Morning Eye Candy: And the Crowds Go Wild!
Posted in Photography on November 23 2013, by Ann Rafalko
There is no train in the Holiday Train Show more likely to elicit squeals of glee than this little ladybug trolley.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Plant Talk
Inside The New York Botanical Garden
This Weekend: Ahead of the Holidays
Posted in Around the Garden on November 22 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Next week is a busy one, with Thanksgiving and Hanukkah occurring simultaneously. So why not relax a bit ahead of it? Come stroll our grounds, visit the Holiday Train Show, let the kiddos blow off steam at Holiday Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, and wander amid the train-themed works of former United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins along our Holiday Poetry Walk.
The lights are glittering, the trains are running, there’s a nip in the air, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it! After exploring the wonders of the Holiday Train Show, be sure to visit the rest of the Conservatory’s sultry galleries where you’ll find beautiful and fascinating plants aplenty. Our new, limited-run Holiday Dining Pavilion: “Streets of New York” has treats for everyone in your family, and plenty of comfy seating.
Outside, the Thain Family Forest is the epitome of fall, with plenty of leaves to crunch, even if they have fallen to the ground in many places. The Native Plant Garden and Azalea Garden are also worth a visit this time of year!
Bar Car Nights: The Spirit of the Season
Posted in Holiday Train Show on November 21 2013, by Ann Rafalko
One step into the magical world of the Holiday Train Show should convince you of its heartwarming magic. It is a delight for children of all ages! But, should you have an interest in enjoying the Train Show‘s many splendors alongside children above a certain age, we have you covered there, too. Bar Car Nights are an adults-only way to see the Holiday Train Show at night, when the lights are twinkling and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory‘s domes are aglow, cocktail in hand.
And this year, due to the overwhelming popularity of these delightful evenings, we are offering more Bar Car Nights than ever! Bar Car Nights are the perfect date night, or, come as a group and celebrate the season as a unique alternative to a more formal holiday party! Bring your friends, your adult children, or just come as a couple and enjoy a festive evening out. Bar Car Nights are the perfect way to indulge in the spirit of the holidays as an adult!
Morning Eye Candy: Travel Back in Time
Posted in Photography on November 20 2013, by Ann Rafalko
It may be gone, but it’s not forgotten, and you can still “visit” the old Penn Station in miniature at the Holiday Train Show.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Morning Eye Candy: Flaming Jade
Posted in Photography on November 17 2013, by Ann Rafalko
When you visit the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for the Holiday Train Show, be sure to detour through the other houses in search of this stunning vine, Mucuna benettii. Also known as the Red Jade Vine or Flame of the Forest, it is a member of the legume family, and along with its blue-green cousin Strongylodon macrobotrys a distant relative of the more familiar wisteria. To see Strongylodon in full bloom, come and visit us again in March and April for the Orchid Show. She’ll be putting on a show to rival the orchids by then!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Morning Eye Candy: Open!
Posted in Photography on November 16 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Happy first day of the Holiday Train Show! We hope to see you here soon!
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Delicate Longevity
Posted in Gardens and Collections on November 6 2013, by Matt Newman
With the leaves on the trees peaking in a flurry of color, and the mums in the Home Gardening Center boasting their heartiest hues against dipping temperatures, autumn earns its reputation as a time for brief and fervent garden fireworks. But where most of the flowers and foliage drawing our attention are known as hardy hold-outs against the coming frost, it seldom pays to overlook the delicate beauty now closing out its season in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden.
The rose varieties in our collection, many of them bred for coddle-free survival in spite of the rose’s needy reputation, have put on a gripping show this year. So, to celebrate that longevity, I’ve put together a little gallery of the latest stars among the shrubs, some of the blooms bringing up the rear before the cold season sets in to close up shop until spring. It being hump day, I figured it couldn’t hurt to liven up your autumn afternoon with some reds and yellows in a different medium.
Morning Eye Candy: Halloween Under the Trees
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on October 31 2013, by Matt Newman
Here’s to a frightful Halloween, a gentle autumn, and the last day of our Haunted Pumpkin Garden! After today, the pumpkins and spooks take their leave to make room for the peak of fall color, the coming winter, and the Holiday Train Show. We’ll see you in the Forest.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World
Posted in Behind the Scenes, Exhibitions on May 9 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Do you know what plant is in your aspirin? In your mouthwash? How about your lotion? Plants are all around us, even in the concrete jungle. They’re in your medicine cabinet, vitamins and supplements, makeup bag, and at your local hospital. And beginning May 18—with a special introductory lecture featuring world-renowned expert Andrew Weil, M.D.—Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World, Featuring The Italian Renaissance Garden will introduce a world of medicinal plants on display throughout the 11 galleries of the one-acre Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
On Saturday, May 18, hear Andrew Weil, M.D., a world-renowned leader in the field of integrative medicine, share fascinating experiences and offer unique perspectives on the power of plants to maximize well-being and quality of life. The recipient of the Garden’s first H.H. Rusby Award, Dr. Weil, a Harvard-trained physician, botanist, and Founder and Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, is being recognized for his distinguished contributions to the fields of ethnobotany and integrative medicine, and for advancing our understanding of the importance of plants in clinical care. After his remarks, meet Dr. Weil, who will sign copies of his recent books, True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure and Spontaneous Happiness: A New Path to Emotional Well-Being.
This Weekend: January in the Tropics
Posted in Around the Garden on January 18 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s the first long weekend of the new year, and we’re not about to kick off 2013 on a lazy note. Just look at our schedule! Over the next three days, we’ll not only be packing in the holiday fun with the help of Thomas and Friends™, but welcoming an early summer in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory through Tropical Paradise, our homage to all things chill (in the kick-back-and-breathe sense, naturally). If you’ve got a camera handy, this is not something you’ll want to miss. So join us as we keep the season’s festivities afloat while shrugging off the winter cold!
Through January 27, Thomas and his buddies continue to spark young imaginations in the Ross Hall with an interactive, problem-solving singalong that will not only put smiles on your kids’ faces, but have them playing right along with the cast as they guide Thomas to his destination. The fun only continues after the show, with our Thomas-themed “Playstation” activities running throughout the weekend in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. There, you’ll find toys, tracks, and trains to keep the little ones occupied while you catch your breath. Just remember that tickets are extremely limited, so it’s best to register as early as possible.
And while you’re here, don’t forget to sign up for our Cancun vacation sweepstakes, courtesy of Thomas and the Hard Rock Cafe!