Morning Eye Candy: Splish Splash
Posted in Photography on October 17 2014, by Lansing Moore
After yesterday’s rain, we’re glad the splashing has been restricted to the Rock Garden’s cascade.
In the Rock Garden – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Plant Talk
Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Fruiting Frame of Mind
Posted in Horticulture on October 16 2014, by Jaime Morin
Jaime Morin is The New York Botanical Garden’s Assistant Curator in horticulture. She works with the plant records and curation teams to help keep the garden’s information on its living collections up to date. She also oversees the details of the garden’s Living Collections Phenology Project.
Autumn is by far my favorite season. I know it doesn’t bring that sigh of relief the first warm day of spring seems to evoke, nor does it allow for long days at the beach or lake. Yet, what it lacks in promised warmth it makes up for in color. As a native New Englander I was brought up with a strong appreciation for bright fall foliage and the joys of falling into a freshly raked pile of leaves. What I didn’t begin to appreciate until I started really looking at plants in my professional life were the bright colors and interesting forms of fruit and seeds that autumn delivers to us. I don’t mean tasty fall favorites like the apple, but the smaller seed carriers that are often missed if you’re not looking for them.
Take a couple of my favorite colorful fruiting shrubs, beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.) and winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), as examples. Callicarpa have attractive arching branches with demure flowers in early summer, but they shine brightest in fall when dense clusters of vibrant purple fruit cling along the stems creating the late season echo to the pink redbud flowers from spring. Similarly, Ilex verticillata isn’t your typical wall of evergreen holly foliage. By late October this shrub has dropped its foliage and the females are covered with fruit in fiery hues like orange or red.
Morning Eye Candy: One By One
Posted in Photography on October 16 2014, by Lansing Moore
We’re approaching peak color in the next few weeks! Check our Foliage Tracker to make sure you catch the leaves at their most vibrant.
In the Thain Family Forest – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
The Humanities Institute: Summer/Fall Colloquia, 2014
Posted in From the Library, Humanities Institute on October 15 2014, by Vanessa Sellers
By exploring innovative approaches to studies in the environmental humanities, the Humanities Institute aims to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences. To further the connection between the disciplines, the Institute offers short- and long-term fellowship programs for students and scholars from a wide range of backgrounds and holds a number of events, including symposia, seminars, and colloquia.
Various seminars and colloquia, or dynamic “round table brainstorming sessions,” were held in July and September in which graduate students from New York universities and institutes of art and science—including the Bard Graduate Center, the Cooper Hewitt-Smithsonian Design Museum, and Fordham University—participated. The events featured a historic book and manuscript viewing in the Mertz Library’s Rare Book Room, followed by lively debate. During the discussions, students tried to define what form a humanities research center should take on to be most relevant in today’s rapidly changing world.
This Week at the Greenmarket: The Artist Formerly Known As Quince
Posted in Programs and Events on October 15 2014, by Lansing Moore
NYBG’s Greenmarket is open today until 3 p.m. Stop by for fresh spaghetti squash, leeks, apples, and more seasonal delicacies. If you’re looking for a fun new recipe to try out, we have an exciting use for one of today’s special Greenmarket offerings: quince!
These interesting fruits can be difficult to find, but they are available at NYBG today. Membrillo is a quince paste popular in Spain, that can be enjoyed on toast like any preserve, or better yet, on a cracker with cheese for a sweet and savory treat.
Make you own membrillo with this easy recipe, and with holiday parties just around the corner you will have a delicious addition to any cheese platter—or a unique homemade gift.
Morning Eye Candy: Kiku Crossing
Posted in Photography on October 15 2014, by Lansing Moore
Kiku displays hundreds of chrysanthemums in a variety of traditional as well as contemporary designs, such as this quaint little bridge formation.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Go Out of Your Gourd
Posted in Horticulture on October 14 2014, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.
Last week I wrote about festive fall arrangements, with pumpkins carved open and colorful table centerpieces placed inside them. This week, I will provide a profile of pumpkins and other cucurbits. Pumpkins are in the Cucurbitaceae family and are one of the two oldest food sources in North America (corn is the other). Seeds have been found in caves in Mexico dating back from 5000 to 7000 B.C.
If you peruse the farmers’ markets these days you will find a nice selection of pumpkins. One of my favorites for eating and for decorating is the Long Island Cheese pumpkin or Cucurbita moschata ‘Long Island Cheese’. It makes a great pie. Another exotic counterpart is ‘Musquee de Provence’ which is an heirloom from the south of France.
There is a seasonally appropriate, ghostly white pumpkin named Cucurbita maxima ‘Lumina’ that makes a delicious soup. If you are searching for Cinderella’s pumpkin, it goes by the name of Cucurbita maxima ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’, a French heirloom that was introduced into the U.S. in 1883 by the Burpee Seed Company.
As the bounty from the farmers’ markets will attest, fall is a wonderful season for a wide array of other winter squash. One of my seasonal favorites is ‘Delicata’, a sweet squash that has an edible rind and can be sliced and sautéed or baked in the oven. When selecting this squash, choose one that is heavy for its size.
The Haunted Pumpkin Garden Gets Ghostly with Spooky Nighttime Adventures
Posted in Exhibitions on October 14 2014, by Andy Garden
The thrills and chills of the Halloween season are filling The Haunted Pumpkin Garden right now! And more hair-raising fun awaits in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden with the first of four Spooky Nighttime Adventures taking place this weekend. Afraid of the dark? We have plenty of ConEdison flashlights to help you illuminate the Whole Foods Market® Trick-or-Treat Trail while you listen for critters of the night.
There are many opportunities to immerse yourself in the Halloween spirit at NYBG. On October 18, 24, 25, and 31, capture a family photo with larger-than-life skeletons and costumed creatures, delight in the giant pumpkin displays, or even sit in on an eerie ghost story. For those who dare to journey along the meandering Mitsubishi Wild Wetland Trail, keep your eyes peeled for the colossal marsh monster!
Morning Eye Candy: Anemone
Posted in Photography on October 14 2014, by Lansing Moore
When you get this close to Kiku, you could almost be at the bottom of the ocean.
Edo mum in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Amy Weiss
Morning Eye Candy: A Moment of Reflection
Posted in Photography on October 13 2014, by Lansing Moore
The chrysanthemum are blossoming more each day in Kiku.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen