Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Wildlife on April 25 2018, by Patricia Gonzalez
Patricia Gonzalez is an NYBG Visitor Services Attendant and avid wildlife photographer.
Grackles are noisy and rambunctious birds, but have you ever really stopped to appreciate them? In the springtime sunlight, their iridescent feathers capture blacks, blues, purples, and everything in between.
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) – Photo by Patricia Gonzalez
Posted in People on April 24 2018, by Joyce Newman
Joyce H. Newman is an environmental journalist and teacher. She holds a Certificate in Horticulture from The New York Botanical Garden.
Gary Lincoff taught for more than 40 years at NYBG. He passed on March 16 after a stroke at the age of 75. For those of us who took Gary’s classes, he remains so alive in our memories—his stories, the coursework he required, and his motivational advice are still working on our minds.
I first met Gary in the spring of 2011. I’m sure if he were alive that he wouldn’t remember me at all from among the thousands of students he taught. But his course “Introduction to Plant Science” was one of the all-time best classes for me.
In his class, which was required for a Horticulture Certificate, we handled plant specimens that Gary provided from 10 major plant families and closely read chapters of Brian Capon’s book Botany for Gardeners. But the most important course requirement for me was keeping a daily journal of plant “events”—what I saw each day on garden walks and how those things changed over time, using my own drawings and plant pressings. For the first time, I felt like a real scientist observing and discovering plants. Gary’s class truly opened up a new world.
Posted in From the Library on April 24 2018, by Esther Jackson
Esther Jackson is the Public Services Librarian at NYBG’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library where she manages Reference and Circulation services and oversees the Plant Information Office. She spends much of her time assisting researchers, providing instruction related to library resources, and collaborating with NYBG staff on various projects related to Garden initiatives and events.
I have a soft spot for gardening books from the Northwest, and so although I live on the East Coast, The Northwest Garden Manifesto: Create, Restore, and Maintain a Sustainable Yard by John J. Albers, Ph.D. (photography by David E. Perry), for Mountaineers Books/Skipstone, is right up my alley. In Northwest, Albers has provided a book that is part instructional and part manifesto. The basics of garden (or “yard”) design are addressed, but the focus is on ecology and sustainable land management. While not explicitly a permaculture guide, Northwest includes useful information about topics such as composting, solar energy, and wildlife habitats. Although the plant recommendations are most appropriate for the Northwest, gardeners throughout the United States will find Albers’s book useful and informative. It is an especially appropriate book for someone who is considering becoming more hands-on with garden or yard care, and wants to understand how a person or community can affect positive ecological change.
Posted in What's Beautiful Now on April 23 2018, by Matt Newman
Spring is here. For real here, as far as I’m concerned. And with daytime temps looking to be in the 60s for the rest of the week (fingers crossed), it’s a great time for our flowers to catch our flowers waking for the season. You’ll find cherry blossoms galore, fragrant magnolias, and daffodils in abundance cascading across Daffodil Hill, Liasson Valley, and elsewhere throughout the Garden. The azaleas won’t be far behind!
[Not a valid template]Posted in From the Library on April 23 2018, by Samantha D’Acunto
Samantha D’Acunto is the Reference Librarian at The New York Botanical Garden‘s LuEsther T. Mertz Library.
This Preservation Week, we would like to highlight the wonderful work our conservation team does to ensure the longevity and care of the library collections. Caring for a collection as extensive as the LuEsther T. Mertz Library’s requires focus, consistency, precision, and passion. But first, you are probably wondering—what is Preservation Week? The American Library Association says it best:
“ALA encourages libraries and other institutions to use Preservation Week to connect our communities through events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.”
Posted in From the Library on April 18 2018, by Esther Jackson
Esther Jackson is the Public Services Librarian at NYBG’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library where she manages Reference and Circulation services and oversees the Plant Information Office. She spends much of her time assisting researchers, providing instruction related to library resources, and collaborating with NYBG staff on various projects related to Garden initiatives and events.
Aerial Geology: A High-Altitude Tour of North America’s Spectacular Volcanoes, Canyons, Glaciers, Lakes, Craters, and Peaks is a beautiful book by Mary Caperton Morton for Timber Press. Continuing with the publisher’s trend to offer more books on ecological and non-botanical scientific topics, Aerial Geology focuses, as the title states, on geology, the science of the earth’s physical structure and substance.
After a brief introduction to the discipline of geology, Caperton Morton showcases 100 “geological wonders” in North America arranged by geographic region, shot from above. Sometimes the prospect of domestic tourism seems daunting, but Caperton Morton is here to remind readers about the incredible North American landscape as a way of encouragement. Aerial Geology includes geological history and information about each feature, offering readers a richer understanding of the landscape than a coffee table book would provide. However, it must be said that the most eye-catching aspect of the book is its glorious photographs.
Although written for adults, Aerial Geology is the kind of book that science-minded young readers of a more advanced level would also enjoy. For all readers, Aerial Geology offers an introduction to geology and a reminder that these spectacular landscapes are, if not just around the corner, relatively close to home.
Posted in What's Beautiful Now on April 18 2018, by Matt Newman
The spring spectacle is just now starting in earnest, with daffodils, cherry blossoms, and early azaleas beginning to make moves throughout the Garden. Look for magnolias, too, as we head for the end of April and into the expected kaleidoscope of color that makes up May. The next few weeks should be incredible for flower lovers!
[Not a valid template]Posted in From the Library on April 10 2018, by Esther Jackson
Esther Jackson is the Public Services Librarian at NYBG’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library where she manages Reference and Circulation services and oversees the Plant Information Office. She spends much of her time assisting researchers, providing instruction related to library resources, and collaborating with NYBG staff on various projects related to Garden initiatives and events.
The Budget-Wise Gardener: With Hundreds of Money-Saving Buying & Design Tips for Planting the Best for Less is a new book by Kerry Ann Mendez with St. Lynn’s Press. Mendez holds class in the “Academy of Shrewd Plant Hunters” teaching readers how to purchase great plants for less, delving into topics including how to find good plant sources, design ideas with low-cost, high-performance plants, and container gardening on a budget. The information in Budget-Wise is presented in a conversational way, and the book is especially useful for those who are looking for advice about questions to ask and what to look for when purchasing plants from a store or online. Mendez’s advice about plant selection is useful for those who are on a budget and for those who are simply interested in learning more about buying plants. A great deal of the information is common sense for those who already regularly purchase plants, but the book is a good resource filled with information and tips, and even experienced gardeners may take away a new idea or two.
Posted in What's Beautiful Now on April 9 2018, by Matt Newman
Seek out spring’s favorite visitors—the daffodils, Japanese apricots and cherries, dainty Scilla, irises, and more—as you make your way through the Garden this week. They’re finally starting their return for the season, and over the next few weeks we’re expecting to see oceans of color filling the Garden. You can keep track of the progress using several trackers in our Gardens & Collections pages as well!
Below, find just a few of the highlights of this week’s collections as we enter one of the most vivid and verdant times of year at NYBG.
[Not a valid template]Posted in From the Library on April 6 2018, by Samantha D’Acunto
Samantha D’Acunto is the Reference Librarian at The New York Botanical Garden‘s LuEsther T. Mertz Library.
It’s almost time to begin welcoming our insect friends back into our gardens! The LuEsther T. Mertz Library has new titles in our children’s circulating collection that will help readers of all ages learn more about bees, slugs, worms, and butterflies. All titles below are available for checkout for NYBG library cardholders. Get ready for spring with these new books!
The Disgusting Critters series by Canadian author and illustrator Elsie Gravel sheds a new perspective on worms, slugs, and other critters. Deep down in the soil, you may encounter the worm. Worms are beneficial to gardens, as they provide nutrients for plants and aerate the soil. In The Worm, readers will learn all about the different types of worms, their habitats, and their anatomy. Much of the book is dedicated to the most well-known worm, the earthworm. The playful language Gravel uses to explain scientific concepts and vocabulary is perfect for readers who may be new to reading or new to the subject! Similarly, The Slug highlights the wonders of the underappreciated mollusk with the same humor, color, and science as the other books in the series. Readers will begin to greet worms and slugs with enthusiasm after reading Gravel’s books.