After a sleepy winter season where the Rock Garden remains closed, we’ve finally reopened it for spring, and just in time for the tiny alpine treasures that call this collection home to wake for the warmth. Pick a sunny day to visit this treasured, secluded space at NYBG to discover brightly colored irises, crocuses, and cyclamen growing in and among the rocks that form its borders.
During Orchid Evenings, experience the sights and sounds of Singaporean nightlife with original music performed by Eli Tyler, along with the energetic urban choreography of Venus Chun and her dance company. Grab a Singapore sling, a bite from the Bronx Night Market pop-up, and settle in for a night of Orchid Show beauty—but don’t wait, as past evenings sold out! Grab your tickets while they’re still around.
The approach of full-fledged, kaleidoscopic spring color is undeniable now. All around the Garden’s 250 acres you’ll catch hints of the crowds of blooms to come, from the earliest Korean rhododendrons to the magnolia buds bursting at the seams. See just a few of those hints here, as we explore what’s beautiful now.
As part of #plantlove at NYBG, we’re talking with people from all over the Garden about what inspires their passion for plants. Today, meet Heather Lorusso, a student in the School of Professional Horticulture Class of 2021.
I’ve been interested in plants and nature since I was a child, but growing up in South Florida, I spent most of my time in the water and not in the garden. It wasn’t until I had the chance to move to the United Kingdom in 2014 that I was able to explore my love of plants. I took one course with the Royal Horticultural Society and was besotted! I spent the next four years working in gardens and nurseries and visiting some of the most famous gardens in the world. Soon I realized that the more you learn about plants, the more you want to know! This is one of the reasons I decided to continue my horticulture education at NYBG, where I’m continually astonished with the amount of knowledge and resources it holds.
In addition to the beauty and sense of fascination that plants give me, I’ve found that they tend to bring the best of the world together—they’re able to unite people of all different ages and backgrounds under the umbrella of #plantlove. And using binomial nomenclature, we are also able to speak the same language!
The late winter snows of the past few weeks have given us one last glimpse of the snowy white vistas of the Garden ahead of the burst of color to come.
Women’s History Month is underway, and here at NYBG we’re celebrating countless contributions to the Garden’s missions in science, art, horticulture, and so much more with several events in March. The Garden’s own co-founder, Elizabeth Knight Britton, was a world-renowned botanist and advocate for the natural world, and so many other venerable women in their fields have contributed to the field of plants through their research, illustrations, landscape design, and activism. This year, we’re highlighting a few who have worked with NYBG, and helping to expound on the work of others who deserve the spotlight.
As part of #plantlove at NYBG, we’re talking with people from all over the Garden about what inspires their passion for plants. Today, meet Rocky Douangchanh, Public Education Coordinator.
“My passion for the Garden began in fall of 2005, when I joined as a Volunteer Explainer in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. I came to understand that learning wasn’t a practice bound to a physical classroom, but one that flourished in many forms. I was grateful for the work that I did educating children and developing plant science-based programming. In the 14 years since, my responsibilities here have grown, and I’ve grown with them, finding a voice, vision, and an understanding of NYBG’s role as a living museum. I’ve also come to feel accountable to the community of educators, volunteers, staff, and visitors who think of this place as a second home.”
We may not see the budding leaves of spring just yet when wandering the Forest at NYBG, but a careful eye will make out many signs of life nonetheless. Look closely at the trunks of trees, both standing and fallen, and you may catch sight of shelf fungi, lichen, mosses, and any number of unique lifeforms weathering winter with aplomb. It’s a joy for those who like to hunt for treasure.
As part of #plantlove at NYBG, we’re talking with people from all over the Garden about what inspires their passion for plants. Today, meet Kristine Paulus, Plant Records Manager.
“As a kid, my love of plants started with wanting to grow food for my pet rabbit, Ginger. Growing up in an apartment that opened onto an old Pennsylvanian Christmas tree farm, few things seemed more magical than watching cut carrot tops sprout into new plants near the woods, or seeing seeds collected from tomatoes germinate. As I got older, I was distracted away from plants, and by the time I moved to NYC I thought I’d never grow anything again, at least until I stumbled upon a Bronx Green-Up community garden. I soon applied for my own plot, rediscovered my obsession, and completed a Horticulture Certificate here at NYBG. And now I’m the Plant Records Manager. Funny how that worked out.”
While we’re still waiting for the snowdrops to nod up out of the frosty winter grounds, another signal of the impending spring is already here: witch-hazels! Keep your eyes open as you make your way around NYBG, and you might catch the streamer-like red, orange, and yellow flowers of Hamamelis opening here and there. They’re certainly hard to miss.
