Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in History on April 5 2018, by Kristine Paulus
Kristine Paulus is the Plant Records Manager of The New York Botanical Garden.
April is National Poetry Month and each year the Garden joins the Academy of American Poets and the Poetry Society of America in celebrating this occasion by hosting a number of events. Visitors can partake in various festivities such as readings and poetry walks punctuated with signs broadcasting plant-inspired poems.
Exceptionally observant visitors might even spy a hidden poetic gem off the Garden’s beaten path (or, as Robert Frost might have put, the road less traveled by). In April and every other month of the year, there awaits a curious plaque along the banks of the Bronx River. Just south of the Stone Mill Bridge, on the east side, a bronze tablet is affixed to a large rock. Those with excellent vision (or a pair of binoculars) might notice that the tablet is inscribed with a poem.
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Posted in What's Beautiful Now on April 4 2018, by Matt Newman
The earliest blooms of spring are just beginning their cascade around the Garden as we make our way out of the frosty winter weather (in fits and starts, no doubt). There’s still so, so much to come, but for now there are some particular highlights that you can see around our landscape as we wait on the flush of daffodils and cherry blossoms!
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Posted in From the Library on April 3 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.
Topiary is back! Or maybe it never really left. In Topiary, Knots and Parterres, author Caroline Foley writes about the history of these garden features and how they are utilized in contemporary landscapes.
Published by Pimpernel Press in association with the European Boxwood and Topiary Society, the book gives a comprehensive account of topiary as art and landscape. Presented chronologically, Topiary takes readers from the Patrician Gardens of Rome (AD 79–476) to the art forms and landscape designs envisioned and created by 21st-century gardeners. For those who love formal gardens, topiaries, knots, and parterres feel like familiar friends in new and historic landscapes. Foley, who has edited Topiarius—the pan-European journal of the European Boxwood and Topiary Society—for the past twelve years, covers much ground and provides readers with an excellent book. For those who love topiary or those who want to learn more about its usage in the landscape, historic and contemporary, Topiary, Knots and Parterres is a wonderful resource and engaging work.
Scholars of landscape design history will also appreciate the many historic designs and gardens featured in the book; the LuEsther T. Mertz Library here at NYBG holds many of the historic garden works featured in Topiary. Readers who are curious about historic garden design works at NYBG can learn more about these books in Flora Illustrata: Great Works from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of The New York Botanical Garden, edited by Susan M. Fraser and Vanessa Bezemer Sellers and published in 2014.
Posted in From the Library on March 27 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.
Anne Shirley, protagonist of Anne of Green Gables, has been a beloved literary favorite since the book was first published in 1908. In The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables: the Enchanting Island that Inspired L. M. Montgomery, author Catherine Reid takes readers on a journey through Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, the home of both Anne and Montgomery. A creative writer by trade, Reid at times focuses on Anne and her story, and at other points turns attention to Montgomery and her life. In many ways, Montgomery’s life was similar to Anne’s, although Anne of Green Gables is a work of fiction. Still, both the author and the character were immersed in the landscapes of PEI, as Reid illustrates. The journey that The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables takes readers on through the island, including both outdoor and indoor spaces, is reminiscent of Marta McDowell’s works, such as her recent book The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder : The Frontier Landscapes That Inspired the Little House Books.
In Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables, noteworthy plants are detailed alongside historic photos and select archival documents, and the overall design of the work is quite compelling. The photographs, in particular, are very evocative. Ultimately, The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables is a sweet book appropriate for those who wish to take a visual journey through PEI or learn more about a beloved childhood book.
Posted in From the Library on March 23 2018, by Samantha D’Acunto
Samantha D’Acunto is the Reference Librarian at The New York Botanical Garden‘s LuEsther T. Mertz Library.
New titles from Arbordale Publishing have joined the children’s collection in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library! The titles featured below offer a perfect balance of education and entertainment with colorful illustrations, engaging storylines, and learning activities. All new titles are available for check out for library cardholders.
Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester / Illustrated by Susan Detwiler
Jojo and her family have always welcomed bats into their barn. It was not until a newspaper published a story about a disease that effected bats called white-nose syndrome that Jojo and her family decide to become citizen scientists and conduct a bat count. Throughout the years, they have noticed a drop in the number of bats they spot flying around their barn. Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story invites readers for an evening bat count with Jojo and her family. Read about bat facts, white-nose syndrome, and how to become a citizen scientist in the additional pages toward the end of the story! Bat Count is one of the selections for the National Science Teachers Association 2018 Outstanding Science Trade Books, as it is a wonderful way to encourage middle grade readers to explore and engage in science for fun.
