Monday, February 15, 2010

Big Pimpin at the NYBG

As I mentioned yesterday we went to the NY Botanical Gardens, (i.e. our backyard) and hung out as we were all desperately in need of green.

But first we had to walk over a large hill through the deep snow (well, there was a cleared path. My husband who didn't have boots decided on that route). I didn't realize how much snow we had gotten until we got to the top of the hill and the snow was over the tops of my boots (and well over Georgia's knees).


On to the warmth of the conservatory. Here's a shot looking up into the main dome of the glass house:


A shot of the jungle in the next room:


A pod on a chocolate tree:


Georgia and I messing around near the indoor water lily pond:


Bruce in the indoor pond area (with some pretty hanging flowers):



Some very out of season water lilies:


Poufy red flower thingies (appropriately called Powder Puffs):



Lest we get too complacent, a view from into the courtyard from the glasshouse:



If you ever have the thought that fern fiddleheads are delicate and tiny, check out these suckers (with Bruce's hand included for scale):


No idea what these things are. We call them Crayon flowers. They look waxy and fake:



On to the desert. There are two desert rooms there. One for the Americas and one for Africa.

This is the Americas:


Pretty pink flowers that smell awesome:


Georgia splashing in puddles:


And that's it for today. We took more than 100 pictures there yesterday. It's amazing how we can go there all the time and the place always feels as new and fresh (and amazing) as it did the first time we went.

Since we're members, we generally go at least once a week. It's necessary for recharging. And I've been knitting in there, which is nice. Excellent light.

9 comments:

  1. this post makes me homesick for the Bronx--

    the gardens were my backyard as i was going up--and i love every inch of the park.. (as a teen, I often went wading in the Bronx River by the falls)

    Have you been to the Mill (now a restaurant)? it wasn't as many think a flour mill.. it was a snuff mill--grinding locally grown tobacco into snuff--people are always surprised to learn that tobacco was an important crop in NY (and CT, too).
    Much of the land of the gardens was owned by the Lorillard family (as in Lorillard Tobacco!)a few blocks away (south of Fordham road--there is also a Lorillard Avenue)

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  2. This is sooooo great that you have this place to go to!

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  3. Awesome!
    Wish I had a backyard like that, but ehm I probably would have killed all the plants... Thank you for showing beautiful picks!

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  4. Seriously, must you taunt us with your photos of beautiful plant life?! Ugh, I'm dyin' up here in Maine with not a single green growing thing around!

    (but really I'm happy for you and just a smidge envious)

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  5. It looks like you are having fun with the camera. Nice to see some green and colorful blooms. I will be glad when spring gets here.

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  6. How fun!!! The gardens AND the comment from the other side of the world!! Now, you know you HAVE to research and find out what the poster just said! Cool Beans!!

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  7. oh my goodness, Georgia is too cute! And the crayon flowers....very interesting....

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  8. Of Troy -- Unfortunately, the mill restaurant has closed down and they're currently redoing the entire building. Funny you should mention the Lorillards--Belmont is named after their home! Another funny thing; Lorillard still makes Newports, which are far and away the most popular cancer sticks in our area of the Bronx.

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