A Rosy Reverie at NYBG

Posted in Programs and Events on May 29 2014, by Lansing Moore

This summer is flying by in a blaze of blooming colors! June begins in just a few days, so don’t blink or you’ll miss the season for your favorite buds, including that flower that never goes out of style—the rose.

There is no better place to appreciate the sublime variety and beauty of roses than in the Garden’s own Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, a landmark 1916 design by Beatrix Farrand. So join us next weekend for the Rose Garden Celebration on June 7 and 8 to admire over 670 varieties of rose at the height of their natural color, in high style. Refreshments, live entertainment, activities, and rosarians offering their expertise will all form part of this festive tribute to one of the greatest gems on the Garden’s grounds. Read on for more details!

In the spirit of the time of Farrand and the other Groundbreakers honored in our ongoing summer exhibition, the Rose Garden Celebration will include period music from the Jazz Age, including a Phonograph DJ by the Rose Garden, as well as a daily live dance performance of “Grass,” by Jennifer Muller/The Works, loosely based on Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. The Garden will also host a different talented band each day, with Gelber & Manning on Saturday and Queen Esther and her Trio on Sunday.

The aroma of roses is sure to bring out your sweet tooth as well. As you enjoy the music, delectable and seasonal wares will be available from New York-based festival partners such as Roni-Sue’s Chocolates, Naturally Susan’s natural and organic skin care, and Regal Vegan gourmet spreads, not to mention Royal Rose’s Syrups from Brunswick, Maine. You could even win a rose plant at our raffle, or borrow materials to immortalize your Garden visit with your own watercolor painting! NYBG Adult Education Instructor Elissa Gore will be on hand to lead visitors in creating their own artistic memento.

Of course a Garden event is nothing if not an opportunity to grow, and in addition to tours of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, our staff will be on hand to answer all your rose-related questions. These lovely plants can be tricky to cultivate, and this is the time to get the information you need. At 2 p.m., Sonia Uyterhoeven, Gardener for Public Education, will lead a demonstration entitled Life is Rosy to cover standard rose care. For those who want to step up their rose game, on June 7 the Garden hosts the full-day conference A Day of Roses: Great Rosarians of the World East 2014, and the rest of June includes several rose-related classes from NYBG Adult Education.

After you enjoy the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, be sure to stop by the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory to enjoy another triumph by Beatrix Farrand. Throughout the Groundbreakers exhibit, the Conservatory hosts our own interpretation of the renowned Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Maine. Come celebrate the summer with Rockefeller style at NYBG!