Morning Eye Candy Summer Color Week: Red
Posted in Photography on July 11 2011, by Ann Rafalko
Celebrating the explosion of color that is the summer garden, one hue at a time.
Photos by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Inside The New York Botanical Garden
Roses
On The Naming of Plants
Posted in Behind the Scenes on July 6 2011, by Ann Rafalko
| Ann Rafalko is Director of Online Content. |
I have been editing a lot of articles for nybg.org recently that involve long lists of the names of the many hybrids and cultivars we keep on Garden grounds. Anyone who has ever edited a long list in HTML can tell you that it is one of those tasks where it really is okay to let the mind wander a little. It has given me a lot of time to daydream about what kind of plant I would like to have named after me, if, you know, someday I just happen to meet the right hybridizer …. And I know I’m not alone in thinking about this, because when I posed the question yesterday on Twitter, “What would you most like to have named after you? A rose? A daylily? A hosta? Tell us!” the responses came fast and furious.
NYC_Living would “love to have a Tree named after me…a very large strong tall with deep green leaves and a long life!”
jmarkowski0 wants “an ornamental grass that thrives in clay and laughs at the nearby deer” named after him. (If you can breed that, we’ll help you lobby for the name!)
thinkingstomach would do with “a fruit tree, some kind of crazy-good nectarine.”
electrobloom wants “a moss! mark the moss has got a nice ring to it!” (It does, actually.)
graceyhearts is a girl who knows what she wants, and it’s “a white lily, like this one.”
garrickdetroit stays true to his urbanist roots and hopes that “any of the cityfied volunteer trees that sprout on (or in) poorly maintained buildings!” could be named for him.
ashleywillhite is hoping for the ‘Ashley Willhite’ hyacinth so that she can be planted in “a garden full of tulips of every color imaginable!” (Sounds divine!)
michele_owens goes subterranean with her wish to give her name to a “New parsnip variety, for sure.”
BloominChick shows her wild side in dreaming of “Something hardy, strong & beautiful. A tiger/wild Lily? (Those striking orange ones).”
There were also votes for a hosta, an orchid, a waterlily, and a butterfly (not technically a plant, but since so many plants can’t live without flowers, we’ll allow it).
And finally agardendiary, RedneckRosarian, AvasFlowers, ambianceflorals, and quite honestly, your blog editor, would all like to have a rose named after us. Rosa rafalko has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
So now it’s your turn, blog friends. Tell us: If you could have any new plant cultivar or hybrid named after you, what would it be?
Rose Garden Pinhole Triptych
Posted in Around the Garden, Members, Photography on June 29 2011, by Ann Rafalko
Another beautiful pinhole photograph of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden from NYBG Member and horticulturist Joel Kroin.
Click to enlarge image (Photos by Joel Kroin)
We’re so lucky to have such creative and enthusiastic visitors! Do you create art at the Garden? We would love to see it! If you would like your Garden-themed art featured on Plant Talk, email an example of your work and a little bit about yourself to blog@nybg.org.
Morning Eye Candy: The Other Rose Garden
Posted in Photography on June 15 2011, by Ann Rafalko
Did you know that there’s a second rose garden at NYBG? It’s much smaller, but it’s even less pampered: It’s the EarthKind™ Rose Trials beds, just south of Daffodil Hill. The goal of the EarthKind™ program is to identify cultivars that combine beauty with proven durability in the landscape. These roses get no water other than what falls from the sky. In fact they get almost no attention at all (other than an occasional trim), and yet they thrive. If you think roses are fussy and hard to grow, check out these beds for some great choices for your own yard.
Check out this short video on the subject hosted by the rose garden curator Peter Kukielski himself.
Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
Morning Eye Candy: The Air Up There
Posted in Photography on June 9 2011, by Ann Rafalko
Three of our intrepid visual specialists (aka photographer Ivo M. Vermeulen, photo editor Mark Pfeffer, and videographer Rustin Dwyer) spent last Friday morning at the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, taking turns going up in the bucket truck to snap some truly stunning photographs and video of this spectacular garden at peak bloom.
Here’s a shot Ivo took from the bucket of Mark, Rustin, and our new Web designer Eduardo Almonte.
A little perspective.
Mark in the bucket.
And the results? Gorgeous!
The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden (photo by Mark Pfeffer)
Stay tuned for video footage from Rustin.
Flowers! Flamenco! Food! This Weekend at the Garden
Posted in Around the Garden on June 8 2011, by Ann Rafalko
Have you been looking for a good reason to visit the Garden this June? Well, if you need some motivation to visit New York City’s greatest garden, consider us your motivators: This weekend is going to be spectacular! We have flowers, food, dancing, music, poetry, and so much more in store!
