Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Plant Talk
Posted in Around the Garden on December 2 2010, by Plant Talk
| Ann Rafalko is Director of Online Content. |
Making a gingerbread house rocks. Let’s face it–the icing, the creativity, the candy, the sense of accomplishment, and then maybe eating it–all of these things are great. I was a pretty crafty kid, and my mom is undoubtedly very creative (she’s a stained glass artist). But no matter how creative we were (my mom would even help me melt crystal fruits hard candies to mimic her beautiful leaded windows) our houses never looked like the ones currently on display as part of the Gingerbread Adventures in the Discovery Center here at The New York Botanical Garden!
Gingerbread Adventures is a seriously good time and a fun adventure to tack onto any trip to the Garden to see the Holiday Train Show. Kids can explore the plant ingredients that help give gingerbread its distinctive flavor, create a field notebook of their favorite discoveries, paint a pot and plant wheat seeds, and then decorate (and eat!) their own gingersnaps.
Whet your appetite for a visit to Gingerbread Adventures with a virtual tour below.
Posted in Photography on December 2 2010, by Plant Talk
The dance of the conifers and the deciduous. That’s in The Nutcracker Suite, right?
Silhouettes (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on December 1 2010, by Plant Talk
Happy Hanukkah! May your holiday be full of family, friends, and light.
Holiday Lights at the Garden (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Science, Video on December 1 2010, by Plant Talk
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Rustin Dwyer is Visual Media Production Specialist at The New York Botanical Garden. |
The 50-acre native forest at The New York Botanical Garden is a very special section of New York City. It’s the largest and oldest remnant of old growth forest around, and it’s right here in the Bronx! It’s almost like a time machine that gives a faint glimpse of the past. Strolling through, it’s not hard to imagine the kind of environments Henry Hudson and the Lenape people walked through. (For more on this subject check out the WLC’s Welikia project, previously known as Manhatta)
An ongoing survey at The Garden hopes to shed some light, sometimes literally, on a resident of the forest often overlooked — the tiny salamander. In particular, the terrestrial redback salamander, Plethodon cinereus. These little guys are one of the key species in the ecology of the forest. According to one of the wildlife biologists conducting the survey (Michael McGraw from Applied Ecological Services) the Redback salamander is thought to be the most abundant form of biomass in some northern deciduous forests. In a suitable area, you may be able to see one “under any rock you flip.” That’s a lot of amphibians!
The survey consists of a series of “cover boards” spread out strategically across the forest. These boards are simply rubber mats that provide a nice, cool dark place that salamanders like to congregate under (much like densely packed leaf mass). These boards are periodically checked, with biologists taking note of the number, size and significant features of any salamanders they may find. It gets a little dirty and the salamanders are tiny, quick and extremely squirmy, but the biologists and a few volunteer citizen scientists braved through to successfully gather their data during their latest visit.
Check out a video of their work featuring Forest Manager Jessica Schuler after the jump!
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Posted in Photography on December 1 2010, by Plant Talk
Like a strange red star
Fallen from a galaxy
far away. One leaf.
Japanese Maple Leaf (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Learning Experiences on November 30 2010, by Plant Talk
Terrariums are hot.
They’re in the New York Times, they’re a great craft project for kids, they’re traditional, they’ve got personality, they can be tiny, made from found objects, or bought from a fancy store; you can wear them, or you can decorate your tree with them, and now you can marvel at them at one of the world’s finest modern art museums.
Our friend and fellow New York City institution, MoMA, has gotten in on the terrarium trend with the installation of two absolutely astonishing terrariums in their 53rd Street lobby by the garden designer and terrariumist, Paula Hayes. Paula’s fantastic installation (be sure to watch the video) are definitely a step beyond what most of us are used to cobbling together in an old fish tank or cookie jar, but that doesn’t mean they’re beyond our reach.
It's possible to dream big (while dreaming small) and build your own gorgeous miniature world. Learn more below.
Posted in Photography on November 30 2010, by Plant Talk
Ginkgoes get a bad rap. Sure, they can be a bit smelly from time to time, but their beauty in autumn should make up for that, shouldn’t it?
Ginkgo biloba ‘Pendula’ (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on November 29 2010, by Plant Talk
A jolt of color to help jump-start your Monday morning.
Japanese Maple (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on November 28 2010, by Plant Talk
It’s easy to get hung up on planting a garden for food. Or for color. Or for fragrance. Does anyone ever think about planting for rhythm?
Stacatto, Legato (Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Posted in Photography on November 27 2010, by Plant Talk
Sometimes we find inspiration in a puddle, or in a blade of grass, or in a single tree. And sometimes, we look up.
Sky Over The New York Botanical Garden (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
Making a gingerbread house rocks. Let’s face it–the icing, the creativity, the candy, the sense of accomplishment, and then maybe eating it–all of these things are great. I was a pretty crafty kid, and my mom is undoubtedly very creative (she’s a stained glass artist). But no matter how creative we were (my mom would even help me melt crystal fruits hard candies to mimic her beautiful leaded windows) our houses never looked like the ones currently on display as part of the Gingerbread Adventures in the Discovery Center here at The New York Botanical Garden!
