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Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2005 Annual Report
Horticulture
Throughout much of the year, work in horticulture centered on improving both the individual gardens and the systems that support them, including irrigation and electrical systems and infrastructure items such as roads and hardscape. The Garden's human support system was strengthened as well, with a number of talented people brought on to fill significant vacant posts. Patrick Cullina joined BBG as vice president of Horticulture and Facilities, along with new gardeners in the Alice Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden and in the Native Flora Garden, an additional arborist, and three new employees on the grounds-maintenance crew. The department now has a full staff complement, and the resulting momentum is clearly evident.
During much of the winter and spring, emphasis was placed on increasing the palette of plants throughout the gardens, collections, and conservatories, fostering connections with an increasing number of nursery sources along the way. The results have been immediate, and what follows are just a few examples of the many accomplishments in Horticulture and Facilities during the past year.
The pools on the Lily Pool Terrace were drained, cleaned, and refilled, and the fountain was repaired. Repairs were also made to the bluestone patio around the entrance to the Palm House and to the coping surrounding the two pools.
A new wrought-iron fence was installed around the Native Flora Garden, replacing the old chain-link fence. A number of paths were restored, particularly in areas where tree roots had been exposed. A number of crab apple cultivars were added in the Osborne Garden, and work continued on the planting of the boulder wall there.
In the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, the Japanese maples and a number of pines were thinned and pruned, and work on the peony beds resulted in a tremendous flower display in the spring. On the other side of the pond, a major cleanup of the shore was undertaken as plants there were evaluated for their role in controlling erosion. In other areas of the Plant Family Collection, new plants were added, while some beds, such as that of the Composite Collection, underwent considerable expansion. In the nearby Rock Garden, a dozen boulders were moved to the eastern perimeter to lend further dimension to the plantings there.
There was much activity in the conservatories as well. More than 100 bonsai were repotted, and a third of those were wired for reshaping. In the spring, two of these plants—a Pinus thunbergiana 'Contorta' and an Acer palmatum—were featured at the World Bonsai Convention, in Washington, D.C.
The Helen Mattin Warm Temperate Pavilion underwent a significant upgrade, as what was once a large recess in the center of the house was filled with soil to create a large mound that features both permanent plantings and seasonal South African bulbs. This allows visitors a much improved view of the plants there. In the spring, a significant number of plant species and varieties were added to this collection. In the Desert Pavilion a re-inventory of all plants was taken; and a number of major trees were pruned in the Tropical Pavilion.
At the 25th Annual New York International Orchid Show, BBG won a number of awards, including the highly coveted Janet Howe Memorial Award for Best Specimen in Show (Bifrenaria harrisonae) and the Mayor's Trophy for Best Plant Grown in New York (Catasetum 'Black Knight'). In the greenhouses, gardeners propagated and grew more than 17,000 plants for displays in beds and containers across the Garden.
The Facilities Department was also hard at work throughout the year, continuing its program of maintaining and improving Garden buildings and structures. In the Steinhardt Conservatory, renovations created a new winter location for the Terrace Café, and painting and lighting improvements were made to the nearby gallery spaces. In the main Administration Building and in the Science Research Center and Library, HVAC systems were improved. Failing and inadequate fin-tube heating systems in the orchid and adjacent growing houses were replaced with efficient cast-iron units. Classrooms 123 and 125 also underwent a major overhaul with generous support from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Auxiliary, including new full-spectrum lighting, new paint, and refurbished floors.
In the gardens, a number of benches were either installed or repaired, and the historic hooded bench in the Shakespeare Garden was completely restored. The board fence in the Children's and Discovery Gardens was also extended, and a new security gate was installed in the work area.