Lily Pool Terrace
Nearly 100 varieties of hardy and tropical water-lilies, blend with elegant sacred lotuses, and other aquatic plants offer a stunning summer display on Lily Pool Terrace. Spectacular year-round, visitors enjoy the serene reflecting pools, fountains, and border gardens, which are also popular with local wildlife such as colorful carp, ducks, and the occasional visiting heron.
The centerpiece of Lily Pool Terrace is the Jenkins Fountain, located directly in front of the Palm House. Two large rectangular pools are situated to its north and south, bordered on the west east by the the Mixed Perennial Border, and on the east west by the Annual Border. BBG’s Gift Shop, Garden Shop, Palm House, and Terrace Café are located just off the Terrace.
These two large pools are planted with nearly 100 varieties of hardy and tropical water-lilies and sacred lotus creating a stunning attraction in July, August, and September.
Construction of the Lily Pool Terrace began in 1919, shortly after the original conservatories were completed, and was finished in 1921. The pool containing Jenkins Fountain originally had cattails planted between large rocks near the base of the fountain. During the 1970s, the rocks and cattails were removed. Since that time, an assortment diverse collection of container-grown aquatic plants has been displayed seasonally.
The large pool south of the Jenkins Fountain, plants are contained in large tubs set directly on the floor of the pool. From the time of construction to the late 1980s, this pool was devoted to a collection of hardy water-lilies. The north water-lily pool is almost a mirror image of the south pool, except it has an arc-bay at its northern end. Originally, it was heated by hot water piping and was used to display tropical water-lilies, while the south pool was devoted to a collection of hardy water-lilies. In 1976, the economic crisis in New York City and the global energy shortage forced a decision to stop heating the north pool. Some time after that, it was decided to focus more on the hardy water-lilies and lotuses, with a smaller selection of interplanted tropical water-lilies. The hardy water-lilies are planted in large tubs set directly on the floor of the pools, while the tropicals and lotuses are raised above the pool floor to take advantage of the warmth from the pool's natural thermocline.
The arc-shaped fourth pool is located at the northern end of Lily Pool Terrace and is called the Lion's Head Pool for its fanciful wall fountain. It is the smallest of the pools and displays several lotuses and water-lilies.
Cayleb Long
Cayleb Long is the curator of the Annual & Perennial Borders, Lily Pool Terrace, and Magnolia Collections at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. As a native Oregonian, Cayleb developed a passion for Northwestern wild flowers and native plants while living and traveling in the region. Upon moving to New York in 2001, Cayleb began a successful business designing and installing gardens in NYC. Transitioning to public horticulture in 2006, Cayleb joined the staff at Brooklyn Botanic Garden as Horticulture Intern, received a Certificate in Horticulture from BBG, and worked as Assistant Gardener before taking his current position in 2008. Cayleb has studied at BBG, NYBG and around the country and has developed gardens in New York, Oregon, Michigan, and Florida. He has interests in organic gardening, sustainable ecologies, and the Farm to Fork movement. Cayleb also teaches the Herbaceous Plant Identification course for BBG's Horticulture Certificate Program.
Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) cultivars
There are several varieties of Scared Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) in the Lily Pool Terrace. They are sacred in the Buddhist religion, "emblematic of the soul of man, resting always in calm above the surging activities of the world; existing in the sunlight pure and undefiled; rooted in the world of experience."
Hardy Water-lily (Nymphaea species) cultivars
Tropical Water-lily (Nymphaea species) cultivars
