December 2011
124 posts
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Belgrade Fortress Besieged by Flowers →
When I first saw this story, I expected to click on the link and find an image of a beautiful old castle covered in flowers, like some sort of medieval site-specific installation art. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and the truth of the matter is much sadder than my daydream flight of fancy. Belgrade Fortress, which has stood in Serbia for over 2,000 years is being destroyed by a corrosive...
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“I planted some new bulbs (grape hyacinth, scilla, etc.) this October, when it...”
– Howdy Liz!
What a highly relevant question. Aren’t we all just wondering what’s going to happen to our poor, confused bulbs? Your answer comes from Kristin Schleiter, Acting Director of Outdoor Gardens.
Lots of bulb foliage is pushing its way up at NYBG too. Most of the bulbs we plant...
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Burgeoning array of apps offers help outdoors →
Via the Columbus Dispatch comes this really good list of apps for the gardener. One that they haven’t included that we have find quite handy is Evernote. With Evernote we’re able to synchronize plant lists, articles, to-do lists, and more across all of our computers, smartphones, and other handheld devices. Is there an app out there that you just can’t garden without? ~AR
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“I am planting more wild edibles in my garden and was wondering: Are all the...”
– Hello Susan!
Excellent question. Your answer comes from Sonia Uyterhoeven, Gardener for Public Education. If you want to learn more from Sonia, she writes a weekly column on our blog, Plant Talk.
This is an excellent question, Susan. The short answer is no. Whenever I am asked about foraging, my...
thelastleafgardener asked: I know that "AR" recently posted something on your behalf (via tumblr) re the use of Latin in the naming of botanical things being on its way out. I DISAGREE with that decision, but, that is for another discussion. What I would like to know is this: I received 3 lemon lime cypress a few wks ago + I cannot find their latin name anywhere! Since there is no place to include an image here, I...
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“The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx is one of...”
– The jealousy-inducingly well-traveled Annie Fitzsimmons visited the Train Show recently, and … we think she liked it. Thanks for visiting Annie, and for taking the time to include us on your awesome blog, Hotel Belle!
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“I have a healthy asparagus fern I left out for too many cold nights, and...”
– Hello Jeanne!
Thank you for your question. Your answer comes from Marc Hachadourian, Manager of the Nolen Greenhouses.
I don’t think that the plant is going to die – Asparagus Ferns are very tough plants and can take quite a bit of cold. What might happen is that the plant will drop many of it’s...
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“I’ll ask the obvious amaryllis question. What is the - blooming - secret...”
– Hello Rosemary!
Are all three amaryllis bulbs the same cultivar? Our best guess is that, much like people, each bulb is an individual and may require a different maturation period. Give them time and each one should come into flower eventually.
In addition, here are the instructions from our...
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You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers!
It’s a nice slow week here at the Garden, so we figured it was an ideal time to open the help line. Do you have a burning gardening question? Need to know how to care for a new plant you got as a holiday gift? Always wondered about how we take care of our millions of plants? Go ahead … Ask! It might take us a little research, but we’ll get back to you.
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Child's Gift →
This story by Eugene Chan features the Holiday Train Show, but it is by no means about the Train Show. It is rather about the how giving of yourself to others who may not be as fortunate as you is one of life’s great joys. A wonderful sentiment to keep in mind at this time of year. Thank you for sharing Eugene! ~AR
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A Reformed Slacker's Guide to Garden Planning →
So many of us start our green thumbs the same way: hit the local garden center, mull around in front of the seed stand, pick out packets of the most eye-catching flowers or edibles, then rush home and plant with abandon! …And so seldom does this method pan out.
Andrea Bellamy with Edible Vancouver puts together a few useful pointers for those looking to take their home gardening projects...
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Playland at SF Conservatory →
Can’t make it to New York City for our Holiday Train Show this year? Funny enough, it’s really true what they say—great minds do think alike.
As our new friends at Far Out Flora have shown us (their blog is one of our recent favorites), those on the west coast can stop by San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers for a peak at a very different train show! Click through the...
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Public parks, gardens discover more storm damage →
Talking about a much-admired magnolia grove at the Botanical Garden that was hard-hit by the snowstorm, Forrest said, “You told yourself to enjoy it while it lasted because you know trees don’t live forever. But then boom, it’s changed, and you know it will be decades before it is what it was again.”