Spanish Paradise: Gardens of the Alhambra
Start in the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where the best-smelling exhibition in New York City–complete with flowing fountains and elegant arches–is housed in the Victorian elegance of this landmark building. Be sure to visit the beautiful reflecting pool and its resident koi in the Conservatory Courtyard. A Garden Tour Guide-led guided tour of the exhibition is available Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Meet at the entrance to the Conservatory.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
My Lorca Poetry Series – 4 p.m. in the Perennial Garden
Hear American poets read their favorite Federico García Lorca poems and discuss the poet’s influence on their own work as part of Spanish Paradise: Gardens of the Alhambra. Poets: Christopher Maurer, Jaime Manrique, and Mark Statman. Co-presented with the Poetry Society of America.
Flamenco Among the Flowers – 1, 2, and 3 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall
The Garden comes alive with the sounds, rhythms, and movements of flamenco. Flamenco: Inside/Out introduces this traditional Spanish art form using live music and performers from various ethnic, cultural, and artistic backgrounds.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Food and Culture of the Alhambra – 4 p.m. in the Perennial Garden
Join chef and culinary historian Maricel Presilla for a fascinating, and delicious, exploration of the cuisine and culture of the al-Andalús region of Spain, home to the Alhambra. Presilla, who holds a doctorate in medieval Spanish history from New York University, has received formal training in cultural anthropology, and is a Beard Award-nominated chef, will be talking about several aspects of Islamic agriculture and cooking in al-Andalús. She will focus on vegetables, grains, nuts, olive oil, fermented condiments, aromatic spices (and spice mixes) and flowers, particularly scented roses. Her cooking demonstration may include: a spice mix or sauce; an eggplant dish called alboronía or another thirteenth-century dish with eggplant served with aromatic lamb meatballs (albóndigas), and a rose-scented dessert that shows the connection between al-Andalús and the New World. She will also be talking about the Islamic roots of the popular sweet and sour Spanish dish known as escabeche.
Tour of Library Exhibition Historical Views: Tourists at the Alhambra – Meet at 1 p.m. in the Orchid Rotunda at the entrance level to the Library Building
Join a Garden Tour Guide for a tour of Historical Views: Tourists at the Alhambra.
Flamenco Among the Flowers – 1, 2, and 3 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall
The Garden comes alive with the sounds, rhythms, and movements of flamenco. Flamenco: Inside/Out introduces this traditional Spanish art form using live music and performers from various ethnic, cultural, and artistic backgrounds.
The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
The award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden one of the world’s most sustainable and beautiful showcases for America’s flower, and it is in full bloom right now! Set aside ample time so that you have as many minutes as you need to stop and smell the roses. In the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, the roses smell as good as they look.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Book Signing with Peter Kukielski – 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Shop in the Garden
Meet the man behind the sustainable rose revolution. Curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, Peter Kukielski, will be signing copies of The Sustainable Rose Garden at Shop in the Garden, a volume of essays he co-edited with Pat Shanley and Gene Waering.
Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, 2011
Rose Garden Tour – 12:30 p.m. in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
Immerse yourself in the fragrance, color, and beauty of the award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden on a tour with a Garden Tour Guide offered each day in June; and with an ASL interpreter on June 18. Learn the differences between heritage and modern roses, and between floribundas and hybrid teas, as well as facts about rose history, cultivation, and folklore.
Q&A Sessions with Rose Experts – 1-4 p.m. at the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden pergola
Our rose experts will answer your questions on caring for roses, cultivars to try in your garden, the history of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, and more.
Home Gardening Demonstration: Life is Rosy – 1:30 p.m. in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden
Tour the sumptuous, award-winning Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden. Learn standard rose-care practices, from fertilizing to pruning.
Elsewhere Around the Garden
The Garden is a great place to get outside and enjoy nature: families can explore the natural world in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and at the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden; gardeners can gather inspiration for their own gardens throughout the Garden’s 250-acres, and learn about plant varietals in the Home Gardening Center; and naturalists can spot a variety of migratory and year-round birds throughout the grounds.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Bird Walk – meet at 11 a.m. at the Reflecting Pool in front of the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with our bird expert, Debbie Becker. On your walk you will look for the species that live here year-round as well as those just migrating through: owls, hawks, songbirds, and more. Learn about the bird-friendly plants and habitats that provide food, shelter, and nesting sites. Learn more about birding at the Garden in this short video.
