The climate outside is in a bit of a state, to put things lightly. But a few steps inside our Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, the sleet and snow give way to nothing short of a tropical oasis. It’s here, among the kaleidoscope of plants housed within, that you’ll find thousands upon thousands of orchids–all waiting to make their way into the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. It’s sort of a bubble of pleasantry on an otherwise heinous Friday.
With just a few weeks left of our Tropical Paradise exhibition, there are still myriad opportunities to warm up and shrug off the chill. But we figured that on today of all days, you could use a toasty peek at what’s in store for New York come March 2. We stopped in with Kevin Character and the orchid wizard himself, Marc Hachadourian, to see how The Orchid Show is coming along under the glass.
Nothing so suits a plant sans soil as does cheesy title wordplay. While you’re in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for Tropical Paradise, hunt down the epiphyte wall and take a moment to appreciate these “air plants” in full regalia.
Think of surviving winter as a pie chart: a good chunk–maybe 50%–is made up of boots and scarves; another 30% boils down to keeping a cheerful attitude while you go to town on your iced over windshield; and that last 20% is all about escapism. For some, that means hitching a jet to South Beach and waiting out the bitter months by a rooftop pool, sipping chilled mimosas. For us, it’s a 20-minute transit ride up to the Bronx for a steamy stop in New York City’s largest living rain forest.
Yeah, I know, not exactly the first place you’d plan for a jungle excursion–but the NYBG is your best bet! Our yearly Tropical Paradise event is put together to offer New Yorkers sanctuary from the humdrum icebox of the city, so you can leave your hand warmers at the door and pretend, if only for a moment, that it’s not snowing sideways in the five boroughs. This year’s focus falls on the permanent collection inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where exotic tropical plants such as vanilla orchids, zombie palms, and the jade vine–a perennial favorite deserving of a little idolization–step front and center.
It’s back! Our annual winter photography contest returns to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with the opening of Tropical Paradise Saturday, January 19! Tropical Paradise–a reinterpretation of the Conservatory’s lush permanent collections–is the perfect way to shake off the winter doldrums and exercise your photography skills.
In addition, glean inspiration from the award-winning photographers of the International Garden Photographer of the Year contest. Taken in gardens around the world, these prize-winning photos will be on display alongside plants from the tropics throughout the Conservatory. Enjoy the beautiful photographs and access additional information on the photographers, their inspiration, and the techniques they used to capture these stunning images by simply scanning a code on each sign with your smartphone. And on Sundays, join one of two accomplished photographers for a brief course on the basics of garden shooting.
2012 Sense of Place Grand Prize Winner: Mika Sato’s serene shot of the Aquatic Plants Gallery
NYBG Caribbean Garden by Mika Sato
The contest is run on NYBG’s Flickr Group Pool, and this year it’s easier than ever to enter because Flickr has launched a fabulous new iPhone app that allows anyone to enter seamlessly and easily. Grab your camera or your phone and head to the sultry warmth of the tropics, capture the beauty you find, and you just might win one of two grand prizes: A photography class taught at the NYBG!
There are a few caveats to that whole “winter’s majesty” thing. First, and this is one I learned not long ago, don’t wander out into a howling snow storm in leather-soled captoes unless ice-skating to the subway sounds fun. Second, that majesty only lasts for as long as it takes you to start shivering. And while living in the northeast means skiing, sledding, and all the joy of pristine white mornings, so often it seems easier to coop yourself up inside and listen to the snowflakes dusting your bedroom window. But! And I emphasize this: there’s a way to stay warm and enjoy what mother nature has to offer in New York City. If I told you that the NYBG offered a slice of summer during the frostiest time of year, would you believe me?
Soon, it won’t be that hard to wrap your head around! As the snow comes falling and you’re waging war on the ice coating your windshield, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory‘s yearly Tropical Paradise will become New York City’s go-to escape for a little warmth, music, and relaxation in the rain forest. And, yes, I do mean rain forest. Our Victorian glasshouse remains an iconic landmark, representing not only New York’s architectural history, but over a century of botanical expertise. Inside, you’ll join our expert docents for tours of the Conservatory’s permanent collection, including soaring palm trees, alluring tropical flowers, and the many joys and oddities that thrive in our misty rain forests.
Bring on the winter! Tropical Paradise is just around the corner, meaning the snow will only make the Conservatory’s jungle plants and island flowers that much more brilliant to look at.
Let’s just say it’s not your everyday cubicle. The grids of Victorian glass and arching metal framework make for a view you’ll never find behind drawstring blinds. Come to think of it, desktop computers have a rough time with the falling mist in the rain forest houses, too. But as Manager of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Christian Primeau’s workspace is as much an office as yours or mine. Just bigger, brighter, and more…flush with growing life. For our part, we make do in the Library Building with a potted basil plant, and one or two ferns to hold down the window sill. But that’s not to say a novelty cactus is your last hope for office decor!
Instead, take a hint from the Tumblr crowd’s fascination with these living bubbles and get involved with terrariums; it’s like having a mini conservatory sitting on your desk, and you don’t even have to get a permit to run hose attachments into the building.
The climate outside is in a bit of a state, to put things lightly. But a few steps inside our Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, the sleet and snow give way to nothing short of a tropical oasis. It’s here, among the kaleidoscope of plants housed within, that you’ll find thousands upon thousands of orchids–all waiting to make their way into the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. It’s sort of a bubble of pleasantry on an otherwise heinous Friday.