If you do not have the opportunity to observe bats near your home consider taking a bat walk! Last autumn, staff at the NYBG Everett Children’s Adventure Garden hosted bat walks in collaboration with the Organization for Bat Conservation. Join us at future events! In the meantime, check your local bat or wildlife organization to find bat walks in your area.
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Posted in Wildlife on March 14 2018, by Patricia Gonzalez
Patricia Gonzalez is an NYBG Visitor Services Attendant and avid wildlife photographer.
On Wednesday, February 21st, it seemed as if mother nature forgot that summer doesn’t officially begin until June. The temperature peaked at 78° F. Nearly 2,000 visitors decided to enjoy the glorious weather that day, and I was curious as to how the warmth would affect the Garden’s wildlife. I decided to try my luck and see if any animals we don’t normally see in winter might come out for a bit. I was not disappointed.
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In addition to the usual suspects (a pair of wood ducks and two pairs of mallards), I spotted a sizable red-eared slider having a look-see in the wetlands.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the green frog in the Native Plant Garden. Yes, a green frog. In February.
Wildlife Wednesday indeed.
Posted in From the Library on March 9 2018, by Samantha D’Acunto
Samantha D’Acunto is the Reference Librarian at The New York Botanical Garden‘s LuEsther T. Mertz Library.
Winter is ending and warmer days are ahead of us. It’s time to spring out of your winter reading habits and practice being an active reader! The titles below from Charlesbridge publishing will inspire you to get up and get out with a book in hand.
With all the excitement going around about the opening of the Edible Academy, the LuEsther T. Mertz Library was very happy to receive a first look at Plant, Cook, Eat! by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig. Expect to see this book hit the shelves this month!
For all aspiring young chefs, Plant, Cook, Eat! is a wonderful invitation to explore the farm-to-table movement in a DIY fashion. Authors Joe Archer and Caroline Craig set readers up for success! Sections cover everything from seeds to harvest. Learn about composting, necessary tools to have handy, garden maintenance, including pest and daily chores, and finally harvesting your vegetables for meals. Additional growing information is provided about select vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and more. Plant, Cook, Eat! offers guidance for growing vegetables in all spaces—whether you are growing indoors or outdoors, in a backyard or in a container, you will have the information and confidence you need to yield results.
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Posted in Wildlife on March 1 2018, by Patricia Gonzalez
Patricia Gonzalez is an NYBG Visitor Services Attendant and avid wildlife photographer.
Some of my more interesting wildlife encounters happen in the mornings before my shift starts. I was recently walking the pathway between the top of Wamsler Rock and the fencing of the Native Plant Garden, when I spotted a Cooper’s Hawk perched on a rock further down. I couldn’t help but notice that it looked like it was waiting for a cab! I just had enough time to get one shot before it flew off.
A Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) in the Garden – Photo by Patricia Gonzalez
Posted in Children's Education on February 20 2018, by Arvolyn Hill
Arvolyn Hill is a GreenSchool Educator at NYBG.
I love blueberries for their bold color, juicy texture, and delightful taste. When sprinkled on cereal or in pancakes, these common fruits add a healthy and sweet treat to most American diets. It was this flowering plant, part of the Ericaceae family, that eighth grade students from M.S. 244 in the Bronx set out to explore on the first of a three-day science institute held at the GreenSchool. As a new Educator learning about the variety of programs offered through Children’s Education, I got to tag along on their botanical adventure.
M.S. 244 is a partner with Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), a national initiative to increase academic performance and success for middle through high school students administered by the Bronx Institute at Lehman College. The Bronx Institute in turn relies on NYBG, which for more than a decade has provided its students with multidisciplinary experiences in the natural world and the unique opportunity to learn first-hand from Garden professionals in horticulture, education, and plant science.
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Posted in Horticulture on February 16 2018, by James Sigala
James Sigala is a horticulturist in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at The New York Botanical Garden.
It’s a wonderful time of the year to visit the desert glasshouses at NYBG’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. In the African Desert collection, a colorful and exotic array of inflorescences awaits you, such as the giant canary-yellow flowers adorning the 10-foot-tall Aloe africana, the tangerine-pink flora of the Aloe chabaudii, and everything in between—including the beautiful African jade plant, which is also covered with blossoms.
It is still too early to marvel at the American Desert in full bloom (typically early April), however, just like the African Desert glasshouse, there is a plethora of otherworldly leaf and plant structures to study and enjoy. The sunshine also adds to the visionary experience, by illuminating the spines of certain cacti. All in all, the warmth of the sun and the enchanting arid landscape of the Conservatory desert glasshouses create a wonderful winter escape.
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