The summer season is at its height here at NYBG, with plenty of seasonal beauty appearing each week. In this latest video, our own Brian Sullivan, Vice President for Gardens, Landscape and Outdoor Collections, highlights some of the gorgeous flowers of summer that visitors can admire in the Native Plant Garden and the Perennial Garden.
Escape the heat with a pleasant walk beneath the shaded canopy of the Thain Family Forest, admire the dramatic waterlilies and lotus blossoms adorning the Conservatory Pools, and be sure to plan your visit on a day with activities and tours for the whole family!
Treat you and your family to a delicious meal at the Garden this weekend, prepared by renowned chefs from the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group. Dinner features a three-course, family-styled meal using only fresh and seasonal ingredients. Kids will also have the opportunity to get their hands dirty with gardening and craft activities alongside cooking demonstration. It’s fun for the whole family, get your tickets now!
Arrive early and experience the blockbuster FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life exhibition with all the exciting programs running throughout the day (and weekend!), including live dance performances and a special screening of famed Mexican film, Café, Cantos de Humo or Coffee, Chants of Smoke.
Take advantage of the beautiful weekend and come to the Garden—with so many activities, we’re sure it’ll be one for the books!
Only two nights left to enjoy Frida al Fresco Evenings featuring Jenny Holzer! June 12 & 13 are the last of this special series of four consecutive nights that culminate in a program of scrolling light projections at the Garden’s iconic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, presented by internationally renowned artist Jenny Holzer, The New York Botanical Garden, and the Poetry Society of America. After the usual Frida al Fresco fun, featuring live music, food, and cocktails beginning at 6:30 p.m., waves of poetry will sweep over the landmark building from dusk until 10 p.m. (weather permitting).
Families this weekend can bring their appetite to NYBG for more delicious and nutritious and educational cooking demonstrations from the Whole Foods Market® Family Garden Kitchen in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden. See more ongoing children’s programs and weekend programs for adults at the Garden!
Next Tuesday, April 14th, we are thrilled to announce that we will open NYBG’s first ever full-service, sit-down restaurant! Hudson Garden Grill will be open to both Garden visitors and the general public looking for a seasonal, locally sourced dining experience. The latest exciting phase in our partnership with Stephen STARR Events will feature a multi-course lunch menu of refined New American cuisine inspired by locally sourced and ethically produced ingredients. Visit the new establishment for a light breakfast, afternoon tea and light fare, or an early supper during an upcoming visit to the garden.
Hudson Valley farms and other regional producers such as Hudson Valley Duck Farm, Heather Ridge Farm, and Old Chatham Sheepherding Company will provide the highest quality ingredients to Executive Chef Julian Alonzo and his team. Julian attended the French Culinary Institute, honing his skills at both La Caravelle and Maxim’s under Chef David Ruggiero, and was later named “Alumni Chef of the Year.” After receiving praise from Crain’s New York Business and an invitation to cook at the James Beard Foundation, Julian seeks to bring innovative, restaurant-inspired fare to the world of catering and special events.
Todd Forrest is the NYBG’s Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections. He leads all horticulture programs and activities across the Garden’s 250-acre National Historic Landmark landscape, including 50 gardens and plant collections outside and under glass, the old-growth Thain Family Forest, and living exhibitions in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
The Rock Garden in early spring
Everyone in our area is well aware that climatologists have determined that this winter brought some of the coldest temperatures ever recorded in New York. The professional horticulturists who care for The New York Botanical Garden don’t need official weather data to confirm our suspicions that spring is coming later this year than it has in recent memory. All we need to do is walk through the Botanical Garden to see what our magnolias, daffodils, then flowering cherries and other spring-flowering favorites are doing at the moment. Gardeners’ (and plants’) internal clocks are set according to plant phenology—the timing of natural events such as flowering, fruiting, and leafing out—and all indications are that spring is overdue.
As staff members of one of the world’s great scientific and educational institutions, we have access to a suite of resources we can use to confirm (or deny) our suspicions. Since 2002 Volunteer Citizen Scientists have walked regularly through the Botanical Garden and noted carefully if certain plants are flowering, fruiting, leafing out, or dropping their leaves. The data from these “phenology walks” tell us that on average over the past decade, our native red maple, which is one of the most common street trees in New York and my favorite harbinger of spring, has been in peak flower around the middle of March. As of today, the flowers on the red maples in our Native Plant Garden and Thain Family Forest are just starting to open.
Friday may have been the first day of spring, but as I watched the snow cover the plants, it certainly felt like winter. I know that everyone is anxiously waiting for spring to arrive, but there is something quite perfect about witch-hazel blooms dusted with snow that demands appreciation. The Azalea Garden is full of these bright spidery flowers right now. They are not some anomaly attributed to our changing weather patterns. This is their time. When it is still gray and the threat of snow still looms large, you can count on their light and warmth in the garden.
Witch-hazels have a range of flowering times depending on species and cultivar. The American witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, flowers in autumn. Vernal witch-hazel or Ozark witch-hazel, Hamamelis vernalis, is also native to North American and often blooms in winter months despite its name. However, this species typically has small flowers and a strong tendency to hold on to its leaves all winter long, obscuring its fragrant flowers. Look for cultivars that were selected for their early leaf drop. The Chinese witch-hazel, Hamamelis mollis, and the Japanese witch-hazel, Hamamelis japonica, flower in late winter. These species are prized for their large and fragrant flowers, as well as their perfect timing – just when we need them the most! The majority of selections available today are cultivars of the hybrid between these two Asian species, Hamamelis × intermedia.
The weather outside is certainly not frightful, and the Garden is simply delightful! On this crystal clear winter day, the bright sun highlights the intricate architecture of the tree branches. Snow may have its charms, but nothing beats a brisk walk under a blue sky. Even as the Holiday Train Show reaches its busiest season, there remains plenty to see in the fresh air beyond the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Take advantage of this clear weather to plan a festive outing. Explore our calendar of tours and other ways to enjoy the outdoors at NYBG.
Follow this slideshow on a tour through the Garden grounds—including the Native Plant Garden and the Thain Family Forest—to see all there is to admire on a winter’s day. The way the light illuminates the grass, sparkles on the water, and brightens up the forest is sure to give you a sunny outlook for the coming New Year!
