Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Kiku on September 30 2013, by Matt Newman
A couple of us hopped a golf cart over to the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections last Friday, hoping to catch a peek at Kodai Nakazawa’s chrysanthemum sculptures before horticulture carefully moved them off to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. I use the word “sculptures” because it’s the most accurate way to explain Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden—a simple “flower” designation doesn’t do the plants justice in the context of this exhibition.
Each mountain, or waterfall, or burst of fireworks begins as a single young chrysanthemum, tediously cared for and trained into myriad forms by Nakazawa. Some designs are original, some informed by centuries of tradition. But each one is the end result of one of horticulture’s highest arts, a discipline our visiting gardener learned from experts at Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
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Posted in Photography on September 30 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Albuca spiralis in the Home Gardening Center (photo by Kristine Paulus, Senior Plant Recorder)
Posted in Photography on September 29 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Photography on September 28 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Ready to commit to a career in horticulture? Better make sure you’re not afraid of heights! Who knew that part of the job included occasional trips to the top of the dome of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory?
Photo by Rafael Moricete Jr.
Posted in Programs and Events on September 27 2013, by Matt Newman
We’re closing out September with a stuffed weekend of on-the-move activities that’ll handily fill your outdoor quota for the week! And because we’re straddling that neutral stretch between the balmy end of summer and the chill of autumn, it’s the perfect time to strike out on a walking tour in one of our inspired collections, brush up on your techniques in the Native Plant Garden, or conquer your phobias with a hands-on introduction to Halloween’s creepiest critters.
But we’ll start you off easy: meet Debbie Becker here at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and bring your binoculars. She’ll be setting out with her weekly group of scrappy birders in search of the avian species that call the NYBG home, as well as those that are just passing through. It’s migratory season for many birds, including some species of warblers, so expect to see some color.
Over in the Clay Family Picnic Pavilions, our friends from local outreach programs will be taking over with the help of spiders, snakes, and at least a few crawly creatures with more legs than could ever seem necessary. But while they may be frightful Halloween symbols to some, most of these insects, reptiles, and amphibians are helpful, industrious, and misunderstood. This is a chance to not only come in contact with these animals from around the globe, but get to know them for the benefits they afford the environment. And that’s only one small part of the ongoing Haunted Pumpkin Garden activities taking place from now through October 31!
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on September 27 2013, by Matt Newman
I like to think that the insect sitting on the rose petal’s fringe is looking out across his own pale canyons in pink and salmon.
Shrub rose ‘Carding Mill’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Programs and Events on September 26 2013, by Matt Newman
I like to think tarantulas, hissing cockroaches, snakes, lizards, and bats are actually the coolest animals in the kingdom, but then again, I was the de facto bug catcher and snake charmer in my neighborhood as a kid; I could be a little biased. Now, for those of you who aren’t entirely keen on making friends with an eight-legged arthropod in an everyday setting, Halloween brings up a handful of opportunities to challenge your fears and jump in on a little creepy-crawly education.
On weekends throughout October, the Clay Family Picnic Pavilions transform into a showcase of legs, wings, and scaly things as experts from local outreach programs introduce the creatures from around the world that, for some, inspire no end of the proverbial willies. The thing is, most of them are not only perfectly friendly, but beyond fascinating. These hands-on animal presentations might even put a dent in the thrill of watching B-movie creature flicks for some of you, especially once you’ve gotten to know the scorpions, giant millipedes, spiders and boa constrictors that you might otherwise run from.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on September 26 2013, by Matt Newman
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Posted in Around the Garden, Photography on September 25 2013, by Matt Newman
Per Pat Gonzalez, our local shutterbug and Visitor Services Attendant:
“For the first time since I began photographing wildlife at the NYBG in 2008, I was able to get clear, close-up shots of one of the hardest fine-feathered friends to shoot. Say hello to a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird.”
Ruby-throated Humming Bird (Archilochus colubris) — Photo by Pat Gonzalez
Posted in Programs and Events on September 24 2013, by Matt Newman
And with one last huff of warmth, summer bows out. We’re early into the sea change of fall now, with its arch gusts and leaf color, and with it comes the Greenmarket‘s flavorful turn toward ripe apple harvests and cider by the gallon. The apple cider donuts? Equally, mind-bendingly tasty.
The steady march toward the market’s end in November means popular October picks like watermelon (the harvest in our area is generally September and October, which might be a surprise for summer lovers) and grapes. It’s the peak of Brussels sprouts season and a good time for collard greens, kale, fennel, lima beans, and eggplant. Parsnips are a good bet, too.
And who could forget behemoth pumpkins? Pears should be seeing the tail end of their harvest about now, and same goes for raspberries (though the latter may continue for as long as we can stave off the first frost).
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A couple of us hopped a golf cart over to the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections last Friday, hoping to catch a peek at Kodai Nakazawa’s chrysanthemum sculptures before horticulture carefully moved them off to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. I use the word “sculptures” because it’s the most accurate way to explain Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden—a simple “flower” designation doesn’t do the plants justice in the context of this exhibition.
