This Weekend: Fun in the Sun!
Posted in Around the Garden on May 31 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Step outside and one word springs to mind: Summer! And all signs point to it too–Memorial Day is in the rear view mirror, Manhattanhenge has graced the city’s famous grid, and the cicadas are appearing around the region. What does that mean at the Garden? It’s time to hang out in our gardens, that’s what! No need to hurry-scurry around; take a Tram ride, sit in the shade, stroll around an Italian Garden, loll by the waterlily pools, stop and smell the roses (literally), and saunter around in the shade of the Forest or the Native Plant Garden. Good times, I promise you!
If that’s not enough, and you’re looking for some brainiac mental stimulation instead, we’ve got that too! As part of this weekend’s World Science Festival we’re offering tours of our science facilities, special lectures, and concerts. Yep, that’s right, a science-based, cicada-centric concert! It doesn’t get more geektastic than that!
Saturday, June 1
Tour Wild Medicine in the Conservatory – regularly, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
In the Conservatory
Guides throughout the exhibition help bring the stories of Wild Medicine to life and guide your experience. Learn about featured medicinal plants and their cultural significance, the origin of medicinal gardens, and more.
Film Screening: Wild Medicine – 11:30 a.m., 12, 2, and 4 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
This 15–minute introductory film narrated by Sigourney Weaver helps set the tone for your visit, celebrating the beauty of the real Garden of Padua while highlighting the importance of healing plants and the work of Garden scientists.
Science Open House Behind-the-Scenes Tours
William and Lynda Steere Herbarium – self-guided tours begin at 11 a.m.; last entry at 2 p.m.
Meet at the Ross Gallery
Tour the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest herbarium in the Western Hemisphere, and speak with the professional staff who curate, study, and care for the priceless biological heritage it contains. See a sampling of the 7.3 million herbarium specimens, dating from the 18th century to the present, which document fungal and plant diversity from all over Earth.
Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory – Guided tours at 11 a.m., 12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3 p.m. – Space is limited; first-come, first-served
Meet at the Pfizer Lab entrance
Tour the world-renowned Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory, home of the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, and discuss with Garden scientists their roles in discovering and understanding the diversity of plants we see around us, including some with application for human health. Laboratory research?along with DNA collections, liquid-preserved collections, and other materials?allow for the study of plants at their most essential levels.
Lecture: Healing Through Plant Medicines and Foods: What We Can Learn From Different Cultures – 1 p.m.
Ross Hall
Dr. Ina Vandebroek, Ethnomedical Research Specialist at NYBG, will trace the importance of medicinal plants among indigenous peoples and immigrant communities from the Bolivian Amazon to New York City.
Concert: Cicada Serenades: Music, Mating, and Meaning – Presented by the World Science Festival – 4:30 p.m.
Ross Hall – Special ticket required
After 17 years underground, cicadas throughout the Northeast are emerging in time for the 2013 World Science Festival to sing, mate, and die. Amid a buzzing, whirring chorus, we examine the extraordinary mating rituals of these and other six-legged creatures to find out what their songs are saying, why they’re saying it, and how this knowledge is impacting our understanding of communication, behavior, and the ecosystem. The conversation is punctuated by a musical performance between the bugs and their human collaborators.
Music and Dance of the Italian Renaissance – 1 and 3 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
Enjoy a rich repertoire of music and dance of the Italian Renaissance period presented by artists from Early Music New York and The New York Historical Dance Company. Performers wear costumes and play historic instruments to recreate the sights and sounds of this period music, explaining the progression from classic to modern.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Awesome Annuals
In the Home Gardening Center, 2 p.m.
Join us to learn how to plant your garden with non-stop color. You will be introduced to a wide range of exciting and unusual annuals, and will explore basic maintenance practices and design techniques.
Sunday, June 2
Tour Wild Medicine in the Conservatory – regularly, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
In the Conservatory
Guides throughout the exhibition help bring the stories of Wild Medicine to life and guide your experience. Learn about featured medicinal plants and their cultural significance, the origin of medicinal gardens, and more.
Film Screening: Wild Medicine – 11:30 a.m., 12, 2, and 4 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
This 15–minute introductory film narrated by Sigourney Weaver helps set the tone for your visit, celebrating the beauty of the real Garden of Padua while highlighting the importance of healing plants and the work of Garden scientists.
Science Open House Behind-the-Scenes Tours
William and Lynda Steere Herbarium – self-guided tours begin at 11 a.m.; last entry at 2 p.m.
Meet at the Ross Gallery
Tour the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest herbarium in the Western Hemisphere, and speak with the professional staff who curate, study, and care for the priceless biological heritage it contains. See a sampling of the 7.3 million herbarium specimens, dating from the 18th century to the present, which document fungal and plant diversity from all over Earth.
Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory – Guided tours at 11 a.m., 12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3 p.m. – Space is limited; first-come, first-served
Meet at the Pfizer Lab entrance
Tour the world-renowned Pfizer Plant Research Laboratory, home of the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, and discuss with Garden scientists their roles in discovering and understanding the diversity of plants we see around us, including some with application for human health. Laboratory research?along with DNA collections, liquid-preserved collections, and other materials?allow for the study of plants at their most essential levels.
Music and Dance of the Italian Renaissance – 1 and 3 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
Enjoy a rich repertoire of music and dance of the Italian Renaissance period presented by artists from Early Music New York and The New York Historical Dance Company. Performers wear costumes and play historic instruments to recreate the sights and sounds of this period music, explaining the progression from classic to modern.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Awesome Annuals
In the Home Gardening Center, 2 p.m.
Join us to learn how to plant your garden with non-stop color. You will be introduced to a wide range of exciting and unusual annuals, and will explore basic maintenance practices and design techniques.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Hands-On Gardening Activities for Families: Salad Days
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Through June 7, 2013; 1:30 – 5:30 p.m. daily
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. Plants and imaginations grow at the Howell Family Garden, where kids are allowed–no, encouraged!–to play in the dirt. Display gardens such as the Global Gardens and the Breakfast Bowl, and daily activities delight and inspire. Cooking demonstrations at the Whole Foods Market® Family Garden Kitchen run through October 11. Learn to cook flavorful new recipes using garden-fresh ingredients, twice a day on Wednesdays and weekends.
Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Through October 11, 2013; 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Kids can explore with Mario’s Menu Mystery game, featuring favorite vegetables and herbs from nine of his restaurants’ kitchens, including Otto and Del Posto.
Outdoor Nature Exploration: Naturally Curious
In the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Through September 8; 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
In the Adventure Garden adventure abounds for kids of all ages with art and science activities such as mixing paints and creating science notebooks. Explore nature and plant science, themed galleries, and hands-on activities in the William and Lynda Steere Discovery Center as well as through outdoor exploration of the 12-acre Adventure Garden.
