy of listening in person to experts— landscape architects and designers, plant hybridizers and nurserymen, authors and garden curators—impart their knowledge. The Lecture Series always offers a diverse mix of subjects and speakers, and I always leave inspired to try new plant introductions, new combinations of tried and true plants, or new horticultural practices. Then there is the added treat of reviewing the books laid out like jewels on the tables in the Gallery outside the Lecture Hall, which only tempts me to go to the Shop to review the entire book collection.
The Lecture Series is scheduled at a perfect time of the year, when my garden is quiet and nursery catalogs are arriving and I have time to track down the plants I am inspired to try. After the lectures and a bowl of soup at the Cafe, I stroll through NYBG’s gardens and see which plants are greeting the new year, since it is warmer here than at my home on Long Island. My favorite plant is the large Hamamelis on the outer drive that holds its yellow flowers through the snow. It always signals to me that spring is around the corner. The Ladies’ Border, which runs along the south side of the Conservatory, always has something new in bloom each month of the series, whether it is January, February, or March. It might be Mahonia, Edgeworthia, Hamamelis, Helleborus, or Camellia. This year it will be a treat to watch the emergence of the display beds across from the Cafe entrance, known as Seasonal Walk, that were created by the well-known designers Piet Oudolf and Jacqueline van der Kloet. I happened to see the beds being installed this past fall, and they look to be an intriguing mix of bulbs, perennials, and grasses.
At a time when much of the world news is gloomy, it is nice to have all this to look forward to.
Posted in Holiday Train Show, Kiku, Moore in America on January 9 2009, by Plant Talk
Holiday Train Show and Japanese Art Exhibit Take a Bow
Another exhibition season ends this weekend with the closing of the ever-popular Holiday Train Show as well as the stunning exhibition The Chrysanthemum in Japanese Art.
In fact, you have the value-added opportunity to see four remarkable exhibitions for the price of one All-Garden Pass admission ticket. In addition to these two shows, you can also see Moore in America, which has been extended to March 15, and The Heirloom Tomato: An Exhibition of Photographs by Victor Schrager.
What a deal—especially in these financially challenging times.
Posted in Exhibitions, Moore in America, NYBG in the News on January 8 2009, by Plant Talk
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Nick Leshi is Associate Director of Public Relations and Electronic Media. |
Visitors of all ages have marveled at the sight of the monumental sculpture throughout the grounds of The New York Botanical Garden, where these works of art have stood sentinel since last spring. Moore in America, the largest exhibition of Henry Moore’s art ever displayed in a single venue in the United States, continues to attract praise from audiences and journalists alike, including Time magazine’s art critic Richard Lacayo, who named it one of the Top 10 Museum Exhibits of 2008.
Photographers, in particular, have been drawn to Moore’s captivating forms situated within the Garden’s historic landscape. In partnership with the International Center of Photography, the Botanical Garden hosted a photography contest in celebration of the landmark exhibition. The contest sparked many beautiful submissions, from which four monthly finalists were selected. From those four a grand prize was awarded, to Jimin Kim of Manhattan for his portrait of Large Reclining Figure. His winning image appeared in an advertisement for Moore in America in the December 4–10 issue of Time Out New York.
Runners-up included Julie Salles of Yonkers, Ken Schwarzof Lexington, Massachusetts, and Debra Allen of Pelham Manor. Their images, plus countless others submitted by garden- and art-loving shutterbugs during the months of the competition, showed how the sculpture could look fresh from different angles and with different lighting throughout the day and during the changing seasons, proving Moore’s desire to have viewers approach—and even touch—his artwork from different perspectives.
If you haven’t seen the exhibition yet, now is your chance. Moore in America is being extended through March 15. Even if you’ve seen it in spring, summer, or fall, now is your opportunity to see it in winter. Bring your camera and snap some pics for yourself while you’re at it!
Posted in Programs and Events on January 7 2009, by Plant Talk
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Samantha Buck is an Interpretation Intern for Public Education. |
On my second day as an intern with The New York Botanical Garden, I had the esteemed pleasure of meeting Sir Topham Hatt and Thomas the Tank Engine™ from the Island of Sodor (both of whom were much larger than I remembered from watching the television show as a child). The excitement was palpable as a growing number of fans arrived in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall, the majority of whom toted small children anxious for the experience.
I carefully folded the gray and white paper conductor’s hat that was presented to me, pulled the elastic around my head, and was ready for my adventure! As I was greeted by the silently enthusiastic Sir Topham Hatt, visitors settled in to watch an episode or two of Thomas & Friends, who came to life on the big screen. Following the film, some in the audience went forward to meet Sir Topham Hatt. It was refreshing to see the youngsters interacting with him so animatedly.
I got the royal treatment: becoming an honorary engineer so I could “help Thomas and his friends out if they were ever in trouble.” Younger “engineers” were also presented with coloring pages of Thomas, James, Percy, and Gordon, along with a box of crayons and stickers depicting other favorites. And of course, no visit to this event would be complete without a photo with Thomas the Tank Engine™ himself, happy and eager as ever to meet each and every one of his fans.
Come visit Thomas the Tank Engine™—he’s here through January 11.
