Salt damage after coastal storms is not uncommon. Coastal gardeners will notice an appreciable amount of burn on their lawns and their ornamental beds after a storm, damage which will generally be more prominent on the windward side of the garden. Foliage will look desiccated and brown and you will discover that leaf buds have either been killed or are slow to leaf out in the spring.
If salt damage has affected large areas of your garden and plants are wilting, growth is stunted, or buds are slow to break in the spring, then it is worth getting a salinity test for your soil. It is possible that the roots were damaged from increased levels of salt water, or the soil has excess adsorbed sodium which is preventing the plant from taking up nutrients and water.
Last week we discussed how to take a soil sample in your garden, while this week we will focus on gardeners who were affected by Super Storm Sandy. For coastal gardeners who experienced flooding, requesting an extra test for soil salinity measurements will be important–it measures the amount of soluble salts in the soil. There will most likely be an additional charge for this test, but it is usually fairly reasonable, with most laboratories generally performing an Electrical Conductivity (EC) test to determine the amount of soluble salts.
Nope, they won’t all be this easy to spot. But seeing as this is the last day of this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count, take what you can get! Seeing as we’re open on this particular President’s Day, we’ll be tallying up our feathered friends all afternoon. You’ll find “birder headquarters” in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. And even if you don’t have binoculars, that’s no excuse to sit this one out–we’ve got a handful of loaner pairs available from the Visitor’s Center.
Not all of our aquatic plants retired in early fall. You’ll still find a few beauties floating in the Conservatory as part of our Tropical Paradise exhibition!
I figure everyone’s had enough of the winter landscape for one week, so I thought we’d step inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for a teensy reminder that not all the world is an icebox right now.
Whether you’re laying out the credit card on a romantic evening reservation, or treating yourself to a singles night with Szechuan take out and bad sci-fi movies, the NYBG wishes you the best this Valentine’s Day! We love you all–in a platonic, happy, check-out-these-cute-birds kind of way.
Pat Gonzalez, out on one of her patented NYBG nature walks, came upon this curious chickadee the other day. We can only assume it was anxious to make a call.
You wouldn’t think bare metal could adapt, but visually this proves true with the art of Manolo Valdés: Monumental Sculpture. Each piece was designed and carefully sited to not only complement its surroundings, but to contrast with them–regardless of season. Now, in winter, each sculpture presents differently.
Stop in to the NYBG any time between now and May 26, and you’ll have the opportunity to see each work in its element, whether that’s winter, spring, or summer.
Hats off to our Valdés sculptures! (Photo by Sarah Paulson)
A blizzard’s aftermath is often far from charming, especially when you’re out on a Saturday, shoveling your way to the curb in soaked pant cuffs. Slushy sidewalks and snowed-in parking spots are no better. But when you’re not obligated to clean up the mess, those first moments after the snowfall can be magical. That was certainly the case here at the NYBG over the weekend (though our dedicated groundskeepers might beg to differ).
The snow that Nemo brought to the northeast covered the Garden in a fluffy white blanket, framing the dark trunks of the trees and making for picturebook scenery. And while we were quick to clear the roads and walkways, we left the great lawns and the Forest relatively untouched; only this morning, walking into work, I found the snowy lawn surrounding the Grand Allee laid out under a sheet of mist brought on by the falling rain.
But while my Saturday was spent unearthing my Hyundai from its makeshift Everest in Long Island, our photographer, Ivo, was on the scene immediately after the storm, snapping pictures of the fresh snowfall. He was kind enough to supply a few of them for us to toss up here, as well as our Facebook page, so have a look!
Salt damage after coastal storms is not uncommon. Coastal gardeners will notice an appreciable amount of burn on their lawns and their ornamental beds after a storm, damage which will generally be more prominent on the windward side of the garden. Foliage will look desiccated and brown and you will discover that leaf buds have either been killed or are slow to leaf out in the spring.
