New York Botanical Garden

Apparently there is a theme to my sight-seeing when traveling and it involves lots of plants. What a shocker!

I miss plants – a lot. My friend Denise is also a plant junkie, so visiting the New York Botanical Garden became a fun excursion for us while she was here visiting. It’s not super easy to get to though. We had to trek up to the Bronx on the subway, which took probably an hour or so on express lines. Then we had a 20 minute walk from the nearest station. Maybe not such a big deal, but it gets so hot and humid here.

I am pleased to see so many botanical gardens including a bigger emphasis on edibles. They were no exception and had an exhibit featuring vegetables. If Pottery Barn had a vegetable garden, I think it would look like this. Some of the plants were already looking pretty wilty, so we were not the only ones trying to be tough with the heat of summer.

Did I know this tip already? Not sure, but I liked seeing the little signs tucked in with plantings. Reading a chalkboard signs seems much more fun than fancy interpretational signs.

I guess I have a thing for purple-blue-white color schemes. Maybe this is my version of Picasso’s blue period. They just look so elegant to me, and cooling. They even worked in a chartreuse accent here and there.

This is an old, historic building on the grounds and I forget what it was used for. They are renovating it and I think it will become a restaurant and a place you can rent out for private parties. If I were getting married in New York, this is where it would happen. There are Japanese Maples nearby that will look spectacular in the Fall and the river runs right below the patio.

And finally, Martha Stewart’s Herb Garden is part of the edible plant exhibit going on right now. I love geometric gardens and this one was a good example of that style. Boxwood made the hedges and cardoons were inside. Lots of herbs were tucked in here and there and along the edges.

I didn’t really find any of the edible stuff that mind-blowing, but I know I am not the everyday man when it comes to plant knowledge. Most people probably find it helpful to see that edibles can be beautiful and also feed you with a little work. But after visiting so many gardens this summer, I’m kind of over it. I’m ready to get my hands dirty in my own garden again.