This Father’s Day Weekend: Veggies Around the World!
Posted in Around the Garden on June 15 2012, by Matt Newman
A herd of us, myself included, skipped out on our desks yesterday to spend the morning in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, picking our way through the planted rows and soaking up the spring weather. We’re not truants so much as curious and hungry, really. After a few minutes chatting with the Family Garden’s Assistant Manager, Annie Novak, we can’t think of a better place to let loose with your kids over the weekend.
I’m not just saying that because Annie kindly let us pluck a couple of sugarsnap pea pods to munch on, either. (After much whining and pleading on our part, though totally worth the effort considering how crispy-delightful they were).
More than an oasis of everyday New York staples, this foodie bonanza is also the host of Global Gardens, where five international green thumbs are tending plots that represent the home-grown veggies of their countries’ cuisines: Italian, Irish, Korean, Chinese, and Caribbean. And (perfect timing, I know) this weekend marks their Summer Harvest Celebration!
On both Saturday and Sunday, kids can bring dad along to bounce between each of the five plots, making cultural crafts with the gardeners, playing garden games, and sampling salads made from our own just-picked ingredients. Spending time with him on Father’s Day really can be about more than a new set of cufflinks and pancakes in bed. And if you bring him at 2 or 4 p.m. on either day, you’ll also be at the Family Garden in time for one of our cooking demonstrations. With an acre of fresh vegetables to see and learn about beyond the Global Gardens plots, the herbs of Italy and the greens of South Korea are appetizer courses in one of the most delicious collections at the NYBG.
Not that you have to get your hands dirty when you visit us! Monet’s Garden is still dropping jaws left and right in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and as the sun sets on Saturday, all that beauty will come to a head in time for an early Father’s Day night out. If you haven’t gotten your tickets to the inaugural Monet Evening, I’m not-so-subtly nudging you in the ribs; missing out on classic French love songs, Parisian cocktails, and the once-in-a-blue-moon experience of a Garden picnic at dusk sounds like a serious faux pas to me.
Saturday, June 16
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with our expert, Debbie Becker, searching for the birds of the season and learning about bird-friendly plants that provide food, shelter, and nesting sites. You might even catch a glimpse of our rare Pileated Woodpeckers, which Debbie tells us are now nesting at the NYBG after a 73-year absence!
Rose Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
Immerse yourself in the fragrance, color, and beauty of the award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden on a tour with a Garden docent. Learn the differences between Heritage and Modern roses and between floribundas and hybrid teas, as well as facts about rose history, cultivation, and folklore. Afterward, visit our Earth-Kind® Trial Beds for a look at the hardy roses that may very well change the face of the rosarian’s trade.
Film Screening: Monet Double Feature
In the Conservatory GreenSchool
The Impressionists: Monet – 1 & 2 p.m.
This film is a look at the life and art of Claude Monet, the originator of “Impressionism.” Examine several paintings, location footage, and expert analysis. Also featured is footage from L’Orangerie and from Monet’s house and gardens at Giverny, plus special film shot at London’s Savoy Hotel, where Monet painted his famous views of London.
Monet’s Palate – 3 & 4 p.m.
Embark on a culinary tour of Claude Monet’s beloved Normandy, a region of France just north of Paris along the Seine River. This region inspired Monet’s passion for art and his passion for fine cuisine. Both Monet’s palette and his palate met at this home in Giverny, surrounded by his beautiful gardens. This film, connecting the painter’s love of art, gardens, and his profound appreciation for food, is introduced by Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep and features commentary from Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud, Michel Richard, and other renowned chefs. Screening of Monet’s Palate made possible by MonetsPalate.com.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Stop and Smell the Roses – 2 p.m.
In the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
By mid-June, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is in full bloom. Join Gardener for Public Education Sonia Uyterhoeven for an exploration of the Rose Garden and a look at some of the highlights of the season.
