May 2, 2013

May is here, and the list of What’s Beautiful Now is longer than ever.

It is thrilling how the early flowers continue to persist thanks to this wonderful, gradual spring that has been free of those pretty normal, intense hot days that are so common in New York City in April (and last year in March).

Daffodils are still around in some spots, and there are a few magnolias still holding on, but mostly we’re beginning to see the flowers that signify the heart of spring: lilacs, azaleas, dogwoods, crab apples, tree peonies, and, the very earliest roses!

This weekend marks the grand opening of our newest garden, the Native Plant Garden! Native wildflowers tend to be a little smaller, a little less showy than their cultivated brethren, so we have been making time to introduce you to some of them on our blog Plant Talk.

There’s really not a bum spot in the Garden right now. Every place you turn, it’s beautiful! And the weather is supposed to be spectacular this weekend, so come hang out with us and enjoy the amazing plants across our 250-acres.

What’s still beautiful? Last week’s tulips, for sure, though most of the flowering cherries of two weeks ago are now just a memory. I should point out, however, that there are many different kinds of flowering cherries, and the most classic, robust ones are in full bloom right now (for proof, check out the photo up top that looks like a fluffy pink Tribble).

Ready to plan your journey to the Bronx? Here’s everything you need to know. For day-to-day updates on what we’re seeing around grounds, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter where we post daily updates from our staff and visitors. Also, need help getting around? Our iPhone app can help out there. It’s free and available in the App Store. ~AR

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Filed under: Flowering Cherries Cherry Blossoms New York City Lilacs Tuilps Daffodils Spring Azaleas The New York Botanical Garden Tree Peonies Dogwoods Crab Apples Roses Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden Native Plant Garden Native Wildflowers Flowers 
May 1, 2013

rhesastorms:

Our family membership to the New York Botanical Garden wins best purchase of the year!

Not humblebragging or anything. Just, y’know, keeping pretty pictures around for the gap between the close of this cherry bloom and the start of the next. Definitely just that. —MN

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Filed under: cherry blossoms sakura NYBG spring prunus Cherry Valley daffodils 
April 25, 2013

It’s time for tulips to take a stand! What’s beautiful now? Oh boy, are you tired of hearing everything yet? Yeah, I thought so, so let’s be specific. The Perennial Garden has once again become the lunchtime lounging spot for me and my colleagues (that is if there’s a spare bench, you guys always get first dibs!).

While you’re in the Perennial Garden, you will likely be stopped dead in your tracks by an absolutely stunning bush sporting pompoms of nearly neon red flowers. That would be Rhododendron ‘Taurus’ which was described to me yesterday by our Manager of Plant Records Jon Peter as a “totally incredible plant!!!!” (not lying about the number of exclamation points there, that’s how awesome ‘Taurus’ is).

Along Seasonal Walk you’ll see tulips, tulips, and more tulips. While on Daffodil Hill you’ll see daffodils, daffodils, and more daffodils. Cherry Valley is home to, you guessed it, cherries, cherries and more cherries, while the Azalea Garden is featuring … meh, a few azaleas. Let’s just say it’s not her time yet.

If lilacs are your thing, they’re coming soon. If I could liken our lilac collection to a bag of microwave popcorn I would say we’ve probably heard about one or two pops. Not sure when the volley of fireworks will come, but probably next week, but with this cool weather, who can really tell?

And speaking of cool weather, you can still see lots of the beauties I was talking about last week and the week before, but most of the blooms of three-weeks ago have finally given up the ghost (sadface for the magnolias). Ready to plan your journey to the Bronx? Here’s everything you need to know.

For day-to-day updates on what we’re seeing around grounds, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter where we post daily updates from our staff and visitors. Also, need help getting around? Our iPhone app can help out there. It’s free and available in the App Store. ~AR

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Filed under: What's Beautiful Now Flowering Cherries Cherry Blossoms New York City Lilacs Tulips Daffodils Spring Rhododendrons The New York Botancial Garden The Bronx Bronx 
April 11, 2013

What’s in bloom now at NYBG? Oh so much! The cherry blossoms are beginning, but for the moment they are eclipsed by the wonderful (and fragrant!) magnolias. Daffodils are popping up all over, Siberian squills are creating drifts in many of our gardens, and the azaleas are starting to provide a girly blush to the hillsides of the Azalea Garden.

The warmth of the last two days made many of our blooms pop, and now these more seasonal, cooler days will allow those blooms to hold on through the weekend. Combine what’s outside on our 150 acres with the spectacular Orchid Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and I really can’t think of a single reason to not come for a visit! ~AR


ps - Here’s what we reported to be in bloom last week. Many of these beauties are lingering, so be sure to keep an eye out for them, too.

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Filed under: New York City Cherry Blossoms Sakura Bronx The New York Botanical Garden Blooms Blossoms Flowers Daffodils Spring Nature Plants Landscape Magnolias 
April 9, 2012
Daffodil Hill: 65 Years

A little more than a week ago, the Museum of the City of New York tweeted a photo of the Garden’s Daffodil Hill from 1947 as their photo of the day.

Inspired by the serene scene, I asked Garden photographer Ivo to head out and see if he could capture a similar shot. Trees have moved and grown, and this year’s strange weather has taken its toll on the blooms, but I think Ivo did a pretty good job. What do you think?

Thank you MCNY for the inspiration! ~AR

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Filed under: museumlove Photography New York City Museum of the City of New York NYC Daffodils Nature Landscape Photography Black and White 
March 22, 2012

Now Blooming: Out of Sync

10,000 daffodils are “in bloom” across the courtyard of Somerset House in Britain. But even at a glance, their petals are more in line with the walls of the 18th-century architecture encompassing them than the gardens of the U.K. It’s nothing you’d expect to see in the average spring display.

Each flower is the hand-crafted product of artist Fernando Casasempere’s creative take on environmental uncertainty, the pattern of the seasons, and the fragility of nature. Using native Chilean clay from his home country, along with various industrial byproducts such as rebar scraps, the installation stands in apt (if dramatic) contrast to the cheerful yellow and white daffodils we see around the Garden.

I do love industrial art; I suppose it would be an experience to wander in a field of the natural so far removed from what we know. —MN

(Image source: Leader Post)

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Filed under: art sculpture daffodils spring Casasempere 
March 13, 2012
Daffodils and robins. Spring has sprung! (Taken with Instagram at New York Botanical Garden)

Daffodils and robins. Spring has sprung! (Taken with Instagram at New York Botanical Garden)

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Filed under: Daffodils Spring The New York Botanical Garden Flowers Nature New York City NYC Instagram 
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