May 23, 2013

The roses are back! The peonies are back! The waterlilies are back! What’s beautiful now? Summer’s garden superstars, that’s who!

It’s been a steamy, sweltering week and the flowers that love this weather have welcomed it back with open petals. This is also prime time for ornamental alliums and the beginning of the poppies (my personal favorite) in the Perennial Garden, and foxgloves along the Seasonal Walk.

But the real stars of this week have nothing to do with flowers: This week is all about leaves, and shade. Step into the 50-acre Thain Family Forest and the ambient temperature drops by several degrees. The sounds of the city fall away. Head for the Canoe Portage (marked by signs) and pull up a rock to sit alongside New York City’s only freshwater river for a spot. I guarantee you’ll feel more relaxed, and decidedly cooler, after about 10 minutes.

If you’re comparing this week to last week’s report, the Rock Garden remains a favorite sunning spot for NYBG staffers and tiny lizards, the Native Plant Garden has taken on a completely new aspect, and the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden gets more lush by the day. Unfortunately, the heat has dealt a blow to two of last week’s stars, the Azalea Garden has taken on a more muted hue, and the lilacs are fading into a gently scented memory.

Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory continues to delight visitors with a one-two punch of geeky knowledge and Renaissance beauty. So if you’re not heading away for the three-day weekend come visit us in the Bronx!

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 Flowers Plants Forest New York City Poppies Peonies The New York Botanical Garden Rock Garden Native Plant Garden Perennial Garden Waterlilies Summer Flowers 
May 21, 2013

The peonies are looking spectacular right now and want you to visit them!

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Filed under: Peonies The New York Botanical Garden Flowers New York City Pink 
May 19, 2013
marisacarroll: Rosemary (in NYBG pot) and friend Pro tip: Rosemary grows best when it has a friend (and a very sunny window). ~AR

marisacarroll:

Rosemary (in NYBG pot) and friend

Pro tip: Rosemary grows best when it has a friend (and a very sunny window). ~AR

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Filed under: Rosemary Herbs Shop in the Garden The New York Botanical Garden Windowsill Plants Plants 
May 18, 2013
bpod-mrc: 15 May 2013 Brighter Brains The nodding yellow flowers of the humble daffodil are a welcome sight after the dreary days of winter. Dementia sufferers have a very different reason for enjoying this springtime display. Daffodils are a natural source of the drug galanthamine, one of the few treatments proven to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Galanthamine slows the breakdown of neurotransmitters – chemicals that carry signals between neurons – leading to improved brain function. Unfortunately, galanthamine is expensive. The best natural sources contain just 0.2% galanthamine and it’s difficult to produce synthetically. Daffodils are thought to produce this chemical as a response to environmental stress, so researchers and farmers in Wales are experimenting with growing the bulbs at high altitude. They hope that creating stressful conditions for the plants will lead to higher drug yields and a brighter outlook for patients. Written by Sarah McLusky — Originally published under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 2.0) Narcissus isn’t featured in our new exhibition, Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World. I’m going to chalk it up to the research being so new and cutting edge. But if this topic interests you, there’s plenty on offer in this exciting exhibition spread out throughout the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. ~AR

bpod-mrc:

15 May 2013

Brighter Brains

The nodding yellow flowers of the humble daffodil are a welcome sight after the dreary days of winter. Dementia sufferers have a very different reason for enjoying this springtime display. Daffodils are a natural source of the drug galanthamine, one of the few treatments proven to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Galanthamine slows the breakdown of neurotransmitters – chemicals that carry signals between neurons – leading to improved brain function. Unfortunately, galanthamine is expensive. The best natural sources contain just 0.2% galanthamine and it’s difficult to produce synthetically. Daffodils are thought to produce this chemical as a response to environmental stress, so researchers and farmers in Wales are experimenting with growing the bulbs at high altitude. They hope that creating stressful conditions for the plants will lead to higher drug yields and a brighter outlook for patients.

