When In Manhattan

NY Botanical Garden

One thing that rarely comes to mind when thinking about New York City is magnificent flora – plants, flowers, and trees. Those of us that live in the Hamptons are used to fields and lush patches of woods in between blocks of houses new and old, but believe it or not, there is a place in New York that makes our selection of plants pale in comparison. It’s not Central Park. This column is usually based in Manhattan, but there are four other boroughs that shouldn’t be ignored. The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx is not only a place to experience some rare and wonderful plants, but it’s also one of the many city attractions running special programs for the holidays.

True to New York’s ability to have the best of everything, the Garden is one the planet’s greatest collection of plants. It was founded in 1891 and with its 50 gardens and collections, an indoor and outdoor children’s museum, an “ecotour” conservatory, and a 250-acre property, it has become our region’s top educational center for gardening and horticulture and an international center for plant research. The Garden is a National Historic Landmark that’s a short drive from home. Even here in the relatively rural Hamptons, we see the yearly expansion of the real estate sprawl and destruction of our remaining farmland and temperate forest. The New York Botanical Garden serves as an advocate for the plant kingdom in the same way a zoo presents animals with the mission of expanding our love for them through firsthand experience. They may be prisoners of sorts, but their sacrifice of freedom makes them emissaries for their species threatened in far-off lands. The plants at the Garden coupled with programs like the International Plant Science Center will enlighten any visitor to the importance of preserving the world’s remaining green areas through comprehensive education, research, and the simple act of communing with beautifully presented natural wonders.

For this holiday season, the Garden has created some excellent programs that should wow kids and adults alike. Running through January 7, the 15th annual Holiday Train Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is one of the city’s most beloved holiday traditions and this year is said to be the best yet. The Conservatory has been made into a magical place containing replicas of over 140 New York landmarks – like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Yankee Stadium – built completely from plant matter like, bark, berries, twigs, leaves, and seeds. It’s called the Train Show for the large model trains and trolleys that cruise through the fantastic landscape of landmarks, tunnels, bridges, waterfalls and lights. This year, replicas of fancy Manhattan homes and mansions have been added to the collection under the banner “Magical Missing Mansions,” signifying the homes that were once celebrated but didn’t hold up through the test of time. The models are meticulously detailed and subtly colored using only plants – no paint or added materials. From the statue at Grand Central Terminal to the red shingles on the roof of Sunnyside, Washington Irving’s (author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) home on the Hudson in Tarrytown, no detail has been spared. It’s advisable to buy tickets ($18) in advance during this busy season. Call Ticketmaster at (212) 220-0503 or go to www.Ticketmaster.com.

If you’re visiting with your kids, you’ll definitely want to send them along to Gingerbread Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Here they will examine the plants that make up a gingerbread recipe – like cinnamon bark and ginger root. Kids are invited to make sachets, decorate gingersnap cookies, and play in a kid-sized gingerbread house. Also on display are real gingerbread houses created by some of New York’s most acclaimed and imaginative bakers. Children will touch, taste, feel, see, and smell the fun.

The seasonal events are cool, but remember that the Garden has much more to offer than trains and gingerbread. A visit makes for a fascinating and educational day that will take you through a whole world of plants. I’ve always been impressed with the way the different regions are conditioned. The desert area, for example, is dry and hot and a total change from the section before it. You’d be surprised how interesting and sophisticated the variety of plants can be, even for non-green thumbs like me.

The New York Botanical Garden is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. through the holiday season. Go to www.NYBG.org or call Ticketmaster for rates, times, dates, and directions.