Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 9 2012, by Matt Newman
Sorry we’re late with this one–it’s been a hectic weekend for some of us. But with the kids escaping from school for their spring break, it means today is a rare open Monday at the NYBG! Get here while the sun is high.
Delphinium Pacific Giant ‘Blue Bird’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Gardens and Collections, Learning Experiences on April 8 2012, by Matt Newman
Under the glass of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory‘s Palm House grows an iconic tree, commonplace to most tourists of the tropics. In the wild, the fruit dangles in lumpy clusters from a familiar silhouette, bending like an elbow toward the sea, a thin pole with a spray of long green leaves at the peak. Visit any beachside farmer’s market in the islands of the Caribbean and you may see the ubiquitous coconut held out in the hands of stall hawkers, a straw stuck through a bored-out husk for passersby to taste.
But beyond the frosty lip of a piña colada glass, the coconut earns a mixed reputation in the culinary circuit. It clutters cake frosting, makes an appearance in the occasional creme pie, lurks in the most innocuous-looking candy bars–yet how many people do you know who go gaga for the pulpy flesh of this tropical mainstay? I defer to a readily available explanation for the widespread dislike: “It’s not the taste, it’s the consistency.” And with that, I will never again have an opportunity to quote Zombieland, much less Woody Harrelson.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 8 2012, by Matt Newman
Pixels of spring green are starting to poke through the branches in the Forest. That means a finite wait until we can get out there to revel in the sound of the breeze through leafy boughs.
I’m not trying to wax poetic. I just really want to do this.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on April 7 2012, by Matt Newman
“Tinka.” What a name for a cultivar. Look at this tulip and tell me–would it fall more in line with a Tinkerbell, or some intriguing Russian femme fatale?
Tulipa ‘Tinka’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on April 6 2012, by Matt Newman
Cherry blossoms and Easter pastels make for a fair combination, don’t you think? The calendar’s once again rolled into a holiday weekend at The New York Botanical Garden, which just happens to fall in line with the start of spring break for the schoolyard set. That makes for a rare opportunity: a Monday opening! This weather is too marvelous for the kids to sit at home.
The Orchid Show is, of course, the belle of the ball right now, but our 250 acres are making a strong showing as new plants and trees burst into their spring finery with each passing day. Walk among the fields of daffodils and tulips, admire the hellebores, or peek in on the early azaleas–and don’t forget the brilliant cherry and plum blossoms brightening trees throughout the Garden.
Posted in Around the Garden, Video on April 4 2012, by Matt Newman
To punctuate the beauty of the tenth annual Orchid Show with a glimpse of the prismatic flower pageant taking place outdoors, Friend of the Garden Jim Franco was generous enough to share some of his latest video footage with us. The man clearly has a knack for capturing just what it is that embodies the perfect spring day (and I can say without question that today is one of those days–the packed tour trams are a pretty good indicator if the blue skies aren’t enough).
There are so many flowers bursting to life throughout the Garden that we’re almost having trouble keeping track of them all. But that’s our job. All you have to do is show up, explore, and take in spring’s colors.
Posted in Around the Garden, Wildlife on April 2 2012, by Matt Newman
It’s a rare day when you can step out under the trees of The New York Botanical Garden without the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk ringing overhead. We usually owe the pleasant racket to Rose and Vince, along with the many hatchlings they’ve reared since setting up shop in the Bronx years ago. And Pat Gonzalez–Member and Friend of the Garden–can point out that a solid number of the hawks hunting in the skies over our 250 acres are directly related to the celebrity pair.
But Rose and Vince aren’t loyalists–while the birds may hunt at the NYBG, they tend to waffle on which site they call home. In the past, the two have occasionally settled down in the upper reaches of the Garden’s architecture. Fordham University across the way has often been called home, as well.
Posted in Around the Garden on March 30 2012, by Matt Newman
What an offbeat week it’s been. Having caught word that we were making fun of it, the “long-gone” winter suddenly came knocking with frosty, clear afternoons and frigid nights; there was some worry in the northeast that confused plants with early flowers would take a hit. But spring isn’t bowing out. Stop by the NYBG and you’ll find yourself surrounded by thousands of airy plum and cherry blossoms flooding branches across the Garden. The apple blossoms, the last of the magnolias–all come together to create a pink and white snowfall of petals.
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on March 30 2012, by Matt Newman
Magnolia x soulangeana — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Darwin's Garden, Gardens and Collections, The Orchid Show on March 29 2012, by Joyce Newman
Joyce H. Newman is a Garden Tour Guide with The New York Botanical Garden.
Of the many thousands of orchids on display during the Orchid Show, the two most requested flowers are the vanilla orchid and what is known as Darwin’s orchid.
The exquisite ivory, star-shaped blossoms of Darwin’s star orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale) are famous for their association with Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.