Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Posted in Around the Garden, Wildlife on April 2 2012, by Matt Newman
It’s a rare day when you can step out under the trees of The New York Botanical Garden without the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk ringing overhead. We usually owe the pleasant racket to Rose and Vince, along with the many hatchlings they’ve reared since setting up shop in the Bronx years ago. And Pat Gonzalez–Member and Friend of the Garden–can point out that a solid number of the hawks hunting in the skies over our 250 acres are directly related to the celebrity pair.
But Rose and Vince aren’t loyalists–while the birds may hunt at the NYBG, they tend to waffle on which site they call home. In the past, the two have occasionally settled down in the upper reaches of the Garden’s architecture. Fordham University across the way has often been called home, as well.
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Posted in Around the Garden on March 30 2012, by Matt Newman
What an offbeat week it’s been. Having caught word that we were making fun of it, the “long-gone” winter suddenly came knocking with frosty, clear afternoons and frigid nights; there was some worry in the northeast that confused plants with early flowers would take a hit. But spring isn’t bowing out. Stop by the NYBG and you’ll find yourself surrounded by thousands of airy plum and cherry blossoms flooding branches across the Garden. The apple blossoms, the last of the magnolias–all come together to create a pink and white snowfall of petals.
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Posted in Around the Garden, The Orchid Show on March 23 2012, by Matt Newman
If the flowering magnolias and budding bottlebrushes around the Garden are any evidence, New York really has shifted gears to full-on spring pleasantry. You know it was satisfying to leave your coat on the hook before work all this week! And with the Orchid Show now settled into its groove and flourishing with its thousands of exotic flowers, this is the time to head up to the Bronx and see what everyone is swooning over. You finally get to start off without the screech of an alarm clock, ditch the briefcase, and leave your uncomfortable shoes near the front door for a couple of days–make the most of it!
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Posted in Around the Garden, Programs and Events, The Orchid Show on March 16 2012, by Matt Newman
Have you been following Plant Talk this week? If you have, you’re already well aware that the skies are criss-crossed with soaring hawks, the daffodils are bobbing alongside the paths, and the NYBG‘s tenth annual Orchid Show is proving every bit the belle of the ball we knew it would be. With or without a few hems and haws from departing winter, a welcome spring is here more than two weeks early.
If you’re looking for escapism, the walkways of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory are a sure bet, ringed as they are with thousands of orchids in nearly every color of the spectrum. Better yet, you can start the day with Debbie Becker’s Saturday Bird Walk, then jump into orchid workshops and lectures of all sorts, with terrarium building in Little Landscapes to occupy the kids; there’s something about holding a miniature world unto itself–all in the palm of your hand–that’s infinitely appealing.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Exhibitions, The Orchid Show on March 9 2012, by Matt Newman
Much ado about the weather this week. Yesterday was a mid-spring day borrowed straight from early May, sending most of our office staff into ecstatic fits. I’m all but convinced one or two of us were out on the grass, belting out celebratory verses from The Sound of Music. Today it’s a bit cooler, of course. But with the warm sun and a promise of picturesque afternoons for Saturday and Sunday, winter seems all but out the door.
The dogwood is blooming, the crocuses are bright, and the Orchid Show is settling into the groove for its second big weekend. This is the perfect opportunity to hop a subway train to the Bronx and treat yourself to Patrick Blanc’s Vertical Gardens. But even if orchids aren’t your thing (a rare condition, albeit understandable), the schedule is packed with activities to suit.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Exhibitions, The Orchid Show on March 2 2012, by Matt Newman
Even as big weekends go, this is a big weekend. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has gone through a complete metamorphosis over the past several weeks, with a dedicated team of horticulturists primping and preening a luxurious display thousands of orchids strong. As of tomorrow, Patrick Blanc’s careful designs will finally come to light for our guests to enjoy.
Beginning tomorrow, March 3, the doors of the tenth annual Orchid Show (yes, an entire decade) swing open to reveal the French master’s creations to the world. Everyone in New York should see this! Visit the Garden to find yourself surrounded by the artful flowers of the tropics, a virtual architecture of exotic leaves, petals, and vines swirling in and amongst each other. The diversity of orchids that now floods the space in sprays of color is impressive on its own, but the arrangement is simply breathtaking.
