Climate Change Blog
BBG Weathers Hurricane Sandy
Four days after the worst of the storm hit Brooklyn, the newly reopened Garden was full of visitors and goodwill, suffused with the sort of community spirit that seems to catch New Yorkers by surprise after winter’s first snowfall. On Sunday, birdwatchers documented 26 visiting species, families enjoyed drop-in
Working for Watersheds
Healthy forests provide good water. That’s one of the reasons our area is known for the purity of its water. It’s also why BBG scientists are working in area watersheds to evaluate and understand the condition of these forests. Paul Harwood and I have been studying the forests of the Catskill High Peaks for the past
April Roses?
This year, as many people have noticed, quite a few plants are sequencing ahead of schedule. Last week our first rose—a Rosa carolina—bloomed. That indicates that in about 20 days, the Cranford Rose Garden will be looking quite wonderful. Peak bloom is estimated to be the first week of May, about a month earlier than
A Budding Crisis?
I’ve worked with trees for more than 20 years, and this is one of warmest winters I can recall. How are BBG’s trees handling it? The Asiatic dogwoods (Cornus officinalis) in the Plant Family Collection and the Cornelian cherries (Cornus mas) at the south end of the Osborne Garden are budding now, about two weeks ahead
Global Worrying?
First came the news that the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones have shifted (Welcome to Zone 7b, Brooklyn!). Then all over the Garden, snowdrops, daffodils, and crocuses were in full bloom days in advance of Groundhog Day. Now the warm weather has forced the cancellation of Winter Jam, the snow sports festival that was supposed to
Early Bloomers
Seeing the hyacinths emerge in the springtime is exciting. Seeing them in January, as we are now due to this winter’s exceptionally mild weather, is a little bit alarming, especially now that the forecast is calling for temperatures to dip into the 20s over the next few days. There is one bright side, though. Any