Written by Sarah McLusky

—

Narcissus isn’t featured in our new exhibition, Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World. I’m going to chalk it up to the research being so new and cutting edge. But if this topic interests you, there’s plenty on offer in this exciting exhibition spread out throughout the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. ~AR

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Filed under: Wild Medicine Medicinal Plants Narcissus The New York Botanical Garden Dementia Chemistry 
May 16, 2013

We’re mostly moving away from specific plants this week, in terms of what’s beautiful now, in favor of landscapes. Bright, pulsating, incredibly dramatic, gorgeous, stunningly beautiful landscapes, to be specific.

That said, there are a few standout flowers that you should look for, including that peachy peony and her friends, lily of the valley, and ‘Hinomayo,’ one of the most outstanding shrubs on our grounds.

So what about those landscapes? First there’s our new exhibition, Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World, Featuring The Italian Renaissance Garden in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Nearby in the Conservatory Courtyards (also home to The Four Seasons) you’ll find the hardy waterlilies bursting open in these first warm days of spring.

In the Perennial Garden tulips are making way for charming garden plants like bleeding heart and irises. Walk up the path for the charmingly idyllic Rock Garden, then walk around the bend for the wild beauty of the new Native Plant Garden, and then just a little further to the bombastic pinks and reds of the Azalea Garden.

Everywhere you turn there’s a sight to behold and a perfume on the breeze (just watch out for the Davidia). The lilacs are holding strong, the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is slowly coming along, and the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden looks like a patchwork quilt of greens and earthtones.

Things are definitely settling into a pattern here in terms of what’s beautiful. If you check last week’s report, and even the report from two weeks ago, many of the same gardens are holding strong. What can we say? It’s been an extraordinary spring!

So come visit us in the Bronx! You can plan your visit here. 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: Wild Medicine Flowers Plants What's Beautiful Now The New York Botanical Garden The Bronx New York City Spring Peonies Medicinal Plants Azaleas Waterlilies End A. Haupt Conservatory Wildflowers Perennial Garden Rock Garden Lily of the Valley Family Activities Gardening 
May 15, 2013

The Four Seasons by Philip Haas, monumental sculptures inspired by the paintings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo go on display at NYBG this weekend as part of Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World!

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Filed under: Art Medicinal Plants Giuseppe Arcimboldo Arcimboldo Sculpture The New York Botanical Garden Monumental Sculpture Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Philip Haas 
May 9, 2013
condenasttraveler: New York’s Outstanding Urban Gardens | New York Botanical Garden So pleased to be included in this list along with fellow Bronx institutions Wave Hill and the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum!

condenasttraveler:

New York’s Outstanding Urban Gardens | New York Botanical Garden

So pleased to be included in this list along with fellow Bronx institutions Wave Hill and the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum!

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Filed under: Conde Nast Traveler The New York Botanical Garden Wave Hill Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum The Bronx New York City Bronx Urban Gardens 
May 8, 2013
It was a terribly kept secret, if it was ever a secret at all; the Garden is a fantastic place to go for a run. Our 250-acres are full of hilly paths, paved roads, and soft woodland trails that just scream to be jogged upon, and jogged upon they are; by staff, by Fordham students, by Members, by people from the community, and, apparently, by New York Times reporters. Brian Fidelman recently laced up his sneakers and came for a run here and declared it, “the most scenic and tranquil run in the city.” What Fidelman does reveal is a secret we haven’t been trying to keep, but that seems to keep itself: You can enter the Garden as early as 6 a.m. with a special pass or level of membership! So strap on your sneakers and come run with us! Mornings and evenings are, in my humble opinion, the best times. There are fewer Trams to negotiate, fewer people, too. And after 5 p.m., you’re likely to run into me and my colleagues huffing and puffing up the hills. Wave hi! ~AR (via The Roving Runner: The New York Botanical Garden - NYTimes.com)

It was a terribly kept secret, if it was ever a secret at all; the Garden is a fantastic place to go for a run. Our 250-acres are full of hilly paths, paved roads, and soft woodland trails that just scream to be jogged upon, and jogged upon they are; by staff, by Fordham students, by Members, by people from the community, and, apparently, by New York Times reporters. Brian Fidelman recently laced up his sneakers and came for a run here and declared it, “the most scenic and tranquil run in the city.”