Monet’s Garden Tour – 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Join one of the Garden’s docents for a tour inside the galleries of the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where horticulturists of The New York Botanical Garden bring to life stunning re-creations of Monet’s most iconic gardens at Giverny. In the Conservatory Courtyard, the focus on the artistry of the great Impressionist continues with a display of water lilies.
Monet Evenings Featuring Water Lily Concerts – 6 to 9 p.m. / Concert – 7:30 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and on the Conservatory Lawn
June 16 event features Jazz Cabaret Chanteuse Floanne
Experience Monet’s Garden in the waning evening light. Purchase a glass of wine or a cocktail and light refreshments, admire the collections and relax on the lawn for a live concert. Each evening will feature a different style of music–jazz, cabaret, or classical–with a French theme ranging from old world to new, and from charming to glamorous.
Each ticket includes one specialty complimentary cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage. ($30 Non-members, $20 Members, $12 Children)
Sunday, June 17
Rose Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
Immerse yourself in the fragrance, color, and beauty of the award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden on a tour with a Garden docent. Learn the differences between Heritage and Modern roses and between floribundas and hybrid teas, as well as facts about rose history, cultivation, and folklore. After the tour, head to the Earth-Kind® Trial Beds for a look at breeds that may very well change the face of the rosarian’s trade.
Film Screening: Monet Double Feature
In the Conservatory GreenSchool
The Impressionists: Monet – 1 & 2 p.m.
This film is a look at the life and art of Claude Monet, the originator of “Impressionism.” Examine several paintings, location footage, and expert analysis. Also featured is footage from L’Orangerie and from Monet’s house and gardens at Giverny, plus special film shot at London’s Savoy Hotel, where Monet painted his famous views of London.
Monet’s Palate – 3 & 4 p.m.
Embark on a culinary tour of Claude Monet’s beloved Normandy, a region of France just north of Paris along the Seine River. This region inspired Monet’s passion for art and his passion for fine cuisine. Both Monet’s palette and his palate met at this home in Giverny, surrounded by his beautiful gardens. This film, connecting the painter’s love of art, gardens, and his profound appreciation for food, is introduced by Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep and features commentary from Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud, Michel Richard, and other renowned chefs. Screening of Monet’s Palate made possible by MonetsPalate.com.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Stop and Smell the Roses – 2 p.m.
In the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
By mid-June, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is in full bloom. Join Gardener for Public Education Sonia Uyterhoeven for an exploration of the Rose Garden and a look at some of the highlights of the season.
Monet’s Garden Tour – 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
Join one of the Garden’s docents for a tour inside the galleries of the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where horticulturists of The New York Botanical Garden bring to life stunning re-creations of Monet’s most iconic gardens at Giverny. In the Conservatory Courtyard, the focus on the artistry of the great Impressionist continues with a display of water lilies.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Children’s Outdoor Nature Explorations: Observe and Create
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, May 19 through September 30
Weekdays 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. / Weekends 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Let your inner Monet run wild and be inspired by nature to create art in all different forms. Movement, music, drawing and painting abound in this outdoor studio for children. Stop by Inspiration Station to play our outdoor marimba. Paint with water and experiment with colors in our Color Clash Studio. Step inside to experiment with the engineering behind aquatic plants. Nature is art–discover it at the Adventure Garden. Also on view: an exhibition by students from Studio in a School.
Salad Days
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, May 19 through June 15
1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The “salad days” of the Garden year are here! The finale of spring is a bonanza of ripe roots, succulent stems, glorious greens, and a kaleidoscope of colorful–and edible–flowers. Use real plants and flowers to decorate a salad bowl collage. Learn tips on how to combine this array of plant parts into an assortment of salads and prepare a healthy dressing to take home.
Cooking demonstrations at 2 and 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Global Gardens Summer Harvest Celebration Weekend
Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, June 16 through 17
1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Celebrate the spring harvest season of our five Global Gardens. Earn stamps in your passport by exploring each of the Global Gardens: meet the Global Gardeners, play garden games, create cultural crafts, or sample salads.
Cooking demonstrations at 2 and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
