An Evening at The New York Botanical Garden
There’s so much to see and learn at The New York Botanical Garden - I always try to attend their events and visit their exhibits.
Last week, after a long day at QVC, I went to The New York Botanical Garden for their annual Conservatory Ball. More than 550 guests were in attendance. The evening celebrated Chairman Emerita Maureen Chilton and her nine-years of service as NYBG’s Board Chairman. The affair also raised more than two million dollars to benefit the Children’s Education and Plant Research and Conservation Programs at NYBG. But first, since I arrived about an hour early, I had enough time to walk through some of the gardens, including the blooming Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden - one of the most popular NYBG destinations this time of year, when more than 650-varieties of roses are in peak bloom - they were all so beautiful.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- This is NYBG’s landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. It is so pretty any time of day. The Conservatory is the nation’s largest Victorian glasshouse. The Palm Court, with its spectacular 90-foot dome and dramatic reflecting pool, is often used for receptions and other gatherings. (Photo courtesy of Battalion PR)
-
- The NYBG is a 250-acre site with verdant landscapes and more than one-million living plants. I took this photo as we drove past the Library Building in the distance.
-
- This is the Ruth Rea Howell Vegetable Garden – the centerpiece of the NYBG’s Edible Academy, a state-of-the-art educational facility featuring hands-on activities and innovative programs that help children, families, teachers, and the general public learn about growing and preparing vegetables, fruit, and herbs.
-
- We also passed this flowering Cornus kousa, a small deciduous tree in the family Cornaceae. You may know it by one of its other common names – kousa dogwood, Chinese dogwood, Korean dogwood, and Japanese dogwood.
-
- And then we came upon the beautiful Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden. The David Austin rose ‘Leander’ greets visitors at the gate with its robust and fragrant rosette shaped blooms and its delightful raspberry scent.
-
- The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden was restored and completed in 1988 in honor of Peggy Rockefeller who loved to garden and felt strongly about conservation.
-
- At the center gazebo – ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ and ‘Awakening’ roses. I also have a few ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’ rose plants in my flower cutting garden. It has beautiful little flowers held in large, open sprays of pale pink. ‘Awakening’ produces fragrant, old fashioned, three-and-a-half-inch fully quartered blooms of soft, silvery pink with a fresh, sweet fragrance.
-
- Here is a closer look at the gazebo with all its beautiful roses in bloom.
-
- There are blooming roses everywhere making this one of the most visited spots at NYBG from May to October. In the foreground, low growing ‘Peach Drift’, and the red climbing rose is ‘Winner’s Circle’.
-
- Here is a view across the beds of some modern-day roses that require little or no spraying. Some of them include ‘Wedding Bells’, ‘Karl Ploberger’, and ‘Soeur Emmanuelle’.
-
- ‘Soeur Emmanuelle’ is a pink and lilac colored rose with strong, anise-lavender fragrance. It has large, very full cupped blooms which show off lots of petals throughout the season.
-
- ‘Mother of Pearl’ has an almost perfect flower shape. It is very hardy and disease resistant and was selected as the “Best Shrub Rose” by Birds & Blooms in 2014.
-
- ‘Divine Miss M’ is a luscious white rose with a little vanilla fragrance, named after singer Bette Midler to honor her work as founder of the New York Restoration Society.
-
- ‘Garden Delight’ has a yellow center with vivid pink edges that deepen with exposure to sunlight. The blooms grow in clusters and are old-fashioned, large and double in form.
-
- ‘In Your Eyes’ is a gorgeous new shrub rose that produces luxuriant clusters of three to five roses on its full, rounded form. Blooms start out a creamy yellow color accented by a red eye, maturing to soft lavender-pink with a rich purple eye. A delightful fruity fragrance accompanies these beautiful flowers.
-
- ‘Dark Desire’ has a nearly black bud that opens to a violet, red bloom. It has an enticing, strong perfume of apricot, geranium, honey, lemon, myrrh, and rose.
-
- ‘Celestial Night’ is deep plum purple in color with strong disease resistance and incredible flowering. Full blooms have a cupped and quartered, old-fashioned form that makes a stunning presentation both on the bushy plants and in a vase.
-
- And look who it is next to ‘Celestial Night’ – the “Rock Star of Roses” himself, Stephen Scanniello. What a great surprise.
-
- After seeing the Rose Garden, we were off to the Conservatory for the Ball. Here I am in the Palm Court in front of the dome and reflecting pool.
-
- The black-tie event began with an hour of cocktails outside where guests were invited to see the exhibition “Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx.” (Photo courtesy of Battalion PR)
-
- The exhibit is the first-ever to combine a horticultural tribute to Brazilian artist, landscape architect, and plant explorer, Burle Marx, and his design work, with a curated gallery of his paintings, drawings, and textiles. Here is his sculptural waterfall. (Photo courtesy of Battalion PR)
-
- After cocktails, we were all directed to go into the Conservatory tent for dinner. (Photo by Angela Pham/BFA)
-
- The tables were dressed in beautiful spring colors and seasonal flowers. (Photo by Angela Pham/BFA)
-
- Here is the centerpiece at our table with gorgeous shades of pink roses. (Photo by Angela Pham/BFA)
-
- Here is Chairman Emerita, Maureen Chilton, as she took to the podium to thank everyone for celebrating her nine-years of service as Chairman of the NYBG Board. (Photo by Angela Pham/BFA)
-
- Here is a photograph of NYBG President, Carrie Rebora Barratt, Maureen, and current NYBG Chairman of the Board, J. Barclay Collins II. (Photo by Angela Pham/BFA)
-
- Dinner included flavorful fish and salad. (Photo by Angela Pham/BFA)
-
- And a tasty, light berry dessert. (Photo by Angela Pham/BFA)
-
- It was another fun evening at The New York Botanical Garden. Please visit the NYBG the next time you’re in the NYC area. “Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx” is a magnificent exhibit and runs through Sunday, September 29th.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