What Fidelman does reveal is a secret we haven’t been trying to keep, but that seems to keep itself: You can enter the Garden as early as 6 a.m. with a special pass or level of membership!

So strap on your sneakers and come run with us! Mornings and evenings are, in my humble opinion, the best times. There are fewer Trams to negotiate, fewer people, too. And after 5 p.m., you’re likely to run into me and my colleagues huffing and puffing up the hills. Wave hi! ~AR

(via The Roving Runner: The New York Botanical Garden - NYTimes.com)

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Filed under: Running New York City The New York Botanical Garden Jogging Exercise 
May 7, 2013
3 Tips to Get a Better Workout When You’re Walking - Health News and Views - Health.com

Lots of people use our 250 acres as a good excuse to go for a walk, myself included. The varied terrain and well-paved paths, not to mention the gorgeous surroundings, make it easy to clock a mile or two without even trying. Here are three great tips from New Balance for maximizing your next jaunt around the Garden. ~AR

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Filed under: Walking The New York Botanical Garden Health Exercise 
May 3, 2013

ceceliaisgray:

The Zoo for Plants

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Filed under: The New York Botanical Garden Visitor-Generated Content Spring Cherry Blossoms New York City Tulips Crabapples The Bronx 
May 3, 2013
Columbia J-school student Brett Essler contacted the Garden just days after Superstorm Sandy devastated the east coast to ask if there was any way we could work with him on a photojournalism project recording the devastation wrought to trees throughout New York City. We helped him to get access to our amazing arborists who were cleaning up some of the biggest trees on our grounds, many of which were well over 100 (or even 200) years old. “While the loss of a tree is not comparable to the loss of a life, home, or livelihood, the plants and trees that line our parks, yards, and streets are an important part of our city’s history and ecosystem. The city’s trees are home to endangered migratory birds, shelter from the summer sun, and the backdrop for a cherished family photos.” And it’s true. Trees are vital. They cool our artificially heated city, provide shelter, shade, food, and beauty. Trees are emotional plants. It hurts to see them destroyed. Thanks for capturing the poignancy, Brett. ~AR (via Photographer documents tree damage following Superstorm Sandy : TreeHugger)

Columbia J-school student Brett Essler contacted the Garden just days after Superstorm Sandy devastated the east coast to ask if there was any way we could work with him on a photojournalism project recording the devastation wrought to trees throughout New York City. We helped him to get access to our amazing arborists who were cleaning up some of the biggest trees on our grounds, many of which were well over 100 (or even 200) years old.

“While the loss of a tree is not comparable to the loss of a life, home, or livelihood, the plants and trees that line our parks, yards, and streets are an important part of our city’s history and ecosystem. The city’s trees are home to endangered migratory birds, shelter from the summer sun, and the backdrop for a cherished family photos.”

And it’s true. Trees are vital. They cool our artificially heated city, provide shelter, shade, food, and beauty. Trees are emotional plants. It hurts to see them destroyed. Thanks for capturing the poignancy, Brett. ~AR

(via Photographer documents tree damage following Superstorm Sandy : TreeHugger)

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(Notes: 27)
  
Filed under: Trees Forests Superstorm Sandy Photojournalism Columbia J School Columbia University The New York Botanical Garden Central Park 
May 2, 2013
A New Perspective - Click and Drag This Photo

To fully understand this post, you’ll need to click through on the image.

Seems like everyone wants to get their hands on the Lytro camera. This spectacular shot was taken by Amy Weiss, Curatorial Assistant at the William and Lynda Steere Herabrium. Click on the image to re-focus on the cherry blossoms - click and drag on the image to change your perspective.

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(Notes: 30)
  
Filed under: Lytro Depth of Field Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Steere Herbarium Digital Imaging The New York Botanical Garden Cherry Blossoms Spring submission 
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
Snoozing in ‘Ivy’s shadow.

Snoozing in ‘Ivy’s shadow.

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(Notes: 36)
  
Filed under: the new york botanical garden ducks manolo valdez reflecting pool 
May 1, 2013

The tree peonies above the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden are just beginning to bloom and they are amazing!

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Filed under: tree peonies spring what's in bloom peonies new york city the bronx the new york botanical garden flowers 
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