What’s more American than barbecuing on July 4? How about barbecuing locally-sourced, American-grown produce! The Garden, along with the Greenmarket, will be open this Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4 so that you can pickup all your barbecue and picnic needs from the farmers who grow them. Why not celebrate America’s 236th birthday with an all American buckle, grunt, betty, or cobbler featuring Red Jacket Orchard‘s beautiful berries or cherries. Not a baker? Then pickup one of the Little Bake Shop‘s delicious–and already baked–seasonal pies!
And don’t forget that most American of grains, corn, which is delicious boiled or grilled and slathered in butter, or with lime, chile, and cheese. In addition to corn and cherries, I’m hoping for summer squash and green beans from Migliorelli Farm, maybe a tomato or two, and pickles from Millport Dairy and spring onions from Gajeski Produce to serve on top of hamburgers!
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., stop by the Greenmarket information booth to pot up a plant to take home and grow on your window sill. The weekly NYBG Greenmarket near Tulip Tree Allée happens every Wednesday through November 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking are free to shop at the Greenmarket and EBT, WIC, and FMNP are accepted.
Nymphaea ‘Arc-en-Ciel’, not to be confused with long-running Japanese rock group L’Arc-en-Ciel. Each seems to have liked the French translation of “The Rainbow” enough to claim it as a name.
Ever grown a daylily? For flower gardeners, it’s likely; they’re now some of the most ubiquitous flowers kept among horticultural circles, rivaling even roses in their widespread adoration. From the 20 original species found in the wilds of India, Japan, China and Mongolia, we now have tens of thousands of recognized cultivars on the market–the fan following of this flower is nothing to scoff at. But we owe the modern fame of Hemerocallis to a single man, one whose work at The New York Botanical Garden birthed an industry.
To this day, Daylily Walk‘s early summer show can and does sneak up on us. The sloping path begins along Garden Way, the road that runs past the Library Building. From there it branches in a curving swoop around the Garden Café before joining Perennial Way by the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The walk leads you through thickets of conifers, bordered in late June by hundreds of daylilies in the colors of sunset, pomegranate seed, and safety cone orange. Think of a ribbon of rainbow sorbet connecting two of the NYBG’s most iconic pieces of architecture.
News that a rock star is living it up in our Hardy Water Lily Pool had some of us…well, confused. I pictured the lead singer of The Kinks doing the backstroke between the pads of the Nymphaea–not exactly Garden-approved behavior, superstar or not. But the revelation that this was a water lily named ‘Ray Davies’ only brought up more questions.
We answered those, too. In the meantime, Nymphaea ‘Ray Davies’ played coy with its color. My visit to the pool toward the end of last week turned up a circle of foliage sans flowers, with no sign of a show. Then came Ivo.
Sorry for the blatant tease. Just wanted to pass along a reminder that the gem-like fruits and vegetables of our Greenmarket will be back on Wednesday (and every Wednesday from now through November). Okay, I’m not really sorry–I’m suffering the pangs of raspberry desire just like you are.
Echinacea may be synonymous with the health supplement aisle in your local organic market, but it gets its name from a far older comparison: the Greek word echino, which means “sea urchin.” That spiny head is a dead giveaway.
Echinacea purpurea ‘Rubinstern’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
The Bronx’s own New York Yankees wrapped up HOPE Week 2012 (Helping Others Persevere & Excel) today in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden by celebrating the Children’s Alopecia Program (CAP) and the group’s founders, the Woytovich family. The Yankees say that HOPE Week is “rooted in the fundamental belief that acts of goodwill provide hope and encouragement to more than just the recipient of the gesture.” After spending a few hours mingling with the kids affected by this autoimmune disease and the club’s players, my face hurt from smiling, and I left with the opinion that HOPE Week does indeed bring joy to everyone it touches.
This might be a bittersweet Saturday for birders. Why? Well, truth be told, we’re bidding adieu to the Bird Walk! But don’t sweat–it’s only for a couple of months. As if the heat hadn’t already driven the point home, the calendar tells us it’s summer, and that means it’s time for a hiatus. Saturday marks this season’s last opportunity to don your boots and binoculars for an expert-led bout of birdwatching. (I am on an alliterative roll today.)
Debbie Becker has been at the head of these outings for over 25 years, making her the absolute authority on the NYBG‘s hawks, owls, and Pileated Woodpeckers (now resettled in the Garden after over seven decades). We can’t wait to have her back on September 1! But there’s no reason to make yourself wait that long, right? Come out tomorrow for the last walk of what I’m still stubbornly calling spring.
Daffodil Hill heads into summer with an air of Little House on the Prairie, I think. But no running through the fields, please–not even with overalls on.
What’s more American than barbecuing on July 4? How about barbecuing locally-sourced, American-grown produce! The Garden, along with the Greenmarket, will be open this Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4 so that you can pickup all your barbecue and picnic needs from the farmers who grow them. Why not celebrate America’s 236th birthday with an all American buckle, grunt, betty, or cobbler featuring Red Jacket Orchard‘s beautiful berries or cherries. Not a baker? Then pickup one of the Little Bake Shop‘s delicious–and already baked–seasonal pies!
