Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Holiday Train Show
Posted in Around the Garden on January 3 2014, by Matt Newman
Chances are good that you’re already on the road to recovery from the past two weeks of festivities—the feasts, the parties, the revolving door of sweater-clad family members—and coming back around to business as usual. But the holidays haven’t left the Garden just yet, and our conifers certainly aren’t ready to give up their decorations! Throughout January, we’re keeping the holiday cheer afloat with our continuing Holiday Train Show, friendly visits from our pal Thomas the Tank Engine, and all the winter majesty our 250 acres can summon. This is easily one of the most beautiful times to be outside in New York, so don’t let the couch take up all of your time!
This weekend’s highlights, aside from our ongoing seasonal festivities, are definitely of the wilderness variety. Not only will we be having the usual Saturday Bird Walk at 11 a.m. (it’s an amazing time of year to see the birds, what with most of the foliage fallen from the trees), but we’ll also be hosting a Winter Plant & Tree Tour on Sunday, exploring the bright berries and detailed textures of winter in the Garden. And if you’re looking to warm up, don’t miss our tour of the iconic architectural landmarks that make up the NYBG.
The full schedule is below, but even if you don’t follow it, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the NYBG on your own. Anyone who’s spent time walking the quiet trails of our Forest can tell you that!
Read More
Posted in Around the Garden on December 31 2013, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG’s Gardener for Public Education.
While many of us are spending the last day of 2013 furiously editing our list of New Year’s resolutions into something manageable, The New York Botanical Garden is still running full steam ahead with holiday cheer. There are no signs of diets, abandoned gym memberships, or disorganized files to be found—quite the opposite, in fact! The Holiday Train Show is running through January 12 with some marvelous new attractions sure to capture the imaginations of first-time and frequent visitors alike. And for those of you looking to entertain small children, All Aboard with Thomas and Friends returns this Wednesday, January 1, for nearly a month of mini performance adventures featuring sing-alongs and photo opportunities with the famed locomotive.
Meanwhile, it’s a beautiful time of the year to bundle up and take a leisurely walk around the Garden grounds. The Benenson Ornamental Conifer Collection is looking its boreal best with its extensive collection of unusual evergreens suited to both sunny and shady locations.
Read More
Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 31 2013, by Ann Rafalko
What’s better than the Holiday Train Show? How about when we combine the Holiday Train Show with All Aboard with Thomas & Friends! That’s right, starting on New Year’s Day your train-crazy little ones can get a double dose of all things train in one single day (and if you take Metro-North Rail Road to Botanical Garden Station, that’s a triple dose of all things train!).
Running through January 26, your kids can join Thomas and Driver Sam on a new fun-filled, sing-along, mini performance adventure by helping them decorate the station in time for the big Sodor surprise party before the guest of honor arrives! At the end, be sure to have your camera ready for an exciting photo op with the stars of the show!
Read More
Posted in Photography on December 31 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Here’s wishing you a sparkling evening saying farewell to 2013, and good morning to 2014! We hope to see much of you in the new year!
Posted in Around the Garden on December 27 2013, by Ann Rafalko
This weekend, it’s time to recover before heading into another mid-week celebration! Which means it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Need some help? Here’s one we can endorse: Get outside more! Spending time outside is good for your physical and mental health, especially amongst our gorgeous 250 acres. This weekend we have several great walks planned that will help you get a jump start on this resolution.
Here’s another resolution we can help you with: Learn more about far-off lands. How? Two easy steps! One: Come see the fantastic Holiday Train Show. Two: Stick around and take a tour of the world’s plants with a leisurely walk through the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory‘s lush galleries.
Neither of those work for you? How about resolving to make new friends in 2014? That’s another one we have covered, especially if you want to make acquaintance with feathered friends (and the people who love them). Our free, weekly bird walks are a great way to learn about the dazzling diversity of birds that make New York City their permanent or temporary home, and to make friends with a fun group of like-minded hobbyists.
