Morning Eye Candy: Autumn Rose
Posted in Photography on December 19 2014, by Matt Newman
Our floral design students have no trouble leaping on bold aesthetics ’round this time of year.
Floral Design in Adult Education – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Adult Education
Like Father, Like Daughter: Wayne and Meghan Cahilly
Posted in Adult Education on October 1 2014, by Plant Talk
With his signature mustache and disarming personality, Wayne Cahilly is known widely around NYBG as a beloved horticulturist, site historian, and instructor of tree management. But Wayne is also a talented photographer. In fact, as a 12-year-old, he spent his first paycheck from his first job on an instamatic camera. Many years and several cameras later, he passed his passion for photography on to his daughter, Meghan. Together, they’re teaming up to teach Fundamentals of Digital Photography at the Garden this month, for students with a fascination for nature.
These talented outdoor photographers have two unique perspectives that will serve as a double whammy for photography students.
As he graduated from camera to camera, Wayne taught himself how to capture landscapes and other natural elements in compelling photographs. He eventually turned his expertise in arboriculture and his passion for photography into a consulting business in forensic arboriculture.
Art of the Heirloom
Posted in Adult Education on August 29 2014, by Plant Talk
Adult Education is going to seed—but in a good way!
The new Fall-Winter course catalog showcases NYBG’s collaboration with Hudson Valley Seed Library, a farm-based company devoted to heirloom and open-pollinated seeds and garden-themed contemporary art. Every year, Hudson Valley Seed Library commissions unique, original artworks for its annual seed catalog—and this year a special NYBG seed pack coincides with the upcoming Art of the Heirloom exhibit. The Adult Education catalog features the Garden’s seed pack on the cover, with art from the exhibition included throughout.
On the cover, a wreath of Penstemon digitalis—a perennial native to New York also known as foxglove beardtongue—surrounds the iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
Morning Eye Candy: Artfully Asymmetrical
Posted in Photography on August 21 2014, by Matt Newman
So much more than wreaths and bouquets find their way into existence when you’re learning from our Adult Education instructors.
From a Floral Design course in NYBG’s Adult Education program – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Students Make Summer Serious Fun
Posted in Adult Education on August 5 2014, by Plant Talk
On July 14, more than 60 eager Summer Intensives students came to the Garden to begin a move toward changing their careers, learning new skills, and pursuing their passions. The Intensives are designed to accelerate training and Certification in Gardening, Floral Design, Landscape Design, Botanical Art & Illustration, and Horticultural Therapy.
Students came from as near as the tri-state area and as far as Texas to get professional training from the Garden. Some students had prior experience in these fields of study, while others were newcomers looking for a new career. This year’s students were, overwhelmingly, all on a mission to positively change their lives and the lives of others.
Horticulture is Thriving: 2nd Hortie Hoopla draws 125 NYC-area Interns
Posted in Adult Education on July 31 2014, by Matt Newman
New as it is, Hortie Hoopla is already a key event for young horticultural professionals looking to find their footing in this fast-paced and challenging field, one that’s always on the look-out for fresh ideas and new faces. The New York Botanical Garden invites green industry interns from all over the New York metropolitan area and beyond to spend the day in the Garden, linking up with their fellow horticulturists, accomplished career plantsmen, and scientists, all while enjoying a day of tours, games, networking, and BBQ. But first: the inspiration.
Catching up with a Floral Design Intensive Alum: Marcela Bonancio
Posted in Adult Education on July 2 2014, by Plant Talk
Marcela Bonancio took a big step last summer, followed by a huge leap last winter.
A year after attending the Floral Design Summer Intensive in 2012, Bonancio decided to launch her own floral design business, The Lotus Blossom Atelier, using her business chops from her marketing degree and NYBG education as driving forces, in December 2013.
The Floral Design Summer Intensive laid the foundation for Bonancio’s successful business and floral design skills.
“In my mind, floral design foundations are very important, because without them being in place, all the beauty of flowers just falls apart,” Bonancio said.
The Summer Intensive program instructors are all working New York City-area designers themselves, with a variety of styles and skillsets that translate well to students with different reasons for signing up for Floral Design classes.
An Insider’s Look at The New York Flower Market
Posted in Adult Education on May 29 2014, by Plant Talk
My mission—and I chose to accept it—was to audit Trish O’Sullivan’s “Shopping the New York Flower Market” class in Manhattan. This four-hour insiders’ tour offers a priceless introduction to the business side of floral design and teaches students where to shop for flowers, vases, and related accessories, like ribbons, wire, and event supplies.
The district is more than a century old, and occupies one city block on 28th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. It’s inarguably the best place in the region to purchase bulk flowers and floral design supplies. Most shops open early—around 5:30 a.m.—and close in the mid-afternoon, if not before lunch. Many sell their goods strictly wholesale, although plenty of shops also sell to individuals. The New York Times once called the district “Midtown’s Lush Passage,” which, as the class learned, is an adequate description of an area featuring sidewalks lined with potted plants, flowering tree branches, and buckets of cut botanicals.
Love in Bloom: Tom Sebenius Talks Weddings and Floral Design
Posted in Adult Education on April 29 2014, by Plant Talk
Love is in the air, and we’re anticipating hundreds of couples hosting weddings and wedding-related events at the Garden this year.
And while brides and grooms enjoy their day of pampering, pledging, and partying, the run-up to the big day is often accompanied by pressure and panic. That’s where the wedding professional steps in with creative solutions, a willingness to compromise, and the ability to keep calm.
We sat down with New York City wedding floral design expert and NYBG instructor Tom Sebenius to learn more about designing for this most memorable day built around romance, personal preferences, and utmost attention to detail.
“Couples have so many options that being chosen to provide the flowers for their special day is a real honor,” Sebenius said.
Wildflower Gardening: The Cutting Edge
Posted in Adult Education on April 24 2014, by Plant Talk
It’s the classic gardener’s dilemma—you want lots of fresh flowers to decorate your home, but you want to keep your landscape flowers intact and beautiful. And the solution is… the cutting garden! This spring, Adult Education puts a fresh twist on the cut flower concept, with two classes that highlight the ever-growing interest in native plants.
For an in-depth, practical guide to the best wildflowers and techniques, join Kathleen Salisbury for Native Plants for Cut Flower Gardening (May 17). You’ll learn how to cultivate, cut and condition enough New York ironweed, sweet coneflower, meadow rue, and more to give you beautiful and natural arrangements all season long.
As spring turns to summer, try your hand at Arranging with Summer Wildflowers (June 26). Ken Norman will help you evoke a natural landscape with loose, textured designs using native wildflowers you can find in your own garden or at area farmers’ markets.
Both one-day sessions are presented in memory of Mae L. Wien, and include an inspiring tour through the Garden’s Seasonal Walk, newly designed by Piet Oudolf.
Discover more spring and summer classes at nybg.org/adulted.