Inside The New York Botanical Garden
NYBG
Posted in Around the Garden, From the Library, Photography on February 2 2012, by Matt Newman
Not long ago we introduced you to a new Plant Talk series we’re calling “Past in Focus,” in which we unearth historical photographs from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library archives and attempt to recapture the scenes as they appear today. A century-old landscape undergoes any number of changes at the hands of time, weather, and ambition, leaving us drawn in by details large and small that remain untouched. You can look at these photographs and–even if only just–make out the origins of the design beneath the carefully-tended aesthetic.
In 1916, the tract surrounding the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden was a plane of graded soil following an idea on paper:
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Posted in Holiday Train Show on January 25 2012, by Matt Newman
Kickstarting the imaginations of children is the kind of gratification you love to run into here at the NYBG. Some exhibitions–the Holiday Train Show, for one–just happen to be especially good at creating the perfect incubator for young creativity. And with stories like these, it’s always a perk to follow up.
Back in December we received a suggestion for our “20 Days” series from an administrator at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, explaining just how excited the kids were by their visit to the Garden in 2010. They were so ecstatic, in fact, that the club decided to give its own train show a try. For 2011’s traditional visit, the kids put their patience and skill together in recreating the Greenwich landmarks they grew up with. And this was no half-baked homework assignment: they even set up their own running model train.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 24 2012, by Matt Newman
If our Conservatory speaks of history, the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections foster the future. The occasional “members only” tour lets visitors in on the care, technology and horticultural know-how that goes into designing each and every plant exhibition that you see here at the NYBG. Plus it’s just really cool to see the greenery inside the superstructure.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Adult Education on January 23 2012, by Education at NYBG
Try and name a few important crops, just off the top of your head. Were grapes or hops found anywhere on that list? They probably weren’t the first plants to come to mind, but there’s almost no doubt whatsoever: they’re two of the most constant influences on culture throughout our history. Beer and wine have been the indulgence of choice for entire civilizations, from Pharaohs to Caesars and up through our modern society.
As part of our Botany of Indulgence classroom series (see: chocolate), Donald McClelland brings his homebrewing know-how to our Midtown classrooms for an in-depth chat on the art and science of fermentation, pegging perfect flavors, and the equipment needed to start your own cask or keg at home. His experience is soundly based on personal necessity (and the life of a student, of course).
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on January 23 2012, by Matt Newman
Resident photographer and wonderbeard (it’s a term of endearment) Ivo M. Vermeulen recently stole (politely asked for a ride in) a cherry-picker from our NYBG arborists, snagging a rare opportunity to see our Conservatory from a songbird’s perspective. I love to see the contrast in greenery on either side of the glass.
The Tracey Towers in the distance look a little ominous here, don’t they?
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden on January 20 2012, by Matt Newman
Rumor has it we’ll be seeing some snow in New York tonight! Does that mean winter’s finally making its frigid entrance stage right? Or maybe it’s just nature’s subtle way of nudging you to get off the couch and pay us a visit for the balmy opening of the Caribbean Garden. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that–yes–the season is giving you a signal. What could it hurt?
Snowflakes or no-flakes, the NYBG will be buzzing with tours, bird walks, and all the swinging, high-heeled dance numbers of the islands. I’m talking salsa. Salsa and warmth. When’s the last time you got to enjoy that kind of two-in-one in the middle of January? And even if the winter was mild until now, it’s a breezy icebox outside today; I’m convinced the threat of frostbite is reason enough to hang out in the jungle habitats of the steamy Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
Here’s what’s going on this weekend at the Garden!
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Posted in Adult Education, Exhibitions, Photography on January 20 2012, by Matt Newman
This year’s Caribbean Garden promises to be even more photogenic than the last! The picturesque fronds and flowers of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory‘s permanent collection once again take the spotlight to promote not only the beauty you see, but the beauty you create.
Walk the pathways of the Conservatory on a tour of our verdant living collections. Award-winning photos from the International Garden Photographer of the Year contest–taken in gardens around the world–will be on display alongside plants from around the Caribbean. Enjoy the beautiful photographs and access additional information on the photographers, their inspiration, and the techniques they used to capture these stunning images by simply scanning a code on each sign with your smartphone. And on Sundays, join one of two accomplished photographers for a brief course on the basics of garden shooting.
Whether you’re green to the art or just looking to brush up on your technique, come for some winter weather relief and don’t forget your camera.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Learning Experiences, Programs and Events on January 18 2012, by Education at NYBG
The mid-winter break is coming up on the calendar for local school kids, leaving us just a bit excited here at The New York Botanical Garden. Not that we’re taking any vacations for ourselves, mind you. For the first time, we’re throwing open our gates as one of the world’s premier centers for botanical science, welcoming curious young minds as we turn the Garden into a 250-acre classroom, laboratory, and learning playground.
Winter Science Camp offers children a “behind the scenes” learning experience under the guidance of the NYBG’s world-renowned plant educators. Kids will investigate plants in the Herbarium unseen by the public, enjoy early-morning exploration in the Forest, and experience a curriculum you just won’t find in the local elementary school schedule. Where else can they try their hand at planting vegetables, or pressing their own botanical specimens?
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Posted in Exhibitions on January 17 2012, by Matt Newman
Each year, as winter charges through, every commercial break on television chimes in with the daydream of a tropical paradise–swimsuits, warmth, and salsa music. Suddenly a car horn blares and the vision fades, leaving a woman with a headcold shivering at an icy New York bus stop. It’s as predictable as the sun rising. But while we can’t just let you hop through the visitor gates in your neon two-piece, The New York Botanical Garden brings more than a mirage to the table; the daydream becomes reality this month. Starting January 21, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory brings the tropics to the city with Caribbean Garden.
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Posted in Gardening Tips, Learning Experiences on January 17 2012, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
For the past few weeks we have reflected on the strange weather that we experienced last year, discussing the physical damage to the Garden during the October storm and the identifying characteristics that signal future issues. The erratic behavior of the weather from September onwards reminded me of a time several years ago when an Indian summer lasted well into December. The temperatures crashed in the following January and we experienced winter almost overnight.
Some of you may remember that year. For the broad-leaved evergreens at the Garden, this was the year for winter injury, and there are several reasons why a plant experiences this.
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