So there you have it! Three great New Year’s resolutions you can make ahead of time, and get started on. Because the best way to make a resolution stick is with practice and repetition. How can you come back to the Garden weekend after weekend? With a fourth resolution: Become an NYBG Member! Your support helps us protect plants around the world and in our backyard. It helps us teach New York City’s schoolchildren year round. And you can take your resolutions on the road with access to or discounts at over 200 gardens and arboreta nationwide. Plus, a portion of your NYBG Membership is tax deductible, which could help you with a fifth resolution in 2014: Saving money!
Read More
Posted in Photography on December 25 2013, by Ann Rafalko
We’re closed today for Christmas, but that doesn’t mean we cannot wish you and yours the very best at this festive time of year! Merry Christmas! We’ll see you tomorrow at the Holiday Train Show!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on December 20 2013, by Ann Rafalko
It’s time for family and friends! Bring them all to the Garden this weekend, and then give them the gift that keeps giving, Garden Membership! Garden Membership grants free admission, Shop in the Garden discounts, Adult Education course discounts, and allows you to support this vital institution and our local, national, and international education and research initiatives! It’s a gift that does good and brings untold happiness. I would call that a surefire win!
This weekend is chock full of holiday cheer, featuring spirited singalongs, holiday film screenings, architectural tours, and of course, the Holiday Train Show and our very last Bar Car Nights. The weather is set to be anything but frightful (and in fact quite delightful) so strap on your boots and celebrate the Winter Solstice with a stroll through our stunning grounds!
And should you need to do a wee bit more Christmas shopping, Shop in the Garden is having a fabulous ornament sale. Combine a year’s Membership with one of our exclusive Enid A. Haupt Conservatory ornaments as a perfect gift for your very favorite Garden connoisseur.
Read More
Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 18 2013, by Ann Rafalko
I am one building out of many that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most famous cultural attraction in an historic kingdom in an ancient land. Rediscovered in 1812 by a Swiss explorer, I was originally established as the capitol of a civilization that controlled an important trade route, which was subsequently diminished under Roman rule. An ingenious system of water management allowed me to thrive, but these systems were damaged by an earthquake in the fourth century, which accelerated my decline. My facade is pockmarked by bullet holes because I was rumored to hold riches within my decorations.
Read More
Posted in Programs and Events on December 12 2013, by Matt Newman
On November 23 we had the singular pleasure of hosting one of America’s most prolific and critically acclaimed writers, friend of the Garden and former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. And though you may know his many works in print—he likes to call his poems “a form of travel writing”—his oeuvre took on an entirely new luster as a sold-out crowd of fans, Garden Members, and curious readers gathered in the Ross Hall for an hour of recitation by the living master himself.
Even if you couldn’t make it to the Garden to hear Collins read in person, you’re not out of luck. Our videographer was on hand to preserve the moment in its entirety! So head below for a full reading of poems covering trains, winter weather, the quintessential New York experience, and all the slices of life that have made Collins so revered among writers. If you happen to be at the NYBG in the coming weeks, look for the poetry boards placed throughout Perennial Garden Way, each one offering bits of verse from our visiting poet as part of Poetry for Every Season. It’s the perfect complement to the charming architecture and zipping trains of the Holiday Train Show.
Read More
Posted in Holiday Train Show on December 12 2013, by Ann Rafalko
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look at all these smiling faces!
Bar Car Nights is your chance to see the Holiday Train Show in an adults-only setting, cocktail (or mocktail) in hand. Thousands of twinkling lights set the scene for a festive evening with friends or family (or even soon-to-be family, we’ve heard tell of an engagement or two!).
This Saturday’s signature cocktail combines a few of the iconic flavors of the season; ginger, apple, and something that is really more of a sensation than a flavor, bubbles! Called the Winter Intensive, this festive libation combines Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur with hard apple cider, and a sparkling topper. It’s the perfect way to warm you from the inside out!
Read More
Chances are good that you’re already on the road to recovery from the past two weeks of festivities—the feasts, the parties, the revolving door of sweater-clad family members—and coming back around to business as usual. But the holidays haven’t left the Garden just yet, and our conifers certainly aren’t ready to give up their decorations! Throughout January, we’re keeping the holiday cheer afloat with our continuing Holiday Train Show, friendly visits from our pal Thomas the Tank Engine, and all the winter majesty our 250 acres can summon. This is easily one of the most beautiful times to be outside in New York, so don’t let the couch take up all of your time!
