Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 14 2010, by Plant Talk
| Ann Rafalko is Director of Online Content. |
On Sunday, as promised a month ago, I was finally able to bring my nephews, ages 2 and 5, up to the Holiday Train Show. They were blown away by the experience and were predictably thrilled to see their good buddy Thomas in attendance.
What surprised me was when my older nephew, Jasper, grabbed my hand while I was snapping a picture. Jasper pulled me down to his level and said “Annie, you’re not taking the right pictures. Can I try?” And so, with a slight hesitation, I turned over my trusty G9 to the tiny hands of my nephew.
More photos from Jasper, age 5, below.
Posted in Photography on December 14 2010, by Plant Talk
Many a Garden worker and visitor begins their trip to Botanical Garden Station at the grande dame of American train terminals under the watchful eye of Pegasus.
The Great Hall at Grand Central Terminal (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Gardening Tips on December 13 2010, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
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Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education. |
Let’s look at simple ways to dress up our homes for those of us who have great aspirations and little time.
Around the holiday times we like to brighten up our homes with flowers. If you buy a nice bouquet of roses you can gussy them up for the holidays with a few simple tricks. An easy way is to hide the stems with a cranberry frog. Take a bag of cranberries (hard ones) and wash them clean. Remove any that are soft. Pour the bag into your vase and fill with water. The cranberries will keep the stems in place and create a pretty effect in a clear vase. They will float a bit at first but then settle down. The cranberries last for about a week. This is best done in a nice wide clear vase to show off the cranberries.
When filling your vase think beyond flowers. Often people embellish our floral arrangements with ferns or magnolia leaves. At this time of year substitute holiday greens in for the traditional greenery. White pine, incense cedar and hollies make three good options.
You can also place holiday ornaments into the mix. In craft stores you will find wired stakes of different sizes. Wire the ornament to the stake and stagger the ornaments throughout the greenery.
Last year, I decided to fix some lady apples onto small green stakes and add then to the arrangement. While I was breaking the rules for good arrangements (fruit and flowers don’t mix well because the ethylene gas emitted by fruits will cut down on the life span of the flowers) it certainly looked nice and lasted long enough to make me happy.
Here are a few tips to make your life easier. Search the florists, craft stores and supermarkets for interesting decorative supplies. Pine sap can easily be removed from clothing with rubbing alcohol. For your tools and hands try hand sanitizer, baby oil, WD-40 or anything oily.
Roses are wonderful but so many times you bring them home and they droop within the first few days. Cut the roses at a 45° angle with either your pruners or a sharp knife. Place immediately into lukewarm water. Floral preservative increases the longevity of flowers by up to 75% so it is worth the small investment. If you don’t have floral preservative handy there are many homemade recipes. Here is just one:
Take 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of bleach and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 quart of lukewarm water. The bleach keeps the mixture clean and free from bacteria, the sugar feeds the flowers and the citrus helps the flowers to take up water by making it slightly acidic.
There are many methods for reviving drooping flowers. One that works effectively for roses is to heat water up so that it is very hot (almost but not quite boiling). Dip the stems of the drooping roses into the hot water for 30 seconds keeping the flowers away from the steam. Re-cut the stems and place them back in a clean vase. They should revive within 15 to 30 minutes.
Posted in Photography on December 13 2010, by Plant Talk
A shot of color for your Monday morning.
Floral Design, Sans Flowers (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on December 12 2010, by Plant Talk
It’s seed catalog season again! Tell us: Which are your favorites?
Seeds at the Nolen Greenhouses (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Programs and Events on December 11 2010, by Plant Talk
Larry Lederman, photographer and friend of the Garden (he’s a member of our Advisory Board), has a beautiful exhibit of large-scale tree photographs up right now in the lobby of the amazing Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan. Stop by when you need a break from all your Christmas shopping!
Larry Lederman at The Four Seasons (photo (of the photo) by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Shop/Book Reviews on December 10 2010, by Plant Talk
In addition to being the creator of BronxMama, Nicole Perrino is also a full-time graduate student. Having been in college for the past five years and only working part time, Nicole prides herself on her ”frugalista” skills–throwing birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and decorating her house–all on a small budget. Friends love turning to her for help when it’s their turn to plan an event.
Nicole’s picks are based on the premise that if you really put thought into a gift for someone, you don’t have to spend time worrying if you spent enough on each person. It’s a sentiment evident in Nicole’s thoughtful list of “Favorite Things” for holiday gift giving.
See Nicole's picks below!
Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 10 2010, by Plant Talk
There’s no denying it. Here at The New York Botanical Garden, we love trains. There’s our amazing Holiday Train Show, of course. There’s Tootle the Train™, who made his world debut on the stage right here in the Bronx. We’ve got the Little Engine that Could™, and we hear that Thomas™ will be stopping by for a visit, too. So why not take the train to come see the trains?
To help you do just that, we’ve teamed up with New York City’s MTA New York City Transit! Through December 17, 2010, and then again January 4 – 7, 2011, show your MetroCard you’ll save 30% on weekday tickets to the Train Show! There’s some fine print, of course, so head over to the MTA’s site and check out all the details, and be sure to plan your trip using Trip Planner–it’ll provide you with step-by-step directions to the Garden, while factoring in any planned service changes.
The Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden is an entire day of fun for the whole family … especially when you take the train to see the trains!
Posted in Photography on December 10 2010, by Plant Talk
The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at night is a thing of wonder.
The Conservatory at Night (photo by Ann Rafalko)
Posted in Learning Experiences on December 9 2010, by Plant Talk
Christmas has always been a DIY holiday. Who hasn’t strung cranberries and popcorn on thread to use as a homemade garland? Or maybe you’ve used an old hanger from they dry cleaner as a frame for a wreath of pine boughs scavenged from the woods or dusted pine cones in sparkling glitter for a pretty candlelit party buffet?
It seems that new ideas for a DIY holiday come around every year, and our instructors here at The New York Botanical Garden have some beautiful ideas for Christmas 2010. On Saturday, December 11, join instructor Diana Conklin as she teaches you to make a beautiful, large evergreen wreath or a five-foot long pine garland in one class, or a gorgeous hydrangea centerpiece that will last for seasons to come. On Tuesday, December 14, Deryck de Matas will teach a class on creating striking table decorations for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Know someone who would love to take a class at The New York Botanical Garden? Adult education gift certificates make a fantastic Christmas gift for the gardener or crafter in your life.
