The New York Botanical Garden

A botanist teaching at the Columbia University, Nathaniel Lord Britton, and his wife, Elizabeth, (who was also a botanist) came back from their trip to England’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, thoroughly impressed and very inspired. They had a vision of having a similar botanical garden for New York City. On April 18, 1891, the New York Legislature identified a magnificent site and set it aside with the intention of making “a public botanic garden of the highest class.” Joining hands with this initiative of the city were financers and eminent civic leaders such as Andrew Carnegie, J. Pierpont Morgan, and Cornelius Vanderbilt. This public-private partnership led to the foundation of one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world and the largest in any city in the United States – the New York Botanical Garden.

Today this amazing botanical garden has been given the status of a National Historic Landmark, and it is home to greatest collections of flora in the world. Within its 250 acres you will be greeted by dramatic rock outcroppings, waterfalls and ponds, rolling hills, a 50-acre remnant of the erstwhile forest that once covered NYC, and the Bronx River. Among the displays that you get to see in its 50 gardens and plant collections are the “Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum”; the “Benenson Ornamental Conifers”;  “the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections”; the “Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden and Ladies’ Border”; and the “Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden”.

The “Enid A. Haupt Conservatory” in the New York Botanical Garden is the largest Victorian-era glasshouse in the United Stated. The “World of Plants” is the permanent display in the conservatory where visitors are taken on an ecotour of the whole world. Under one roof, they are introduced to deserts, tropical rain forests, aquatic and carnivorous plants, and a very impressive collection of palm trees. The conservatory is also the venue for the seasonal flower shows hosted by the garden.

The one that began most recently is “The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower.” It started on February 27 and will continue through March, ending on April 11, 2010. Cuban born designer Joege Sanchez has recreated the intrigue and fragrance of the city of Havana, and the conservatory has been transformed into a veritable paradise. The exhibition is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday, and while the admission for members is free, adults will have to shell out $20 to walk through this paradise and seniors and students are being offered a discounted rate of $18. For children the admission fee is $8 children, but if your kid is under 2 years, he gets to come in for free.

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2 Responses to “The New York Botanical Garden”

1. The New York Botanical Garden Presents, The Orchid Show: Brazilian Modern | MODERN GARDEN DESIGN says:

   March 16, 2010 at 4:06 pm

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2. victorian conservatory says:

   March 18, 2010 at 9:06 am

   [...] building a go ourselves. We couldn't afford to get someone to build it for us so we thought whatThe New York Botanical Garden | Manhattan StyleA botanist teaching at the Columbia University, Nathaniel Lord Britton, and his wife, Elizabeth, [...]