Cocktails, crocuses, and more cymbidiums than you can count? That’s a resounding “yes!” you’re hearing as we move into our first weekend of spring, kicking off in flirtatious fashion with the second in our ongoing series of Orchid Evenings. In fact, the first was such a runaway success that we’ve even added a few more nights to our upcoming rotation, just in time for this weekend’s event to sell out! We’ll let you know if more tickets are added for the 23, but for now, we’re just all kinds of giddy over the weekend to come.
As with each Orchid Evening, Saturday night’s evening under the lights will be highlighted by a local spirit–in this case, a fine whiskey from our friends at Tirado Distillery. And the cranberry-splashed mojitos aren’t the only mood enhancer on the menu; DJ Julio is also on the ticket, bringing smooth beats to the table for unmatched ambiance. Afterward, it’s over to the classic Italian fare of Arthur Avenue, where we’ve partnered with several restaurants to get you discounts on dinner. As far as planning your evening outing goes, I feel like this one’s sort of a no-brainer.
We’re looking at mostly clear skies and afternoons packed with ostentatious orchids, otherwise, so make a little space on your weekend calendar for the Orchid Show! Spring is definitely here, and while the air may be a bit brisk for flip-flops and tank tops, the Garden’s outdoor blooms don’t lie. Check out our Orchid Evenings page for registration information for future events, and head below for the full Saturday and Sunday schedules.
“In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.”
— Mark Twain
Snow, sleet, or flighty sun, the plum blossoms seem to be taking spring’s early days in stride. The rest of the Garden, likewise, follows suit. I hope your Friday is as bright.
Prunus mume ‘Matsurabara Red’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
From the 4th to the 8th of March I was fortunate to attend a meeting in São Paulo, Brazil, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP). The NSF is the most important supporter of pure research in the United States, and FAPESP plays the same role in the State of São Paulo. FAPESP’s importance, however, extends throughout Brazil, and like the NSF its discoveries are applied across the globe. Science progresses best when it receives strong governmental support–but that support often pays dividends well beyond the original investments!
The FAPESP research program serves as a model for state-supported research. However, it also collaborates on an even larger scale with Brazil’s national research organization, known as Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); and the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). The FAPESP research program is funded by one percent of the state’s taxes and, of that, only five percent can be employed for administrative costs. São Paulo’s dedication to research has made it the leading Brazilian state in promoting pure and applied research in Brazil, and perhaps in the world!
Philip Haas has a knack. One that brings forests and gardens to life in ways you probably weren’t expecting. And, this coming May, he’s bringing his deft touch to The New York Botanical Garden. Keep an eye out for the inspiration of Arcimboldo in the Conservatory Courtyard, or, if you’d like a preview, hoof it up to the Library Rotunda. Trust me: you’ll never look at a fruit bowl the same way.
Just go ahead and ignore your outdoor thermometer on your way out the door; it’s for the best. Because while today may not feel like the first day of spring, I can promise you–with the backing of several astronomers and meteorologists, if necessary–that we’re no longer wading our way through the worst of winter! At least not officially. The Spring Equinox is in swing, and the Orchid Show is hard at work trumpeting all things fresh and colorful. Week after week, waves of wild blossoms make their way into the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, packing each nook, cranny, branch, and epiphyte-friendly surface with neon perfection. It’s the spring phenomenon, and it’s more than just a greenhouse full of plants.
Kevin Character recently took the show to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, where our staff now tends to the comings and goings of Little Landscapes, an Orchid Show sibling geared toward the little ones in your life. Terrariums are the new kids on the block when it comes to green thumb trends, but their history extends far, far beyond the delicate glass globes and mossy miniature landscapes seen on Pinterest. There was a practical purpose to the first Victorian terrariums of England–well behind the beautiful display and self-contained ecosystem that each terrarium provided.
Want to know more about this open house of tiny greens? Check out our interview and demonstration!
Spring was coming but hadn’t arrived yet.
I walked on the edge of the park.
The wind whispered a secret to the trees,
which held their breath
and scarcely moved.
On the other side of the street,
the skyscrapers stood on tiptoe.
Despite today’s unfortunate weather, spring truly is right around the corner. Tomorrow in fact! And there is evidence all around. Just this morning I saw a robin–slightly disgruntled and a little damp, but a robin nonetheless–strolling around on Tulip Tree Allée.
In the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, the cozy Discovery Center is home to the serious family fun of Little Landscapes. Little Landscapes allows children of all ages to explore the tiny world of terrariums with hands-on activities that includes making your own little terrarium to take home! If you would like to indulge in a more substantial bout of terrarium-making, MasterCard cardholders are invited to participate in an exclusive Priceless event where your child can create an adventure- or fantasy-themed terrarium to take home.
Sonia Uyterhoeven is the NYBG‘s Gardener for Public Education.
A few weeks ago I put together some orchid trivia for one of my colleagues, and I thought I would share some of the interesting tidbits with you. As part of the entertainment for The Orchid Show this year, we are featuring “Music from the World of Orchids.” Each weekend throughout the run of the exhibition an eclectic array of musicians will perform popular tunes from countries that are known for their beautiful orchids. The line-up includes musicians from Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, India, Cameroon, Portugal, and the United States, giving visitors a rich and varied sensory experience.
Picking up a little knowledge beforehand can make your visit to the Orchid Show even more enriching than it already is, though we’ll certainly have plenty of experts on hand to answer any of your questions while you’re here. For now, here are some fun pieces of orchid trivia for you to ruminate over while you listen to exotic melodies!
Our projected travel time back to Punta Arenas from Puerto Williams is 43 hours. But, before we set out, we have one last stop to make. Ernesto has arranged for us a private tour of the Museo Antropológico Martin Gusinde with the museum’s director, another one of his friends, naturally. I toured the museum once about 10 years ago, but no one else on the trip has visited it before. The museum has a two-fold focus, documenting the culture of the Yaghan people and presenting the history of European exploration in the region. It is a well-maintained museum and quite the tourist attraction despite all the exhibits being presented solely in Spanish. The namesake of the museum, Martin Gusinde, was an Austrian priest who lived for extended periods with the Yahgan and documented their social and spiritual life in the early 1930s through photography and ethnography. It is a surprising little museum with well curated and exhaustive exhibits. I am glad to get the refresher course in both of the museum’s foci.
Cocktails, crocuses, and more cymbidiums than you can count? That’s a resounding “yes!” you’re hearing as we move into our first weekend of spring, kicking off in flirtatious fashion with the second in our ongoing series of Orchid Evenings. In fact, the first was such a runaway success that we’ve even added a few more nights to our upcoming rotation, just in time for this weekend’s event to sell out! We’ll let you know if more tickets are added for the 23, but for now, we’re just all kinds of giddy over the weekend to come.
