There’s no denying it, we love Victoria waterlilies and can’t wait for the balmy days of August and these botanical behemoths to return. But I wasn’t aware that our love was matched—and perhaps surpassed—by the Victorian populace. I can’t wait to dig into this new book documenting their discovery and the obsession surrounding them in Victorian England. ~AR
Summer in the city can be especially hot and sticky, because urban heat islands exacerbate the warm weather. Researchers at Berkeley Lab are testing materials that battle that effect, making pavements cooler and safer.
Get ready, summer is around the corner! Our 50-acre old growth Forest is an especially great place to beat the heat, for humans and animals alike. ~AR
(via howstuffworks)
In Australia it is now officially summer. I like that, and I love that the Internet allows me to see all the beautiful summer plants, flowers and vegetables growing in the southern hemisphere, like these great plant studies. ~AR
more flower studies
Hate flying? Wallet feeling a little thin? Boss has you tied to your desk? Never fear! You can still visit the world’s 17th most beautiful museum (as chosen by the editors of Flavorpill) without ever leaving the five boroughs. Monet’s Garden, our homage to the great Impressionist painter’s incredible garden runs through October 21. Bonus: The water lilies are in full bloom! ~AR
Mild Winter = Hot Summer? Not Exactly
Take this for what it’s worth—to quote the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) deputy director, they “don’t give guarantees in the climate business.” (Not that any of you are citing the morning weather report as gospel.) But fears of an easy winter leading to a scorching summer are likely exaggerated.
Instead, we’re probably in for a slightly-warmer-than-average summer, and very little flooding (the other concern preoccupying the meteorologically fretful). This is pure relief for New Yorkers if it plays out. But in places like Texas, where an ongoing drought is the biggest issue on everyone’s mind, the thought of a summer with little rain is devastating. —MN
— WNYC’s Metro Focus finds “endless summer” in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
The New York Times talks to the Garden’s V.P. of Horticulture, Todd Forrest, to get tips on protecting your plants and garden from the heat at the height of summer.
Awwwwwh! We are loving this picture of About.com Container Gardening expert Kerry Michaels’ “watering buddy!” Do you have a watering buddy?
If so, submit a picture of your watering buddy through the submit link at the top of the this blog. We’d love to meet them!
Even the Garden’s resident red-tailed hawks are looking for ways to beat the heat. Lucky for them, they’re not restricted from using the Garden’s fountains as a way to cool off a bit.
Hawk contemplates taking a dip in the Fountain of Life
Yeah, I think a cooling dip sounds like a great idea!
Oh! Sweet! Relief!
So much better!
Huge thanks to Paul Silverman from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library for sending in these amazing photos!
What you’re not seeing in this picture of a sprinkler in the Perennial Garden (where it was 92° F) is the small crowd of adults waiting in the wings for their chance to catch the cooling spray, without getting completely drenched!
Another “reject” from Plant Talk’s Summer Color Week. Today: Orange.
Artist Philip Haas installation of the Four Seasons in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Courtyard at the NYBG (New York Botanical Garden)....
Imagined conversations from bygone times
What do we want?
A robust variety of naturally-occurring flora in bloom for campus beauty and...
Botanical Gardens, Bronx, NY.
People just accept that I love the New York Botanical Garden and look at the pictures of the pretty things.
BTW NYBG I love the new Native Plants...
Rosemary (in NYBG pot) and friend
Love you, Mom <3
Happy National Public Gardens Day! A female carpenter bee visiting the pea vines yesterday. She’s California’s largest bee.
