Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Programs and Events
Posted in Exhibitions, Programs and Events, The Edible Garden on July 2 2010, by Plant Talk
Children Learn How Pollinators Turn Flowers to Fruits
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Noelle V. Dor is Museum Education Intern in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. |
As the school year winds to a close and summer settles in, The New York Botanical Garden invites us to delight our senses and our bellies with The Edible Garden: Growing and Preparing Good Food. Visitors are exposed to a wide variety of edible roots, shoots, and fruits and also experience the many ways our favorite foods go from plant to plate.
In its Flowers-to-Fruits program, the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden highlights one essential part of this transformative process: pollination. Here families explore the diversity of flower colors, shapes, and scents as well as the mutually beneficial relationships between flowers and the animals they attract.
The word pollination probably conjures up in most people the classic image of a bee buzzing from flower to flower. While this visual is definitely appropriate, many other animals—butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, bats, ants—act as important pollinators as well. They gain nourishment from the sweet nectar of flowers and, in turn, the flowers are able to change into fruits. Seeing pollination in action throughout the Garden makes me wonder how many of the fruits we eat result from this intricate plant–animal exchange.
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Posted in Programs and Events, The Edible Garden on June 28 2010, by Plant Talk
Fresh, Local Foods From Farms Converts This City-bred Aficionado
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Luis G. Perreaux Jr. is the Botanical Garden’s Public Education Greenmarket Intern this summer and fall. |
As a native of the Bronx, I grew up thinking that food was only available at supermarkets and bodegas, and I had no idea how it got there. Not until I visited a farm in the Dominican Republic, where my parents were born, did I realize that the growing of food is a collaborative process that connects people, plants, and animals in ways I could never have imagined on my own.
I loved how the farmer would constantly rotate crops and livestock so the soil would stay fertile and moist. After that memorable trip, I began to care more about where my foods came from and whether they were sustainable or not. Then I found the Greenmarket at 161st and Grand Concourse, where the old Yankee Stadium used to be, with its fresh, locally grown, and nutritious produce. I have been a devoted fan of Greenmarkets ever since.
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Posted in Exhibitions, Programs and Events, The Edible Garden on June 23 2010, by Plant Talk
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Nick Leshi is Associate Director of Public Relations and Electronic Media. |
Last year, Martha Stewart Living Radio visited The New York Botanical Garden for a full day of live broadcasting. We are happy to report that they are returning for another daylong broadcast from the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden, near Martha Stewart’s Culinary Herb Garden.
From 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on June 24, subscribers of Sirius XM satellite radio (Sirius 112 and XM 157) not only can listen to all their favorites—Morning Living, Whole Living, Everyday Food, Homegrown, Living Today, and Eat Drink—but see them airing live. (Even if you are not a subscriber to Sirius XM you can see Martha Stewart’s team of lifestyle experts broadcasting live at the Garden!) For a full schedule, visit Martha Stewart Living Radio.
A number of interesting guests are scheduled to chat about a broad range of topics, including gardening, food, holistic therapy, and more. New York Botanical Garden experts who will be interviewed include Jodie Colon, Compost Educator, NYC Compost Project in the Bronx; Annie Novak, Coordinator of the Children’s Gardening Program; Kristin Schleiter, Curator of Outdoor Gardens; Sonia Uyterhoeven, Gardener for Public Education; and Peter Kukielski, Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden Curator.
Among the topics of discussion will be The Edible Garden, the four-month long festival of growing and preparing good food, which runs through October 17 at the Botanical Garden.
Get your tickets now for The Edible Garden.
Posted in People, Programs and Events on June 16 2010, by Plant Talk
Father’s Day Celebration Also Features BBQ and More
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Bob Heinisch is Vice President for Site Operations at The New York Botanical Garden. |
When people think of the Bronx, the thought of first-class institutions comes to mind. Two of the biggest in the borough, The New York Botanical Garden and the New York Yankees, have enjoyed a good relationship over the years. We’ve had appearances at our annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony by former Yankees such as Willie Randolph, Joe Pepitone, John Flaherty, and Bernie Williams, and most recently, the display of the 2009 World Series Trophy on Mother’s Day at our Shop in the Garden. (That’s me holding the trophy in the photo.)
