Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on February 19 2015, by Matt Newman
Sorry about the misleading title, but I could think of nothing but spring-colored peppermints when I saw these orchids waiting for their moment in the spotlight during The Orchid Show. See them for yourself beginning February 28.
Orchids in the Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Exhibitions, Video on February 19 2015, by Lansing Moore
In less than two weeks, a beloved annual exhibition returns to the Garden in a dramatic new form as The Orchid Show: Chandeliers. For its 13th year, The Orchid Show is taking over every gallery in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with a series of hanging installations of living chandeliers. Check out the exclusive teaser trailer below for a first look at the hundreds of the many colorful and fragrant species that will be on display!
Posted in Horticulture on February 18 2015, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.
I recently attended a lecture at NYBG given by the naturalistic landscape designer and meadow aficionado, Larry Weaner, who chose an unusual and interesting topic to cover: “Assisted Plant Proliferation in the Designed Landscape.” He based his lecture on the premise that if you do nothing, things grow. The challenge for gardeners is to get the right things to grow. In this respect, Weaner, through his work on large-scale naturalistic landscapes, is highly inventive and astutely attuned to the workings of nature.
On some of his project sites, he encourages volunteerism by leaving sections of the meadow fallow for a year to see what makes its way into the wild patch. If the new recruit is desirable, he flags the seedling. Otherwise, it gets mowed down the following year along with the rest of the meadow. Weaner showed an image of a healthy elderberry that had found its way to a fallow section at the edge of a meadow. Sometimes, some of the healthiest and most robust garden specimens appear in this manner, starting surreptitiously from seed and being allowed to flourish.
My note-taking was fast and furious as Weaner went through a number of case studies of plants in their natural habitat. He spoke of the importance of knowing where and how plants proliferate in nature. With this knowledge in hand, gardeners will be able to replicate the desired results.
Posted in Adult Education on February 16 2015, by Plant Talk
Next week, we take an intimate look into André Le Nôtre’s 17th-century masterwork of the formal gardens of Château de Vaux le Vicomte outside of Paris as part of our 15th annual Winter Lecture Series, Le Jardin Français. During his presentation Thursday, February 19, the co-proprietor and fifth-generation owner of this landmark family estate, Alexandre de Vogüé, will give examples of Le Nôtre’s design audacity and walk listeners through the ongoing and ambitious landscape restoration he currently oversees in his presentation, “Vaux le Vicomte: From Le Nôtre to Today.”
Monsieur de Vogüé was gracious enough to answer a few questions we had for him in advance of his lecture.
Posted in Photography on February 13 2015, by Lansing Moore
The results are in for Week 2 of the Wild Medicine Photo Contest, and the talent on display is quite remarkable this year. The latest contributions to the Macro and Sense of Place categories immerse you in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and its current exhibition, Wild Medicine in the Tropics.
Click through to see the weekly winners, and don’t miss your chance to participate by uploading your best photos taken inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory before February 20 to the NYBG Flickr Group Pool and tagging them “#wildmedicine2015“. Be sure to check out the contest rules, and consider participating in Photography Tips & Tricks in the Tropics.
Posted in Programs and Events on February 13 2015, by Lansing Moore
It’s a veritable ice box out there right now, but you’d never know it inside our tropical Conservatory. Tickets are still available for both of NYBG’s Valentine’s Day Experiences from Priceless New York—a romantic evening of champagne and tropical plants for adults, and a fun-filled daytime chocolate workshop for kids—so if you’re still making plans for tomorrow, plan your visit to the Garden!
Monday, February 16, is Presidents’ Day, and the Garden will be open for regular hours, making this one a long weekend with plenty of opportunities for exciting activities. Come enjoy the day off at NYBG and join us for the start of Carla Hall’s Culinary Kids Week with a special appearance by the celebrity chef herself, who will lead a live cooking demonstration to kick of this weeklong family-friendly food festival.
NYBG is ready for the extended holiday weekend, and I’m sure you are too, so click through for details on all of our special programs and activities.
Posted in Photography on February 13 2015, by Lansing Moore
It may not be a red rose, but a crimson bottlebrush will do just as nicely for Valentine’s Day at NYBG.
Callistemon citrinus in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on February 12 2015, by Lansing Moore
This lovely lady is just one of many Japanese camellias enjoying their moment in the Curator’s Spotlight.
Camellia japonica ‘Tiffany’ in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Horticulture on February 11 2015, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.
I went to hear Doug Tallamy speak, recently. An entomologist and wildlife ecologist, his reputation first came about in 2007 when he published Bringing Nature Home.
In this seminal work on backyard wildlife ecology, Tallamy impressed on his readers the interdependency of plants, insects, butterflies, and birds. He made a call to arms asking gardeners to take on the challenge of becoming important players in the management of our nation’s wildlife by judiciously selecting local native plants for their gardens.
In 2014, Tallamy collaborated with gardening guru Rick Darke on another ecologically principled work entitled The Living Landscape. This book embodies what I hope will be an enduring trend in gardening. It is an upscale gardening book featuring gorgeous images that catapult you into another realm. Embedded in the gloss and glitter is informative, well-written content that educated and elucidates. The enduring trend which I am hopeful of is the celebration of the association between gardening and nature at large. It is a hope that the trend toward gardening with natives is imbued with a strong sense of stewardship and based on sound ecological principles.
Posted in Photography on February 11 2015, by Lansing Moore
In the Home Gardening Center – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen