Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Programs and Events
Posted in Programs and Events on July 18 2008, by Plant Talk
You’ve been working for it all week long, and now it’s here! This weekend at The New York Botanical Garden is jam- packed with awesome weather and exciting programming. Plus, the magnificent trees provide us city dwellers with a beautiful, shady oasis, a great way to escape the heat and humidity.
Mark it on your calendar: This is the last weekend to see Charles Darwin’s notebooks and sketches, which are being displayed in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library gallery.
If you are a huge fan of daylilies, like I am, then you won’t want to miss the Home Gardening demonstration devoted entirely to daylilies!
For those who love to cook—and to eat for that matter—you will be interested to know about the herbal scavenger hunt taking place in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden. During the scavenger hunt you will get to smell, touch, and even taste some of the herbs.
And, if you haven’t yet seen the massive sculpture of Henry Moore, you’re missing out. There are many ways to appreciate these works, from participating in a walking tour to watching the Henry Moore documentary, the choice is yours.
Last but not least, there is a Native Plant Garden Tour on Sunday. If you’re going native, you must attend.
Saturday’s Programming
Sunday’s Programming
Posted in Programs and Events on July 17 2008, by Plant Talk
July finds the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden poised on the threshold of summer’s cornucopia—all promise and no produce. Okay, so there are onions. And sure, there’s rainbow Swiss chard, spicy loops of garlic flowers (scapes), and the last sweet snap peas before summer’s heat hits. But to our staff, without the happy buzz of the Children’s Gardening Program, it’s a two-acre ghost town. The vegetable beds are marked by towers of bolted lettuce. Tomato branches stick out as awkwardly as a scarecrow’s arms, while weeds fill in every available space below. Our beds seem to be groaning with the gangly green adolescence of plants. Looking over at the plots, it’s hard to imagine the bounty of eggplants, squash, cucumbers, and beans we’ll be cooking in a few short weeks. No, right now there are a lot of weeds. And not enough small hands in our plots—120 pairs of hands, in fact.
So with much anticipation, the beginning of our summer gardening program this past week left us both exhilarated and exhausted—nearly 200 children, instructors, volunteers, and parents pack into our two acres every Tuesday and Thursday morning (and another 100 every Saturday). Thankfully, at the end of each day, we feel mostly the former—an enthusiasm that has kept our program attendance burgeoning every year and our garden plots even richer as we continue to grow. Our Garden Sprouts offering is for children ages 3–5, and our Garden Crafters is for children 6–12.
One morning a returning Crafter, bent low between a row of peppers struggling to work through a thick patch of nutsedge, one of our most undesirable weeds, shook her head ruefully. “We stayed away too long,” she said, wiping her brow. “They’re taking over.” Happier news came when her instructor pointed out low-lying purslane, a succulent that snuck in between many of our crops. Popping it into his mouth, one seven-year-old Crafter reached a happy verdict: “It’s lemony!”
His planting partner, looking up from a careful investigation of his own section of the plot, had found an even better treasure: the first Sungold tomato of the season, bright orange among the green tangle. (Photo by Toby Adams)
Posted in Programs and Events on July 11 2008, by Plant Talk
Another week has come and gone at the Garden. Don’t fret though; there’s plenty of summer left to go around. The delicious weather in store for us seems like the perfect situation to see the monumental works of Henry Moore. There’s also Home Gardening demonstrations, guided tours, kids programming, and much more.
Saturday’s Programming
Sunday’s Programming
Posted in Programs and Events on July 9 2008, by Plant Talk
Kate Murphy, a junior at Fordham University, and Genna Federico, a senior at St. John’s University, are interns working in the Communications Department this summer.
Any time you visit the Farmers Market at NYBG, you’ll find seasonal recipes that incorporate the locally grown foods available. These recipes are provided by Community Markets, which co-organizes the Garden’s weekly event and is dedicated to “supporting local agriculture, strengthening local communities, and making fresh produce available to neighborhoods with limited access.”
We tried out the recipe for Blueberry Blast Smoothie this past weekend. It’s a great energizing start to the day or a cool treat on a warm summer night. A delicious alternative is adding in some blackberries and strawberries. It takes on a mix of sweet and tart and even gives the smoothie a new color. We also added bananas to kick up the fruity flavors. The recipe worked great with soy milk or almond milk, too. Try making the recipe when all the ingredients are nice and cold.
Check out some great recipes for yourself after the jump, and make your way to the Farmers Market to stock up on the delicious ingredients!
Read More
Posted in Programs and Events on July 3 2008, by Plant Talk
Happy Fourth of July!
The weather forecasters have good things in store for us this holiday weekend, so why not spend our nation’s birthday at one of the best getaways NYC has to offer? If you’re not scarfing down hot dogs and “ooh” and “ahh”-ing at the fireworks display, there’s plenty of stuff to keep you busy at the Garden all weekend long.
