There’s no better way to experience The Orchid Show than with delicious snacks and cocktails when the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is filled with the aroma of orchids and the evening sky is visible from within the glasshouse. Our friends at STARR Events provide specialty drinks and treats—including the Orchid Evenings signature cocktail, the Ginger Vanilla Fusion, a delicious blend of vanilla bean-infused vodka and ginger inspired by the Vanilla that comes from the Vanilla planifolia orchid.
This year NYBG is thrilled to welcome an exciting lineup of NYC DJs to enhance the atmosphere. Visiting dance and music ensembles from a variety of international traditions reflect the wide world of orchids—a flower with tens of thousands of species ranging across the globe. On March 5 & 26, visitors will have the chance to enjoy an informal and enlightening talk with one of NYBG’s own scientists about the more rare and unique varieties of this enigmatic plant.
February at the Garden is a time of lush, delirious color—all thanks to The Orchid Show. And this year’s exhibition promises a journey of more than just beautiful flowers. Join us during Orchidelirium as we explore the long history of this treasured flower, and the 19th-century craze that sparked its popularity the world over.
Check out the teaser below, and stay tuned as we near the opening of this New York tradition, February 27–April 17, 2016.
The weekend is here at last—and it’s an eventful one! For those of you enjoying a three-day weekend for President’s Day, NYBG will be open on February 15 for three days of programs and activities. Culinary Kids Weekend welcomes families all weekend long with educational food activities in the Conservatory Tent. See what The New York Times and NBC New York have to say about this festive family celebration, and come join the fun!
Couples are invited to celebrate Valentine’s Day with that special someone in the warmth of our Victorian-style glasshouse, where special chocolate tastings and a pop-up bar complete the experience of New York’s most romantic date destination. Read on for the full schedule of tours and programs for February 13 through 15, and plan your midwinter escape to NYBG today.
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.
Let’s say you’re new to vegetable gardening. Or, let’s say that you’re not new to vegetable gardening, but you have just relocated to a new region of the United States, and you want to start planning your garden. Where on earth should you begin looking for information?
Although it may seem obvious, it is sometimes overlooked that plants will have different care requirements depending on where they are grown. Methods used to grow tomatoes, for example, will be different depending on whether or not the same species or variety is grown in the Northeast or the Southwest. Often, specific varieties are suggested for specific regions, as a tomato that thrives in one area might languish in another. Like a good recipe, the art of growing a particular vegetable must be modified and refined by each individual gardener, as there can be differences in what a plant needs from region to region, state to state, and even yard to yard. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to vegetable gardening, but a recent series from Timber Press is a great start.
The Aquatic House in the Haupt Conservatory is an escape year round, but in winter it takes on the vibe of an oasis. Look for some of the medicinal plants featured in our Wild Medicine exhibition while you’re relaxing to the white noise of falling water.
The Garden’s current exhibition, Wild Medicine in the Tropics, located in the warm rain forest and desert galleries of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at NYBG, is full of surprises about the healing power of medicinal plants and their importance for human health.
One of the biggest surprises is the fact that 25 percent of our prescription medicines—including many of today’s life-saving, well-known products—come from plant ingredients. The exhibition highlights dozens of plant species for their impact in promoting health or fighting disease.
Patricia Caracappa is a Spanish Teacher at Howitt Middle School in Farmingdale.
I am a teacher certified in both Art and Spanish who visited the FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life exhibition on three separate occasions. As I experienced the show in three different ways during a five month period, both with my students and on my own, each visit left me speechless. Here I hope to give voice to my special experiences at the Garden.
My students at Howitt Middle School first experienced the rich offerings of Children’s Education programs related to the exhibition when FRIDA KAHLO opened in May. During the Poetry for Every Season: Mexican Poetry Walk offered by the GreenSchool, my 7th grade Spanish students were challenged to find the connections between the lives of two significant contemporary Mexican artists: the painter Frida Kahlo and the poet Octavio Paz. Examining the thematic images in Kahlo’s artwork and comparing them to the written themes they identified in Paz’ poetry—in Spanish, too!—my students discovered for themselves the significance of the specific choices artists make to communicate ideas they care deeply about both visually and linguistically. This facilitated program revealed seamlessly the artists’ close observation and symbolic uses of plants, their Mexican nationalism, and their deep appreciation for the natural world.
Flurries outside, sparks of burgundy and sunshine yellow inside. The Indian clock vine is creating elegant chandeliers in the Conservatory’s Aquatic House.
Indian clock vine (Thunbergia mysorensis) in the Haupt Conservatory – Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
With the arrival of our 14th annual Orchid Show begins the most immersive season yet of this popular event series, with more music, refreshments, programs, and yes, specialty cocktails, than ever. With nine of these special evenings planned for select Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout March and April, now is the time to plan your evening escape to the world of Orchidelirium.
