The first weekend of Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden begins tomorrow, and to celebrate we have a full schedule of special programs. Come admire hundreds of meticulously trained kiku in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and attend our special Kiku Poetry Reading with Chase Twichell; view demonstrations of Ikebana: The Art of Japanese Flower Arranging; and enjoying a delicious meal at our Japanese Pop-Up Restaurant. There are many ways to immerse yourself in the beautiful traditions of Japanese gardens.
At the same time, The Haunted Pumpkin Garden is continuing to fill the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden with spooky seasonal fun for the whole family. This weekend includes Halloween Parades and the chance to meet the Creepy Critters of Halloween! Read on for the full schedule of programs and events this weekend for Kiku and TheHaunted Pumpkin Garden—as well as a special tour covering the History of NYBG!
While we gear up for the first weekend of Halloween fun at the Haunted Pumpkin Garden, remember that Kiku arrives at NYBG in just two weeks! Our popular celebration of the rich tradition of chrysanthemum cultivation in Japan returns on October 2 with new, breathtaking displays in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
To offer a bit of background about the exhibit, and to provide a sneak peek at our exciting upcoming programs, please enjoy this latest trailer for Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden.
The polls have closed and the final results are in. Voters have made their choice. Time to announce the results of…our Kiku Poll!
Two weeks ago, we asked visitors to select their favorite kiku style and the race was tight. It seems all four display styles have their fans. In an extremely close survey, the dramatic single-stemmed ogiku pulled an upset, coming from behind for the win, earning 30 percent of the votes. In a very close second place was the dome-shaped ozukuri, with 28 percent. The new style, shino tsukuri, and the cascading kengai were tied for third, both with a respectable 21 percent.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote in our fun little election. Be sure to see the displays in real life by visiting Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum, which runs through November 16. This video gives you a preview of what you’ll enjoy.
Autumn is here and Kiku returns to The New York Botanical Garden from October 18 through November 16. Time to perform your “civic duty” and vote…for your favorite kiku style.
Is it the majestic dome-shaped array of the ozukuri (“thousand bloom”)? Could it be the colorful kengai (“cascade”) that resemble “waterfalls” of wild chrysanthemums? How about the towering ogiku (“single stem”) arranged in symbolic rows representing the colors of the horse bridles of Japan’s Imperial family? Maybe it’s this year’s new display style, shino-tsukuri (“driving rain”)?
Click the images on the poll to learn more about each variety and then choose your favorite. (P.S. You can vote as many times as you want. We won’t tell anyone!) Spread the word and get others to vote, too. Then, come visit Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum and see the impressive cultural exhibition and flower show first-hand.
The polling widget will live on the upper right corner of the blog until Election Week (the first week of November), when we will announce the results.