The New York Botanical Garden has hosted many an exhibition over the years, from dazzling Orchid displays to Chihuly’s ethereal glass creations to the intriguing art of Japanese chrysanthemum growing and everything else in between. But never has an exhibition catered to all five senses in the way Spanish Paradise: Gardens of the Alhambra does.
The air in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is filled with fragrant herbs and zesty citrus blossoms, coupled with the colorful blossoms of ornamental sages and a range of flowering plants. Meanwhile, the Garden Cafe is serving up mouth watering slices of Serrano ham complimented by fruit-laden sangria. And for those of you who make the trip out on the weekend, the Arthur and Janet Lecture Hall is filled the rattle of castanets and the rhythm of a cajon (box-drum).
The Garden is pleased to host a summer residency for the dance group FLAMENCO: inside/out. The trio performs each Saturday and Sunday for the run of the show (through August 21st). You can catch them each day at 1,2, and 3 p.m. in the Lecture Hall and the show is included with your Garden admission. Here’s a little taste of what to expect, both in the Conservatory and the lecture hall!
There is nothing inherently complex about hostas. They are easy-to-grow, readily available, adaptable foliage plants for the shade garden. The problem with hostas is that they have a predisposition toward mutation, and there is a glut of similar looking cultivars on the market.
So how do you navigate the vast selection of these ubiquitous shade lovers to find a few outstanding specimens for your garden? The Azalea Garden provides an ideal opportunity for window shopping, offering ideas for choice cultivars and tips on how to integrate them into your woodland landscape design. In this new garden, azaleas are paired with ferns, sedges, grasses, and woodland perennials.
Hostas come from Japan, China, and Korea. The common name was once plantain-lily and the former Latin name, Funkia,was often used as a common name as well. There are around 45 species of hosta with over 7,000 cultivars. Two well-known species are the fragrant Chinese Hosta plantaginea and the waxy glaucous (blue) Japanese Hosta sieboldiana. Theyare parents to a myriad of successful cultivars on the market. Members of the plantaginea group tend to be heat lovers, while members of the sieboldiana group cannot take too much sun and warmth, their waxy blue coating starts to melt and turns green.
Hostas are notorious for having split personalities, meaning they sometimes change color during the course of the season. There are terms for this type of color instability: A hosta that changes from yellow or white to green is called viridescence; a change from green to yellow is called lutescence; and from yellow to white albescence.
Hostas are often classified by size: dwarf, miniature, small, medium, large, or giant. Each category has a different height range (given in inches) and average leaf size (given in square inches). For example, a giant hosta is over 28 inches tall and has a leaf surface area of greater than 144 square inches.
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)
Have you been seeing drifts of what appears to be white, fluffy snow all over New York City lately? Don’t worry, you’re not imagining things, but it’s not snow.
In fact it is millions upon millions (and possibly billions upon billions) of Cottonwood tree seeds trying to make their way to a nice comfy spot to set down roots and grow into one of the City’s most majestic native trees. Want to learn more? Then check out this great Video Plant Profile with NYBG Plant Records Manager, Jon Peter.
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!
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
There is nothing inherently complex about hostas. They are easy-to-grow, readily available, adaptable foliage plants for the shade garden. The problem with hostas is that they have a predisposition toward mutation, and there is a glut of similar looking cultivars on the market.
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.
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.