Skip to main content
 
Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Ann Rafalko

This Weekend: Fall Forest Fun!

Posted in Around the Garden on November 8 2013, by Ann Rafalko

weekender117-4That awesome crisp fall air is due back this weekend, just on schedule for another Fall Forest Weekend!

Why fete a forest? Because the 50-acre Thain Family Forest isn’t just another woodland. It’s one of the largest remaining tracts of old growth forest in New York City. New York’s five boroughs were once covered by woodlands, but the relentless march of time and commerce denuded our fair islands, until only isolated pockets of forest remained. But the Thain Family Forest is hardly isolated, despite being in the middle of the Bronx. It is connected to woodlands further upstate by the Bronx River and the greenest borough’s extensive network of parks. This makes the Forest a truly unique place, home to native plants, trees, and critters, as well as a cadre of scientists studying it all.

And the Forest’s majestic, sometimes centuries old, trees are currently at peak fall foliage! Perfect timing, right? So come walk our trails, paddle the Bronx River, sample local beers, watch demonstrations of birds of prey, tree climbing, woodworking, and home gardening, enjoy fun-filled family activities in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden (adjacent to the Forest), geek out on the many scientific pursuits being pursued under the Forest’s mighty trees, and so much more!

And while it is the Forest we are celebrating this weekend, the entirety of our 250-acres is looking spectacular! Bid a fond farewell to the gorgeous Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden for the season, enjoy beautiful vistas from the Azalea Garden, sit and read a book in the serene Perennial Garden, and wander amongst the green lushness of the Benenson Ornamental Conifers collection. We hope to see you soon!

Read More

Morning Eye Candy: An Apt Name

Posted in Photography on November 6 2013, by Ann Rafalko

This is one of those plants that we get questions about all the time, and for good reason. I mean, when was the last time you saw this color in nature?

beauty-berry

Callicarpa japonica Beauty Berry (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

This Week at the Greenmarket: The Root of the Matter

Posted in Around the Garden on November 5 2013, by Ann Rafalko

greenmarket1While it has warmed up a bit, those two days of chilly weather were a good reminder that winter is on its way. Some areas of the city are yet to record their first hard frost, but the areas that provide New Yorkers with fresh produce at our myriad weekly greenmarkets certainly have seen glittering mornings and wilted leaves.

Many of the greenmarket farmers use frost-protective measures to extend the growing season, but they can’t evade mother nature forever, so it’s best to get ready for the season of root cellar crops–cabbages, potatoes, squash, beets, turnips, carrots, apples and pears, onions and garlic, and more. I would expect that you might still find a few farmers selling the last of the season’s tomatoes and other tender vegetables, but you better grab them while you can! And if you’re so inclined, you’re welcome to can them for wintery days ahead. Or, you can just embrace the season and start indulging in hearty soups, stews, pies, tarts, quiches, and mashes.

Read More