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Coney Island in the Bronx →
Cool post about the Coney Island buildings and street cars featured in the Holiday Train Show from the blog Amusing the Zillions (tagline: A former carny kid casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between).
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“As soon as we enter the Garden and walk in a ways, it’s always such an odd...”
– Sharon, the San Francisco-transplant and mom behind the lovely blog NYC Taught Me returned to the Garden with her family recently, and wrote another beautiful post about their visit. We’re happy to provide you with a quite place to enjoy nature Sharon! Thanks for visiting.
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Nutcrackers Galore →
My attention was drawn to this article by an off-hand reference to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s appearance in the “Yorkville Nutcracker,” a version of the beloved holiday ballet set in 19th century New York City. But it is Marina Harss’ engaging and lucid writing on the various forms of choreography and their relationship to Tchaikovsky’s score that kept me reading. ~AR
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Ave Atque Vale: Botany bids 'hail and farewell' to... →
Plants, like people, need names. People are named by their parents. Plants are named by their discoverers. Naming a child is fairly easy. Naming a plant is fairly difficult, but will become less so in 2012.
In 2012, new rules will go into effect that will expedite the process of naming newly discovered plants—many of which are extremely threatened—by making their description published...
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From the Library: Christmas Display
There were far fewer trains in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory 71 years ago!
Photograph taken on December 23, 1940.
Source: The New York Botanical Garden’s historical photographs, in the collections of The LuEsther T. Mertz Library.
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The Nerdiest Christmas Trees Ever →
I’ll admit it: some of us here at The New York Botanical Garden are nerds of a most incorrigible caliber. But that’s a point of pride these days, right?
To that end, we bring you Gadgetbox’s take on the “Nerdiest Christmas Trees Ever.” As Daleks, Cthulhu, and sprite art go, you can’t do much better (that may or may not be a challenge to our readers).
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China's Growing Urban Population Sprouts Urban... →
New Yorkers aren’t the only ones taking advantage of rooftops and balconies! This Urban Gardens article shows that urban agriculture is springing up around the world as lifelong farmers and ambitious amateurs bring a greener touch to city life.
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Poinsettia: A Reputation Ill-Deserved →
Rumors abound that the lovely poinsettia—that most quintessential of holiday decorations—is packing a dark and deadly secret. But how dastardly is the potted beauty found sitting on hardware store shelves?
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A Wanderer in Poem Forest →
Marni Berger’s essay about Jon Cotner’s temporary poetry installation in the Garden’s Forest—Poem Forest—if full of deep, deep thoughts, and raw emotions.
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Mistletoe Gets the Kiss-Off →
Looking for that obligatory holiday kiss? You might be fresh out of luck. Thanks to droughts and an overall lack of consumer interest, The New York Times claims mistletoe is on its way out.
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“The Bronx has one of the city’s great Christmas traditions, the Holiday Train...”
– The Washington Post names the Holiday Train Show one of the holiday season’s “don’ts”, but in a “do” way. Thanks WaPo!
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Genome tree of life is largest yet for seed plants →
Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, The New York Botanical Garden, and New York University have created the largest genome-based tree of life for seed plants to date.
“This study resolves the long-standing problem of producing an unequivocal evolutionary tree of the seed plants,” said Dennis Stevenson, vice president for laboratory...
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FashionIndie Fridays: The New York Botanical... →
This post from Lester Brathwaite of FashionIndie just might be our favorite review of early December’s Winter Wonderland Ball, complete with $200, super-fly outfit from H&M!
Photo: Will Raggozino
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Taking the real train to the Holiday Train Show is... →
Interested in taking the Metro-North to the Holiday Train Show this year? Don’t forget about the weekend CityTicket! A CityTicket, only $3.75 one-way, is the best way to travel on Saturday and Sunday if you’re looking to take a ride up to the Bronx. It’s fast, simple and will have you at the Garden before you can say Enid A. Haupt Conservatory three times fast!
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A Bristlecone Pine Named 'Methuselah' →
The oldest living tree currently recorded on Earth predates Babylon, and it happens to be here in the United States.
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How to Make a Vertical Garden from Disposable Cups →
We’re not sure if this would be as stylish if you were to use a stack of red plastic party cups, but beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, right? UrbanGardens explains how one Turkish design firm took recycling to the next level.