On Father’s Day this year, Sunday, June 20, we’ll add another player to our roster as former Yankee Roy White comes to the Garden, from 1 to 3 p.m., for a casual talk and to sign copies of his book Then Roy Said to Mickey…: The Best Yankees Stories Ever Told, which will be available for sale.
A two-time member of the American League All-Star Team and a member of two world championship teams, Roy has been characterized as “a quiet, dignified man who led by example…[and] achieved popularity with fans and peers alike due to his classy, respectful, team-first attitude, and his subtle, momentous achievements.”
During an incredible 15-year career (1965–79) with the Yankees, he bridged the gap between the era of 1960s superstars Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and Elston Howard and the superstars of the 1970s, Thurman Munson, Willie Randolph, and Reggie Jackson.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet Roy White, whose appearance coincides with The Edible Garden’s first festival weekend, Get Out and Grill. This two-day celebration also features a Sunday BBQ perfect for Father’s Day.
Get Your Tickets
Posted in Emily Dickinson, Exhibitions, Programs and Events on May 21 2010, by Plant Talk
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Rob Casper is Programs Director of the Poetry Society of America. |
The New York Botanical Garden is in the midst of its exhibition Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers, and the Poetry Society of America couldn’t be more excited!
We’ve already had a great pre-launch during Poem in Your Pocket day (covered in this week’s “Talk of the Town” section in The New Yorker), with Mayor Bloomberg, Sigourney Weaver, and New York’s State Poet Jean Valentine. And our first My Emily Dickinson readings featured former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins (pictured), award-winning poet Marie Ponsot, and Dickinson biographer Brenda Wineapple. There’s plenty to come, too, with readings and talks at the Garden by Bowery Poetry Club founder Bob Holman (May 22), scholar Christopher Benfey (June 4), poet and writer Joyce Carol Oates (June 12), former Queens Poet Laureate Stephen Stepanchev (June 12), and others, as well as corollary programs at the Belmont Public Library with a host of younger poets—including Mark Levine (May 27), Catherine Barnett (June 7), and Ada Limon (June 10)—reading from and speaking about the Belle of Amherst. Finally, the exhibition at the Garden will end with a weekend marathon reading of specific themes within Dickinson’s work, for which Garden visitors can sign up to participate in!
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Posted in Emily Dickinson, Exhibitions, Programs and Events on May 7 2010, by Plant Talk
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Gayle Schmidt is Manager of Public Education. |
It’s not a surprise that the Garden is always busy on Mother’s Day—good children associate beautiful things like flowers with their nurturing mothers. The day gives us an opportunity to share out loud our appreciation for our moms for everything they do and have done each day of our lives.
One of the activities the Garden has planned for the weekend during Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers will help you explore more of the Garden and will allow you to create a card for Mom that says something special—in words and in flowers!
In Emily Dickinson’s day, a popular pastime was to make a tussie-mussie based on the period’s language of flowers— each flower representing a different meaning. Many books were sold as guides so that one could learn, for instance, what a secret admirer bearing flowers thought.
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Posted in Programs and Events on May 6 2010, by Plant Talk
 America’s most celebrated venue for garden antiques, the Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale this year features 35 of the country’s leading dealers. During the three-day event, May 7–9, fountains, statues, benches, urns, sundials, birdbaths, and botanical prints beckon novice collectors and garden designers alike. Come see these beautiful objects and taken something home for your garden.Get Your Tickets |
Posted in Emily Dickinson, Exhibitions, Programs and Events on April 30 2010, by Plant Talk
 Mayor Bloomberg, Sigourney Weaver, State Poet Kick Off Exhibition
During her lifetime, Emily Dickinson
(1830–1886) was better known as a gardener than as a poet. Plants and flowers significantly influenced her poetry and other writings, most of which were not published until after her death. The Garden’s exhibition, Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers, co-presented with the Poetry Society of America, illuminates this American poet’s life and work, the connections that exist between her life and poems, and her study and love of flowers and gardens.
