Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Photography on February 24 2011, by Plant Talk
What you see are teeny, tiny proto ferns. Ferns have a two-stage lifecycle, and these little gametophyte-stage ferns will soon produce sporophytes that will grow into the beautiful, fanned greenery we’re more used to seeing.
Fern Gametophytes (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Behind the Scenes, Exhibitions, The Orchid Show on February 23 2011, by Plant Talk
Opening night for The Orchid Show: On Broadway is getting closer by the day, and that means that Garden staff are hard at work wrangling orchids inside the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. We thought you might like a sneak peek before the curtain comes up on this flower show full of showstoppers, star turns, and old favorites.
But that’s not all! The Orchid Show: On Broadway will also feature live music on weekends at the Broadway Cabaret; the opportunity to view rarely seen works by the don of Broadway, Al Hirschfeld, during Hirschfeld’s Broadway Scrapbook; and to attend classes, talks, and tours that will help demystify the art of caring for orchids at home.
Catch the first glimpse of The Orchid Show: On Broadway below!
Posted in Photography on February 23 2011, by Plant Talk
It may look soft and fuzzy, and maybe even a wee bit cute, but this little cactus in the Deserts of the Americas house in the Conservatory is none of the things. Except maybe a little cute.
(photo by Ann Rafalko)
Posted in Gardening Tips on February 22 2011, by Plant Talk
It’s still early yet, but time to start thinking about what we are going to plant in our containers this year. The catalogs have been out now for a while and we have had our chance to peruse what is new and exciting in the horticultural world.
The new options this year are a lot of fun and they are not shy. Ball Horticultural Company has come out with a series of three velvety black petunias that will knock your socks off – and yes – black means black.
Petunia ‘Black Velvet’ is the pure black petunia that is a soft and sensuous as it name suggests. ‘Phantom’ and ‘Pinstripe’ are two variations on the theme. The former has a bright yellow star pattern that is offset by the black background while the latter has the same pattern in a smaller muted cream and bleeding pink color.
The grower reminds us the ‘everything goes with black’ – and it should. These are three very adaptable container companions. They have a nice compact mounding habit – 8-12 inches in height and spread. They should be widely available this year. Burpee is selling the all black petunia under the name ‘Black Cat’.
If black is the color of the year – you might also be interested in Calibrachoa Superbells ‘Blackberry Punch’. The flowers are magenta but the large throat on this plant is velvet black. ‘Blackberry Punch’ is a trailer that grows 12 inches high and wide yet will spill over your container and trail up to 36 inches.
Posted in Photography on February 21 2011, by Plant Talk
Witch-Hazel isn’t just an effective folk remedy, it’s also a beautiful, early-blooming plant that can provide fabulous color to your late-winter garden.
Hamamelis mollis (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Orange Peel’ (Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Hamamelis vernalis (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on February 20 2011, by Plant Talk
We know they’re just squirrels, but we can’t help it. They really are pretty funny animals.
Do you have food? (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on February 19 2011, by Plant Talk
Apparently it’s not just visitors, flowers, and staff that were made happy by this week’s warm snap. This bee looks pretty happy (if such a thing may be said), too. See what else is beautiful at the Garden now.
Bee in Giant Snowdrops, Galanthus elwesii (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Around the Garden on February 18 2011, by Plant Talk
After weeks of snow and ice, we’ve gotten a break in the weather, and the Garden’s first flowers are taking advantage of the warmth.
First up? Snowdrops, hellebores, and the rare herbaceous perennial Adonis amurensis. See them all here.
Helleborus niger (photo by Mark Pfeffer)
Posted in Photography on February 18 2011, by Plant Talk
Catching the last rays of late-winter sun.
(photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Learning Experiences, Photography, Video on February 17 2011, by Plant Talk
We’ve been having a lot of fun with the Caribbean Garden Photo Contest. You guys have submitted hundreds of gorgeous photos (while you’re browsing the photos, be sure to cast a vote by leaving a comment on your favorites), and NYBG photography instructor Rich Pomerantz has been having a blast handing out photo tips on Saturday afternoons.
But, we know that not everyone can get here easily. So we got together with Rich in the Conservatory and filmed this short video tutorial, the first in what will be a five-part series. We hope you like it!
Do you have a burning question garden photography question that we can pose to Rich? Maybe your question will turn into the next tutorial! You can leave your suggestions in the comments.