Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography, Wildlife on January 11 2012, by Matt Newman
Not every New York institution knows the good fortune of having a surplus of skilled photographers. What better place to hone your picturesmith’s craft than a 250-acre utopia of nodding flowers, century-old trees, and classical architecture? I suppose it justifies the horde of zoom lenses I see on a daily basis.
This past weekend, friend of the Garden and long-time member Pat Gonzalez stopped by with her camera for another early-morning trek across the grounds. The woman must drink straight rocket fuel with her coffee to get up and in the gate before the sun even stumbles over the horizon most days. But she’s got a fantastical knack for snapping some of the most miraculous photos of our local raptors, so who’s to tell her not to?
Read More
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 11 2012, by Matt Newman
I thought I would post something a little more appropriate to the season this morning, even if the season has been completely upside down, backwards, and inside out. And might I add that the conifers were particularly beautiful in the early twilight last night? Walking around and between the earth-broaching stone by the sleeping Azalea Garden–just before sunset–is a lesson in zen.
I recommend it.
Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’) — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on January 10 2012, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG’s Gardener for Public Education.
Trees possess a physiognomy and physiology just like we do. If you are an arborist, a dendrologist, or just a lover of trees, you can walk into the woods and read the life stories of your local trees simply by tilting your head upwards and carefully observing your surroundings.
In lay terms this means that you can tell a lot about a tree just by looking at it and understanding the basics of how it functions. The snow storm we encountered at the end of October was an opportunity to reflect on the intimate relation that growth, structure, and environmental impact have on the lives of trees. I subtitled last week’s blog “No Tree Left Behind” because virtually every tree was at the mercy of last October’s unexpected snow, when the majority of deciduous trees still had full canopies.
Read More
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 10 2012, by Matt Newman
What does this look like to you–a dragonfly, maybe? My first instinct was to blurt out “raspberry sherbet,” proving me the worst inkblot test taker.
Miltoniopsis Lady Snow ‘Paper Doll’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 9 2012, by Matt Newman
Cochliostema odoratissimum — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 8 2012, by Matt Newman
There’s a rain forest in New York, you know–a small sanctuary from the foreboding weather reports and windchill factor. (Hint: It’s in the Bronx.)
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Adult Education, Learning Experiences, Programs and Events on January 7 2012, by Joyce Newman
Joyce H. Newman is the editor of Consumer Reports GreenerChoices.org, and has been a Garden Tour Guide with The New York Botanical Garden for the past six years.
Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. — January 19, February 16, March 15
The New York Botanical Garden invites you to come in from the cold and warm up at the 2012 Winter Lecture Series, featuring three distinguished experts at the forefront of ecology and sustainable practices. Each will be sharing insights and practical advice on crucial challenges confronting today’s gardeners.
January 19 — BREAKING THE RULES: Ecological Design for the Real World
Larry Weaner has been creating native landscapes throughout the eastern U.S. since 1977. His firm, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates, has received several top design awards and has a national reputation for combining ecological and traditional garden design.
In this lecture Weaner shows us new and alternative gardening techniques that can yield richer, more easily maintained landscapes.
Read More
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 7 2012, by Matt Newman
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on January 6 2012, by Ann Rafalko
| Ann Rafalko is Director of Online Content. |
Can you believe this weather? I can’t imagine that it can last, and after this week’s earlier cold snap, I have vowed to take advantage of every warm day the winter of 2012 throws at me by getting outside and taking a walk. Today during lunch I took my new favorite stroll through the Forest. The walk takes just under an hour if you really dawdle and take your time to admire the winter landscape. This weather is perfect for this: just chilly enough to make the bare branches not seem out of place, and just warm enough to let me linger and admire all the interesting things in the Forest without getting frozen toes. So, I encourage you to take advantage of this unusual weather, too, and come visit the Garden this warm winter weekend. Come for the Holiday Train Show, but stay for the Forest. This is a rare gift, enjoy it!
My walk starts at Twin Lakes. The lakes–which just a week ago were busy with muskrats and ducks–are finally beginning to show signs of freezing.
See what the Spicebush Trail has to offer winter walkers below.
Posted in Around the Garden on January 6 2012, by Matt Newman
Did this week fly by for you, or are you having trouble getting back into the groove of the everyday? Either way, the weekend has finally come chugging back around the bend, and we’re ready to keep on with our holiday celebrations. The weather is going to be beautiful this weekend, so why not hop on the train, or clamber into the car for a visit to The New York Botanical Garden. The weather’s great so head into the Forest for a beautiful winter walk!
Read More
Not every New York institution knows the good fortune of having a surplus of skilled photographers. What better place to hone your picturesmith’s craft than a 250-acre utopia of nodding flowers, century-old trees, and classical architecture? I suppose it justifies the horde of zoom lenses I see on a daily basis.