Saturday, June 11 and Sunday June 12, 2011
Global Gardens Spring Harvest Celebration – 1:30-5:30 p.m. in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Travel globally while eating locally! Celebrate the end of spring with our Global Gardeners. Travel to China, Korea, Ireland, Italy, and the Caribbean by visiting each Global Garden plot and earn stamps in your Garden Passport as you learn and explore.
Meet Peter Kukielski, Curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden This Sunday
Posted in Shop/Book Reviews on June 6 2011, by Ann Rafalko
Peter Kukielski is on a mission to rescue the rose’s reputation.
In transforming the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden into one of the world’s most sustainable and beautiful showcases for America’s flower, Peter is preaching a new rose gospel: Roses don’t need to be bathed in chemicals, they don’t need tons of water, and they can smell as beautiful as they look. 
Meet Peter this Sunday, June 12, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Shop in the Garden, where he will be signing copies of The Sustainable Rose Garden, a volume of essays he co-edited with Pat Shanley and Gene Waering.
Peter is a wonderful evangelist for this misunderstood flower; he’s full of knowledge and always willing to share it. Stop by the Shop to meet Peter and pick-up your copy of this essential volume, then head to the Rose Garden to gain inspiration for your own home. Copy this list of all the garden’s roses onto your phone or iPad (try Evernote or print it out if you must), and mark your favorites. When your head is full of rose-scented dreams, head home, and with Peter’s wonderful book, turn your garden into your own rose-tinted paradise.
Morning Eye Candy: A Rose is a Rose
Posted in Photography on June 5 2011, by Ann Rafalko
Does anyone actually believe that a rose is a rose is a rose? If you know someone who is laboring under this grand misconception, please get them to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, stat! This award-winning, aromatic, sustainable wonder is in full bloom right now. The Rose Garden is always amazing in June, but this year it seems even more spectacular. Visit it while it’s in its peak!
Rosa ‘Reine Victoria’ (photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)
The Rose Garden Through the Pinhole
Posted in Around the Garden, Members, Photography on May 31 2011, by Ann Rafalko
I met Joel Kroin while out on a walk last week. He was kneeling in the entrance to the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden with an old camp coffeepot. I hesitated for a moment, and almost walked past him, but my curiosity got the better of me. “Is that a pinhole camera?” I asked. Indeed it was. It turns out that Joel is not just a horticulturist and NYBG Member, he’s also an artist who has been making beautiful engravings at the Garden for years. Recently has begun experimenting with pinhole cameras. I ran into Joel again today, down by the waterfall on the Bronx River, and he promised me that he would have more beautiful shots to share soon. In the meantime, here is the pinhole photograph Joel was making when I met him, and an engraving of the same waterfall he was photographing today.
The Rose Garden Blooms Again
Posted in Around the Garden on May 9 2011, by Peter Kukielski
Ed. note: The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is swinging back into life! Here’s a quick look at some of the year’s first blooms from Peter Kukielski, the Rose Garden’s curator.
As expected, the early species roses have begun blooming. These are quick to come into bloom and are only around for a couple of weeks.
R. Virginiana (native)
A handsomely foliated plant which shares much in common with other North American species; densely suckering, tall canes with abundant foliage, somewhat smooth, small but charming pink flowers with soft-yellow stamens and a fine crop of round red hips. Tops on Rosa virginiana‘s list of attributes though should be its fall foliage which runs the full spectrum from gold and yellow to amber, rose and crimson.
R. spinossissima var. ‘Altaica’
A larger-flowered clone selection of the well-known and much-loved wild Scots Briar. Its rich, creamy, almost yellow flowers are well scented, and are borne on a tall and spreading plant.
R. eglanteria
A lovely, deep pink form of the Eglantine, with its fragrant and handsome foliage, large and arching and very productive of small, round, scarlet hips. The Eglantine has naturalized in North America, where it is found far and wide. Britton and Brown documented it in Virginia and Tennessee as R. rubiginosa.
R. blanda (native)
Wide, crepey petals of lightest rose-pink with pale-buff stamens and a pungent-sweet scent. A native of the Northeast of North America R. blanda is nearly thornless with soft green foliage. Sets a crop of small, round red fruit. Synonym: Hudson’s Bay Rose, Labrador Rose.
R. sericea pteracantha
Noted for its four-petaled white flowers, but more particularly for the elongated red thorns that stud its canes, R. sericea pteracantha makes a stunning focus in a mixed planting. Tall and arching, and perhaps most effective if older canes are removed annually to make way for new ones, whose thorns are yet translucent and red.