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Posted in Around the Garden on February 24 2012, by Matt Newman
What started out as a trickle has surged into a flood, and now, in the final week of the Caribbean Garden photo contest, we find ourselves with piles of inspired photography to wade through. Despite the challenge of trying to ferret out the best photos in each category among a disagreeing cadre of jurors, we’re nonetheless having fun with it. Just seeing each of our competitors returning week after week to scrap for the proverbial crown is immensely gratifying. And the photos themselves trump all!
But as the last of this year’s Caribbean Garden events approach, the mood around here is bittersweet. Even with salsa classes bidding a fond adieu, and our photography workshops packing it up until next year, the momentous transition to the flamboyant wonder of Patrick Blanc’s vertical gardens fills the gap in fine form. Beginning Saturday, March 3, we fling open the doors of the Conservatory to unveil the 10th anniversary Orchid Show. Until then, you’ll be catching glimpses of the goings-on under the glass dome as we festoon our displays with the final, all-important touches.
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Posted in Around the Garden on February 17 2012, by Matt Newman
Last weekend’s predictions for snowfall missed the mark by a mile, so we’re spending today confident that the last white of winter is well behind us. Or that’s what we’re telling ourselves. Because without the snow, it makes spending a day at the NYBG a piece of cake, and the trains (usually) tend to run on time. With the Caribbean Garden winding down in preparation for the opening of this year’s Orchid Show, there’s also more motivation to come pay us a visit!
If you’re one of the lucky New Yorkers to have a full three-day weekend to enjoy, we’re even going to open the gates on Monday to make the most of it. We don’t exactly do that every week. And with the kids out of school, you might consider this an example of opportunity knocking–how often do you get to spend a day with them while out and about, anyway?
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Posted in Around the Garden, Exhibitions on February 10 2012, by Matt Newman
It almost felt like winter this week. Almost. With a breezy evening of light flurries in the city (I actually had to use my ice scraper for once) the temperatures dropped just enough for us to pretend we weren’t leapfrogging one of the year’s most obvious seasons. And this weekend’s weather report suggests more of the same.
Now going into our third week of the photography contest, the competition is picking up the tempo. The first week’s competitors were joined by several more talented shutterbugs this time around, and all together the group produced a stack of fantastic pictures that had us poring over the results for some time. Turns out that the more brilliant pictures you have to shuffle through, the longer it takes to come to conclusions on who won–it’s worse when the judges can’t seem to entirely agree! It was like Twelve Angry Men in here. But we came up with a fresh batch of eye candy we think will inspire you to try for yourself.
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Posted in Around the Garden, Exhibitions, Photography on February 3 2012, by Matt Newman
I have this sneaking suspicion that the spaces under “Saturday” and “Sunday” are sitting blank in your planner right now. If you’re not dashing onto a plane to escape the return of chilly weather to New York, I’m going to make a solid suggestion: get your camera. You probably have one sitting on the shelf somewhere, pitifully neglected, waiting for the day you make the commitment to get out and start learning the craft.
If you haven’t etched your plans in stone, put a few bucks on your MetroCard and head to the Bronx with your Nikons, your Canons, your Fujis or whatever else you can come up with. We’re actually going to reward you for participating in our Caribbean Garden photography contest, not just with the chance to come back for a course or workshop of your choosing with our NYBG educators, but for tips and tricks provided by professional garden photographers this Sunday afternoon. You can’t keep making excuses! Because who knows? Wait too long and the steamroller of technological innovation just might make your camera format obsolete.
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It’s a rare day when you can step out under the trees of The New York Botanical Garden without the cry of a Red-tailed Hawk ringing overhead. We usually owe the pleasant racket to Rose and Vince, along with the many hatchlings they’ve reared since setting up shop in the Bronx years ago. And Pat Gonzalez–Member and Friend of the Garden–can point out that a solid number of the hawks hunting in the skies over our 250 acres are directly related to the celebrity pair.