The show features a re-creation of Dickinson’s home and garden in the Haupt Conservatory, an exposition about her life in the Mertz Library, and a Poetry Walk, a self-guided tour, with Dickinson’s poems on signs located among the Botanical Garden’s collections, near the flowers that inspired her.
 Yesterday, the Garden kicked off the exhibition with Poem in Your Pocket Day. We celebrated with Mayor Bloomberg, Sigourney Weaver, Garden President and CEO Gregory Long, State Poet of New York Jean Valentine, and 5th grader Lanasia McMillan of P.S. 46 reading poems by and inspired by Emily Dickinson. The Mayor even wrote his own New York City version of Hope is a thing with feathers. Live tweeting during the program definitely put a modern feel to the classic poetry.
The Big Read Marathon Poetry Reading and other kickoff events for Emily Dickinson’s Garden continue all weekend.
- It’s not too late to sign up to read your favorite Dickinson poems. Click here.
- Bring the family! The Children’s Poetry Garden is filled with flowers and the words of Emily Dickinson. Kids catch the inspiration and then can draw, color, and write their own poetry in a field notebook to take home.
- In a live one-woman performance, The Belle of Amherst, actress and author Barbara Dana presents the life and poetry of Dickinson.
Enjoy garden lectures, home gardening demonstrations, tours, and more!
Don’t miss out. The forecast looks great for the next few days, and the Poetry Walk in the Garden is the perfect way to spend a sunny day.
Get Your Tickets |
Posted in Programs and Events on April 20 2010, by Plant Talk
Groups Pampered with Private Tour, Luxurious Lunch
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Suzanne Flanagan is Group Tours Coordinator. |
When groups of 20 or more visit the Garden, they generally like to make a day of it. Who wouldn’t want to spend time relaxing in this beautiful National Historic Landmark? Reserve a Date with Nature allows you to combine a private tour of your choice with a delicious catered lunch.
This premier, all-inclusive package is a favorite among groups, many of which come back year after year and keep things fresh by trying different tours and menus. We handle everything for you, which makes the planning process a cinch.
Private catered lunches are held in an exclusive area in one of our on-site dining locations, the modern Visitor Center Cafe or the historic Stone Mill (which will reopen in September), eliminating all worry of seating and schedules. Menu options are specifically designed for group dining and range from assorted sandwiches to grilled buffet entrées with gourmet salads and hearty grain sides. This is no plain-Jane spread. Group members will leave smiling and satisfied, especially once they notice the dessert tray!
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Posted in Programs and Events on April 15 2010, by Plant Talk
 With April sunshine ushering in spring in full force, it is easy to have green on the brain here at the Garden. Not only is it National Garden Month, it is also Earth Month, during which the Garden will present programs, tours, and demon-
strations featuring ways to get in touch with nature and become more eco-friendly.
Many special events will take place on Earth Day, April 22, including:
- Composting made easy with our Gardener for Public Education, Bronx Green-Up, and the NYC Compost Project in the Bronx: Learn how to make compost tea, get answers to your questions on compost, and pick up tip sheets, all in the Home Gardening Center.
- Vegetable Gardening for a Green Planet: Find out the easy steps for stocking your kitchen with homegrown foods all season long.
- Kids activities in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden: Plant saplings, make crafts from recycled magazines, learn about earthworms, and more!
Also, take advantage of the gorgeous springtime blooms throughout the Garden’s 250-acre landscape, including the 50-acre Native Forest. |
As the school year winds to a close and summer settles in, The New York Botanical Garden invites us to delight our senses and our bellies with The Edible Garden: Growing and Preparing Good Food. Visitors are exposed to a wide variety of edible roots, shoots, and fruits and also experience the many ways our favorite foods go from plant to plate.
