AIA tour from the water

Calm before the next storm

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is pretty quiet when it's 18 degrees out. One of the only sounds is the bubbling water that keeps the pond from freezing over. 

This is my first time seeing the new visitors center and I have to say that I am impressed. It fits in with the existing garden very well. The curves seem to have always been there. 

Pots in the courtyard

The Magnolia Virginiana stand out, being the only green leaves in the garden that don't seem to be drooping from the cold.

Magnolia virginiana

'Greenbay'

MAGNOLIACEAE

 

WWW: Winter Webcam Wandering

When winter in New York has me stuck inside with temperatures below 20 degrees, I like to wander through webcams from around the country. Idaho has some great ones!

Here are some of my favorites... 

(All from the Idaho DOT site)

This last one is of Sandpoint, Idaho

Link here 

Reflowering

I've had this orchid for 4 years. It only had flowers the first 2-3 months. Then nothing. Until I started fertilizing it last year. This my second reflowering on thiis one. An old man in the neighborhood told me, "With orchids you need to fertilize them weekly, weakly." 

Icy Winter

Woke this morning to rain soaking the  2"-3" inches new snow that fell overnight.  Although the ice makes even the most boring plants look like Ikea holiday decorations, it can be damaging to the trees and shrubs. 

Physical damage is the biggest concern with snow and ice. Not from the temperature but the weight of the snow and ice on the branches. I spent 5 min. cleaning the icey snow that coated the Hinoki, Piers and Spirea outside on the street. Even if the snow doesn't break branches, it can still permanently bend branches and make all your hard work on  shaping that Boxwood for not. I use a stick to knock off the ice and try to free any branches buried under the snow. 

Cleaning the snow off your shrubs

This time of year many people forget to clean the snow off their shrubs. Damage from accumulating snow that thaws a little and then re-freezes can be severe. The icy snow becomes quite heavy, breaking branches on small shrubs like Boxwood. 

Great Potential

Tavern on the Green in Central Park has closed after over 60 years in business. I snuck into the back outdoor seating area to see what remained to be auctioned. Just A 15-foot Godzilla (or King-Kong?) left. Really I wanted to see the building. Although, I never had a desire to eat there I often wondered what the building looked like, close up. Built in 1870 as the home for the sheep that grazed on the meadow across the drive, it was bastardized by Robert Moses in the 30’s to make room for a restaurant. The building still has great details. Now that the fake topiary and white metal furniture has been moved out, you can see the potential the space still has has. Notice the Hex Block, a true sign: “Robert Moses was here.”

I can’t figure out why Tavern On The Green filled the outside space with so many plants, both fake and real. When the restaurant was there you couldn’t see in or out. And the view of the Sheep’s Meadow is excellent from here.