Who knew that there is more than one botanical garden in New York City?
A friend recently began describing the Cherry Watch Blossom Status to me.
"It's on the botanical garden's website. You can find out the best time to view blossoms. It looks like another week or so before most of them will be in full bloom," she reported.
Confused, I said, "But I've already seen cherry blossoms at the New York Botanical Garden."
"Not that botanical garden, the other one, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden," she patiently explained.
I must start reading my guidebooks more closely.
On a perfect Easter afternoon - no clouds, only blue sky, sunshine and 60-degree gentle breezes - I was off. I couldn't wait until the "best viewing time." Another garden awaited my exploring. This one is somewhat smaller, 52 acres rather than the 250 of its Bronx counterpart, but plenty big for me. . . and two friends. Different exploring buddies than the ones who trekked with me to the New York Botanical Garden last week, but world adventurers, none the less.
Shannon and Nola, friends whom Drew and I first met when we all worked
in Egypt, at Cairo American College
So, what prompted me to take my camera out every couple of minutes, stopped me every few feet to smell and listen? The better question is, "What didn't?" Such incredible beauty, fragrances and birdsong compacted into 52 acres!
The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden particularly captured my attention, as an area I did not find at the New York Botanical Garden. Wandering around the rim of the pond, I found collections of trees and flowering plants that meshed together so perfectly, it was hard to tell where one stopped and the next started.
Cherry blossoms found a perfect home on the pond's edge.
It was not only the grand sights, but the tiny, timid leaves and flowers who asked me to stop and take their picture.
**********
A walk in nature always leaves me with memories and a "wanting" to return.
A friend recently began describing the Cherry Watch Blossom Status to me.
"It's on the botanical garden's website. You can find out the best time to view blossoms. It looks like another week or so before most of them will be in full bloom," she reported.
Confused, I said, "But I've already seen cherry blossoms at the New York Botanical Garden."
"Not that botanical garden, the other one, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden," she patiently explained.
I must start reading my guidebooks more closely.
On a perfect Easter afternoon - no clouds, only blue sky, sunshine and 60-degree gentle breezes - I was off. I couldn't wait until the "best viewing time." Another garden awaited my exploring. This one is somewhat smaller, 52 acres rather than the 250 of its Bronx counterpart, but plenty big for me. . . and two friends. Different exploring buddies than the ones who trekked with me to the New York Botanical Garden last week, but world adventurers, none the less.
Shannon and Nola, friends whom Drew and I first met when we all worked
in Egypt, at Cairo American College
So, what prompted me to take my camera out every couple of minutes, stopped me every few feet to smell and listen? The better question is, "What didn't?" Such incredible beauty, fragrances and birdsong compacted into 52 acres!
The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden particularly captured my attention, as an area I did not find at the New York Botanical Garden. Wandering around the rim of the pond, I found collections of trees and flowering plants that meshed together so perfectly, it was hard to tell where one stopped and the next started.
Cherry blossoms found a perfect home on the pond's edge.
It was not only the grand sights, but the tiny, timid leaves and flowers who asked me to stop and take their picture.
A walk in nature always leaves me with memories and a "wanting" to return.
The delicateness of a cherry blossom lingers in my mind. . .
while a field of green blades, soon to be awash in Bluebell, will bring me
(hopefully, with Nola and Shannon) back in May.
In the meantime, if any of you knows of yet another botanical garden in New York City,
please leave me a comment.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Cherry blossoms in a couple of weeks ought to be spectacular as well. Spring is definitely gorgeous in this part of the world.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Bluebells ... Definitely count me in on that trip.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos and really enjoyed your blog. Alice
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment and for reading. I never knew that NYC could be so beautiful in spring!
ReplyDelete