The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
The New York Botanical Garden has officially signed on to be the exclusive U.S. partner of the International Garden Photographer of the Year contest (also known as IGPOTY). We couldn’t be more delighted! To celebrate our partnership, and our 120th anniversary, IGPOTY is even offering a special commendation for the best photograph taken here at the Garden. The winner will receive a free year’s Membership to NYBG.
For those new to IGPOTY, it is the world’s premier garden photography contest. The competition is a rolling program that follows the gardening year. The categories include: “Beautiful Gardens,” “Wildlife Havens,” “Breathing Spaces,” “Bountiful Earth,” “Trees Wood Forest,” “Fragile Landscapes,” and “Greening the City.” Entries for the sixth contest are now open, and must be received by November 30, 2011. Finalists will be announced in February 2012 and winners will be announced in April 2012.
Winners receive a monetary prize of £5,000 (approximately $8,000), are published in an annual book, and are displayed in a public exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and for the first time in the U.S. at The New York Botanical Garden. The fee for entering the competition, which covers the expense of mounting and touring the exhibition, is £10 (approximately $16) for four single images, or £25 (approximately $40) for a portfolio (a set of six themed images). The contest is open to all photographers, both professional and amateur. Photographers who are under 16 years old may enter for free. Learn more and register to submit photos here.
Above the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
In addition, there are other categories and awards. Themed, seasonal competitions, collectively called “4Seasons,” run throughout the year, with upcoming deadlines for the those themed categories on May 31, August 31, and November 30. “Spirit of the American Garden” is a standalone award with a cash prize that can be entered into any category mentioned above. Other standalone prizes include “Best Image of Kew” and the “Best Image of The New York Botanical Garden” to commemorate the Garden’s 120th anniversary.
Hardy Waterlily (photo by Michelle Longo)
One of the truly great things about the IGPOTY contest (aside from the amazing recognition and monetary prize) is the ability to ask for a critique of the photos you enter into the contest from the panel of judges. It takes the judges some time to give this feedback, but according to my contact at IGPOTY, it is one of the most satisfying aspects of the contest for both entrant and judge alike.
Japanese Anemone and Bee (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
In that pedagogical spirit and as an effort to help hone everyone’s skills, we will be hosting monthly themed contests on the NYBG Flickr Group Page. We’ll hold the first one in June. So in the meantime, we’re asking out shutterbug friends to head over to Flickr and to share the best picture they’ve ever taken at NYBG and to actively discuss the photos, what they love and where they see areas for improvement (but please play nicely). It’s fun to see what each person considers “best,” so please join in! To say that we’re thrilled by this amazing partnership would be an understatement. We hope you’re as excited as we are. Happy snapping everyone!
Thomas C. Andres is an Honorary Research Associate at the Garden.
President “Bobby”: Mr. Gardner, do you agree with Ben, or do you think that we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
[Long pause] Chance the Gardener: As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden. President “Bobby”: In the garden. Chance the Gardener: Yes. In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again. President “Bobby”: Spring and summer. Chance the Gardener: Yes. President “Bobby”: Then fall and winter. Chance the Gardener: Yes. Benjamin Rand: I think what our insightful young friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we’re upset by the seasons of our economy. Chance the Gardener: Yes! There will be growth in the spring! Benjamin Rand: Hmm! Chance the Gardener: Hmm! President “Bobby”: Hm. Well, Mr. Gardner, I must admit that is one of the most refreshing and optimistic statements I’ve heard in a very, very long time.
[Benjamin Rand applauds] President “Bobby”: I admire your good, solid sense. That’s precisely what we lack on Capitol Hill.
Drawing by Honoré Daumier, 1865
This is an exact quotation from the 1979 movie Being There and in a sad way, it is remarkably relevant today. Actually, we should be so lucky as to have politicians listen to a gardener, even one as simple-minded as the protagonist in this movie. I can only think of a few examples in recent times of national politicians who were gardeners. President Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer, and Michelle Obama has become an avid kitchen gardener at the White House. Less known, at least in the United States, is that Ariel Sharon, whose father was an agronomist, was a commercial pumpkin grower in Israel. Thomas Jefferson was probably our most famous politician who was also a gardener. Jefferson introduced to the United States a number of new crops, including Brussels sprouts, eggplant, cauliflower, and broccoli, that he acquired overseas while the envoy to France. He was also innovative in cultivation practices and in promoting proper stewardship of the land.
If you have been focused on local, state, and national budget crises, and the wars abroad (including the elimination of terrorists), you may not have noticed that it is finally spring. And with that, it is time for us to turn our thoughts to planting the garden because, no matter what the pundits say, summer and fall will follow.
That said, there is gardening, and then there is the sport of extreme gardening.
Growers of the giant pumpkin, i.e., the species Cucurbita maxima, are in a class of their own. This is not gardening for the faint-hearted. Ever since the last behemoth pumpkin was weighed in 2010, there has been a clock counting down the seconds until the next weigh-off this fall. Even throughout the bleakest part of winter, these growers have been thinking about how to break the record and perhaps even the one-ton barrier. Last year a new record was set of 1,810 1/2 pounds (821.23 kg). This is less than 190 pounds off the one-ton mark; just a little over a 10% weight gain is needed. Or think metric–reaching 900 kg is even closer. There may be as many theories on how to reach this milestone in plant husbandry as there are dedicated extreme growers.