Guided tours, screenings of The Art of Henry Moore, edible herbs and flowers, and much more are on tap.
Saturday, July 5, schedule
Sunday, July 6, schedule
Posted in Programs and Events on July 2 2008, by Kate
Kate Murphy, a junior at Fordham University, and Genna Federico, a senior at St. John’s University, are interns working in the Communications Department this summer.
The Farmers Market is in full swing at NYBG. Every Wednesday through October 29, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m., regional venders sell everything from fresh produce to fresh bread and other baked goods. So, naturally, we decided to check it out!
First we tried some delicious sugar snap peas, fresh from Migliorelli Farms of Tivoli, NY. They were crisp and sweet and would make for a tasty side dish for a summertime meal.
Joseph Bases, from the Little Bake Shop of Valley Cottage, NY, gave us suggestions as to which of their many all-natural and organic pies we should try first. While the apple pie is everyone’s favorite staple, Bases suggests the peach blueberry pie for a summertime treat. Bases explained that he loves selling here, calling it “a day at the park.”
The helpful people from Gajeski Farms of Riverhead, Long Island, helped us navigate through their overwhelming selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. They suggested we try the sweet corn—it’s the first of the season!
Bread Alone, from Boiceville, NY, had a wide selection of baked goods and breads. Suggestions include the “Whole Grain Health” bread, which includes five whole grains, honey, and sunflower seeds, and the mild “Whole Wheat Sourdough” bread. Both are organic.
We noticed a few people walking around munching on cherries, and we found the source at the Mead Orchards booth. These fresh fruits and veggies were brought to NYBG also from Tivoli, NY, and everyone seemed to be raving about the tart cherries. When one woman asked how they should be eaten, the vender simply replied “One after another!”
It can’t get much better than eating some healthy, natural treats and supporting local farms. So come out to NYBG’s Farmers Market.
Posted in Programs and Events on June 27 2008, by Plant Talk
Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?
— Robert Frost, “Reluctance”
(final stanza)
Nothing lasts forever, and spring has given way to summer here at the Garden. We tried to stop it, but there are just some things that have to come to an end. Unfortunately, that holds true for some of the programming at the Garden as well. This weekend is the last time you can…
- Go on a guided bird walk (until the fall)
- Make your way to the strawberry patch in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and create your very own berry botanical button and sample a strawberry smoothie (until next year)
- Conduct a Charles Darwin-like experiment to explore how seeds travel by water, create herbarium specimens, or explore an interactive Tree of Life in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden (closing)
- View the photography exhibit A Passionate Grower: Heirloom Melons and Squashes from the Gardens of Amy Goldman — An Exhibition of Photographs by Victor Schrager (closing)
But that’s far from all the goings on at the Garden this weekend, check out:
Posted in Programs and Events, Science on June 26 2008, by Plant Talk
How would you like to help us collect information that can lead to a better understanding of the impact of climate change on plants?
The New York Botanical Garden is looking for volunteers who are interested in being trained by experts on various aspects of plant biology and ecology, data collection and input, and then gathering facts about the Garden’s own 50-acre, old-growth Forest, the last remnant of the forest system that once covered much of New York City. The time commitment is one to two hours per week in the spring and fall for one to two years. The program is in partnership with the Northeast Regional Phenology Network and Cool Air–Clean Planet, organizations whose renowned expertise in phenology and climate change will contribute to this dynamic effort.
If you are interested in helping out, come to the open house on Friday, August 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. By becoming a Citizen Scientist, you will reap the benefits of being a Garden volunteer, including free admission, free parking, guest passes, and discounts on classes and at Shop in the Garden. For more information, contact Jackie Martinez, Director of Volunteer Services, 718.817.8564, or email volunteer@nybg.org
Posted in Programs and Events on June 23 2008, by Plant Talk
This weekend saw rose-themed programming, the spectacular sculpture of Henry Moore, and equally spectacular weather! This week, the Garden will be especially exciting because the Farmers Market returns, chockful of sumptuous, locally-grown produce and other products. Check out our Farmers Market Flickr set for pictures of some of the lovely fruits and veggies the market has to offer. Of course, beyond the market, there are guided tours throughout the week, daily family programs, and the monumental sculpture of Henry Moore.
Here’s a rundown of this week’s events
Posted in Programs and Events, Shop/Book Reviews on June 20 2008, by Plant Talk
The new slogan for Shop in the Garden, isn’t simply a figure of speech—everything at the Garden is coming up roses.
The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is in full form. You’ve got plenty of chances to view these gorgeous specimens and to learn about them during the Garden’s five-month celebration, Resplendent Roses: Flower, Fragrance, and Form.
Until you come to the Garden to see them live, here’s a beautiful set of photos on our Flickr page to tide you over until your next rose fix!
