Through March 31, 2024
Online & At the Garden
We’re proud to honor the lives and accomplishments of women pioneers and trailblazers, researchers and innovators, activists and advocates, and the many people past and present who’ve advanced our knowledge of plants and worked to protect our planet’s biodiversity. Throughout March, join NYBG as we dive into the work that not only made the Garden the cultural institution it is today—but contributed to advancements in science, horticulture, and education that even now continue to steer our work to protect the planet and empower communities.
Above: Ladies’ Border was originally designed in the early 1930s by pioneering landscape architect Ellen Shipman. This garden was named by NYBG’s Women’s Auxiliary Committee, a group of women who were instrumental in establishing many of the Garden’s most beautiful collections. In 2002 noted public garden designer and NYBG Trustee Lynden B. Miller redesigned the border as a display of unusual plants with a particular emphasis on those with winter and early spring interest, experimenting with plants not considered hardy in this region—an important effort that continues today.
Through April 21 | At the Garden
Three rising women designers come together to create an Orchid Show unlike any other, spotlighting sartorial creations inspired by the living beauty of these biodiverse and important flowers.
For over 130 years, NYBG has been a hub of science, horticulture, and education, and the works of women account for a huge part of that history. Join us for tours throughout March that highlight women’s contributions to the Garden as leaders, designers, and botanical trailblazers, then and now.
Join us onsite or online for upcoming lectures led by contemporary women experts in their fields, featuring deep dives on historic artists in botanical literature as well as groundbreaking modern landscape design.
Hear from our Teen Explainers as they profile the lives and work of two remarkable women:
Explore plant connections between the wetland ecology of the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, the land where abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was formerly enslaved.
Learn about the important contributions of Janaki Ammal (1897–1984), the first woman from India to earn a doctorate in botany in America. Through her studies of plant breeding, she is credited with developing improvements for commercial plants to feed the Indian population and use her influence to preserve indigenous plants.
Here at the Garden and beyond, women are leading the charge in plant science, gardening, and beyond. Get to know a few of our current staff members, young volunteers, and figures from throughout history who’ve contributed to our love and understanding of plants.
Dr. Emily Sessa’s office is flooded with light—fit for a scientist who studies plants. She sits facing out onto the Garden, from a perfect vantage point overlooking the grounds—and the flora encompassed within. Plants have been a mainstay of Sessa’s life since childhood, driving her interests in researching one of the lesser understood, yet incredibly important plant groups: the ferns.
Did you know that NYBG grows and cares for over 1 million plants across its 250 acres? Join Summer Rayne Oakes along with Kelly Ivanoski, Manager of our Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections, as they explore the state-of-the-art space where so many of NYBG’s plants get their start.
Bronx Green-Up has spent decades working closely with Bronx neighborhoods to develop local gardens and urban farms—and empower the people of New York City to grow food in their own communities. Hear from some of our staff as well as the women discovering their love of plants through this important part of NYBG’s outreach.
NYBG’s The Hand Lens dives into the stories of innovative women in botany and horticulture who have contributed to science through cutting-edge research and activism. Learn about groundbreakers such as Sarah “Sadie” Frances Price (depicted here) and others who are recognized for their significant contributions to our current understanding and appreciation of botany.