Representatives from SNEGPG (Southern New England Giant Pumkin Growers association) pose with grower Steve Connolly and pumpkin Carver Scott Cully.
For the rest of us, we can take our minds off such weighty matters and plant zucchini. They taste much better, that is if you don’t let them get too big! I know this culinary tidbit about giant pumpkins all too painfully. Every year someone asks, “How many pumpkin pies could that giant pumpkin make?” While Scott Cully was carving Chris Steven’s 1,810 1/2 pound pumpkin, pieces were flying off, each containing enough flesh to feed an entire household. This seemed like a terrible waste, so I asked if I could have one of the pieces. I knew that these cucurbits were considered low quality for human consumption, but I had to test this for myself. First I used a hand held refractometer to get an indication of the sugar content. I got a reading of 5°Bx, which is considered poor (15°Bx and above is considered excellent). That didn’t deter me though, nor did the fact that it had pale-colored flesh, indicating a low Beta-Carotene content.
I have found that adding pumpkin or winter squash to store bought macaroni and cheese always improves the flavor of this ultimate comfort food. First, I roasted cubed pieces of the giant pumpkin to help concentrate the flavor and then added it to the mac ‘n cheese mix. The result: only fit for livestock feed! There were horrible stringy fibers, not the tender fibers found in spaghetti squash. And it had that distasteful off pumpkin flavor described by Amy Goldman in her glorious book, The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower’s Guide to Pumpkins, Squashes, and Gourds. Therefore, the answer to the question, “How many pumpkin pies does a giant pumpkin make?” is simple. Zero!
Azaleas are wonderful additions to the garden. They are easy to grow, look sensational, and have attractive foliage. Evergreen azaleas provide year-round interest while deciduous azaleas often have exquisite fall color and exhibit an elegant woody framework in winter.
In their native habitats, azaleas are often found growing in or on the edge of woodlands in well-drained, acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. They have a shallow, fibrous root system, which needs to be considered when caring for them. Azaleas do well in full sun or part shade (about four hours of sun). Planted in full sun, azaleas will be more compact and floriferous. When planted in part shade, they will stretch toward the sunlight and form a more graceful habit; flowers will not be as plentiful but will last longer.
When using azaleas for foundation plantings, locate them 3 – 4 feet from the building so that the roof will not obstruct rainfall and so that air can circulate around the plants. Avoid planting near highly reflective walls unless on the north side of the building or in the shade. Windy sites are problematic: in winter, winds and sun can desiccate the foliage, of evergreen azaleas especially. Deciduous azaleas are more forgiving.
Azaleas need good soil structure and plenty of organic matter so that their shallow roots will not dry out. Conversely, azaleas can be suffocated by excess water and poor drainage; soil compaction around foundations and in yards is a frequent problem. When amending the soil, it is better to prepare the entire bed rather than just the planting hole to create a uniform condition so that the fibrous roots are encouraged to spread. As a general rule, the soil should contain 5 – 10% organic matter.
Medals for excellence were awarded to selected artists for their work in Green Currency: Plants in the Economy at the festive opening reception on Wednesday, April 20. This is the first medal-awarding international juried exhibition of contemporary botanical art in the United States, and is presented by the Botanical Garden and the American Society of Botanical Artists. The exhibition, which features 43 plants used in medicine, food, clothing, and shelter, will be on view in the Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery through July 31.
Dr. Shirley Sherwood, renowned contemporary botanical art collector and chair of the jury, along with Gregory Long, President of The New York Botanical Garden, presented the awards. Honorable Mentions for excellence in specific categories were also selected and announced. Click on an image below to see the commended works of art.
Gold: Beverly Allen, Coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, watercolor on paper
Silver: Asuka Hishiki, Garlic, Allium sativum, watercolor on paper
Bronze: Ingrid Finnan, Common ginger, Zingiber officinale, oil on paper
Honorable Mention, Prints: Monika deVries Gohlke, Jade-stripe bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris ‘Vittata’, hand-colored aquatint on paper
Honorable Mention, Drawing: Carrie Megan, Morels, Morchella sp., graphite on paper
Honorable Mention, Artistic Merit: Rosemary Bauman, Princess tree, Paulownia tomentosa, watercolor on paper
Honorable Mention, Work on Vellum: Karen Kluglein, Grapes, Vitis vinifera, watercolor on vellum
The New York Botanical Garden Acquisition Prize: Karen Kluglein, Grapes, Vitis vinifera, watercolor on vellum
A full-color exhibition catalog featuring all of the works in the show is available for purchase at Shop in the Garden. An audio tour in the Gallery includes personal statements from each of the artists; signage throughout the Garden grounds identify the living plants portrayed in many of the featured works of art.
The Garden’s Adult Education Program offers classes in Botanical Art for all levels. Browse courses, or order a free catalog to learn more.