Posted in Exhibitions, Holiday Train Show on January 6 2009, by Plant Talk
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Gingerbread Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden includes a display of detailed and fragrant gingerbread creations by renowned pastry chefs in and around New York. Here Leslie Randazzo, co-owner with her husband, Mark Randazzo, of Mark Joseph Cakes, describes how they conceptualized and executed their design.
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Although Mark and I had never worked with gingerbread before, we were so enthusiastic about making our gingerbread debut in The New York Botanical Garden’s annual holiday exhibit. Yes, Mark is a pastry chef, but he specializes in custom cakes, so this was quite different.
This year’s theme, “Gingerbread People at Work and at Play,” left us wondering “What do gingerbread people do?” I called my nephew, Harry, whose immediate response was, “the same things we do.” Aha! Brilliant! With our target audience being kids, we thought about careers revered by children. It was my sister who suggested firemen. Then we were on a roll. Mark and I share a love for New York City’s pre-war architecture, so there was no question that we’d model our main structure after an old FDNY house. Through research, Mark found one in Manhattan on Lafayette Street that is stunning.
Our next order of business was a crash course in gingerbread structures, namely, keeping them up. For this, Mark made an icing that was similar in consistency to cement. We cut the gingerbread dough into the dimensions that were already carefully calculated. These large pieces make up the main structure. Then we cut gingerbread dough into equally sized rectangles. These were used as a second layer, to achieve the stones the building is made of. Laying the “stones” was extremely time consuming, because the firehouse had so many dimensions and different shapes to work around and each “stone” had to be trimmed to fit precisely in the appropriate space. The windows were made using a sculptor’s molding material that we melted and poured into the gingerbread’s square openings. As it dried, it solidified beautifully. To light the inside, we used LED Christmas lights that we clipped short. For the roof, we thought the perfect candy would be bite-sized black licorice that we would line up to look like shingles. Unfortunately, after placing on more than half of the licorice we discovered that the oily coating used to keep the pieces from sticking together in the package were also keeping them from sticking to the icing. The solution was Nilla® wafers. We were concerned that they wouldn’t cut easily with a knife, but they worked quite well.
Once the main structure was completed, we began adding the details. Red Twizzlers® were used for each window frame, and icing was piped on to create the appearance of snow. The fire truck was decorated using a sugar dough called “gum paste.” Then we designed the wintry fun that one notices when examining the display closely such as the snowball fight and the boy making a snow angel as the firemen look on.
This entire experience was so rewarding; it felt like a tremendous accomplishment after a total of 70 hours of labor. It was great fun and well worth the effort.
Posted in Uncategorized on December 30 2008, by Plant Talk
Posted in Uncategorized on December 23 2008, by Plant Talk
Posted in Learning Experiences, Shop/Book Reviews on December 19 2008, by Plant Talk
Recipes for Holiday Gift Giving
John Suskewich is Book Manager for Shop in the Garden.
See the high accolades given to the Shop’s book section by the Financial Times of London.
I suffer from an edible complex: I am always thinking about eating! So I find myself irresistibly drawn to the food section of the bookstore, checking out the display copies of new cookbooks to see how the recipes stack up: One of the perks of the clerk. This is how I’ve come up with a number of recommendations for holiday gift giving for the foodies in your family!
Anyone who looks forward to putting on their annual winter layer of fat will be pleased with A Year in Chocolate. In this month-by-month guide to cooking with cacao, noted New York chocolatier Jacques Torres has adapted for the home cook his exquisite, indulgent desserts full of butter and cream with explicit but not complicated instructions. I love fine eating, but I still ignored all the ones that called for tempered chocolate and headed right for the brownies and the poached pears with chocolate sauce. The chocolate cookie that includes ancho chili powder among the ingredients is a real sweet slap in the face!
Okay, the New York dead of winter is not the right time to think of farmers markets, but Outstanding in the Field, by Jim Denevan, with its seasonal and market-based recipes, summons up summer in a dish so evocatively you’ll be living in July in perpetuity. These recipes derive from the impromptu farm dinners created by Mr. Denevan and his fellow foodies for their unique, eponymous organization Outstanding in the Field, which goes across the country creating locavore versions of ’60s-style happenings, eat-ins maybe? I don’t know if they’ll ever come to the Bronx, but you can re-create the experience with the corn chowder, spinach gnocchi, and the free-range chicken dishes described here. Not until the roast turkey do you find a recipe that goes on for more than two pages. But if you’re like me you’ll read it, think “How interesting,” and then accept the invitation to dine at your sister’s for the holiday feast.
There is no point in trying to ignore the Barefoot Contessa, a.k.a. Ina Garten, whose latest cookbook is Back to Basics. She is as irresistible as the brownie pudding there on page 218. The subtitle is “fabulous flavor from simple ingredients,” but it is the element of subtle sophistication that sets her recipes apart. BC’s BLTs add avocado; roasting replaces poaching in her shrimp cocktail; caramelized onions fillip the burger. When she says “This version has always been my favorite but…” and then she tweaks it with one ingredient or maybe two, or some technical change…and the dish is transformed! She makes it look easy, but that inventiveness takes years of practice.
There you go. We’re really into food this season, and we’ll be expanding the selection as we ramp up to our big summer show on edible gardens. Stay tuned for details. Can’t wait for the okra to come in!
For more gift-giving ideas, view the Shop in the Garden staff’s favorite picks.
Also the Holiday Train Show is in full swing!
Check out Saturday’s programming
Check out Sunday’s programming
