From June through September 2024, Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts Patrick Costello as artist in residence. Costello will create an immersive and participatory processional performance, while exploring plant-pollinator interactions as dynamic theater pieces unto themselves. The final piece will be presented at the end of September. Public Programs ;
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Family Benefit tickets include:
Exclusive access to the Lightscape experience—enjoy spectacular lights and colors as you meander through the outdoor trail without the crowds
Complimentary hot cocoa and cider (spiked for adults!) along the route, as well as special performances and family photo opportunities
Light fare, an open bar, and family fun activities for kids and adults indoors in BBG’s Palm House, including face painting
A BBG gift bag with take-home garden activity
Complimentary parking (self-park)
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Photos by Will Ragozzino, Liz Ligon, and Sean Sime.
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Get an inside look at the Pollinator Lounge with some of the project’s artists. Learn about the design process for the habitat boxes, explore their hidden visual dimensions through UV reflective light, and listen to fictional narratives told from the point of view of bees, butterflies, wasps, flies, and beetles.
Project co-creator Joyce Hwang and fellow University of Buffalo Architecture faculty member Maia Peck will give a brief introduction to the project, followed by mini tours of selected habitats by the UB students who designed and built them.
Free with Garden admission. No registration required.
Free advance tickets during public hours are offered to the individuals and groups listed below.
Valid ID, membership card, or pass is required.
Admission is for one unless otherwise noted. Children under 12 are admitted free.
Not valid during ticketed or member events and other nonpublic hours unless noted.
Check details below before planning your visit.
PREREGISTERED GROUPS & INDIVIDUALS
These programs require registration in advance of a visit. Admission is free; however, space may be limited.
Culture Pass
Culture Pass is a program for cardholding patrons of Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and Queens Library. A limited number of single-use passes to Brooklyn Botanic Garden are available by reservation. Each pass provides free admission to up to 2 people.
Book your visit at culturepass.nyc and print or download your pass to redeem at admission booth.
Self-Guided School and Camp Groups
Children’s groups from pre-K through high school are admitted free when the Garden is open.
Present group admission barcode at gate. School bus drop-off is at 455 Flatbush Avenue; groups arriving by public transportation may use any public entrance.
Nonprofit Organizations Serving People with Disabilities and Older Adults
Groups from nonprofit senior centers, shelters, rehabilitation centers, and other 501(c)(3) organizations serving seniors and people with disabilities may register in advance for a free, self-guided visit.
BASE student family passes admit up to 4 family members free.
Show ticket with valid school ID or family pass at admission booth.
Cool Culture Cardholders
Children in the NYC Cool Culture program and their families are admitted free.
Each pass admits up to 5 family members. Not valid during nonpublic hours.
Present pass at box office. Photo ID may also be required.
Garden Apprentice Program
Teens in the Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) participate in programming from March through November.
GAP students enter free with Brooklyn Botanic Garden ID.
Project Green Reach
Classrooms participating in Project Green Reach receive free guided tours of the Garden.
PGR family passes admit family members free of charge.
Show PGR family pass at admission booth.
Urban Advantage
Middle school teachers in the Urban Advantage program may redeem an Urban Advantage Class Visit Voucher for a Garden Expedition or Guided Workshop program. See bbg.org/learn/urban_advantage for details and call 718-623-7220 to register.
Students with an Urban Advantage Student+3 Voucher receive free admission with up to 3 guests. Redeem at admission booth.
Urban Advantage teachers and parent coordinators with an Urban Advantage Teacher/PC Admission Voucher receive free admission with up to 3 guests. Redeem at admission booth.
Parent coordinators with an Urban Advantage School Community Trip Voucher receive free admission for 40 people on non–school days. Redeem at admission booth.
Members of Affiliated Organizations
Visitors with valid membership cards for the following organizations receive complimentary admission. Not valid during festivals, ticketed or member events, and other nonpublic hours.
Members of Affiliated Museum and Garden Associations: AHS, APGA, Museums Council
Individual members of the American Horticultural Society and Association of Public Gardens receive free admission with 1 guest.
Individual members of the Museums Council of New York City are admitted with their family members.
Present valid membership card and photo ID with your ticket at admission booth.
Members of AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program Gardens
Members of botanic gardens participating in the AHS Reciprocal Gardens Program receive free admission.
Present valid membership card and photo ID with your ticket at admission booth.
Current employees are admitted with 1 guest during public hours. Employees of Con Edison, National Grid, Orange Utilities, Rockland Utilities, and Stavros Niarchos Foundation are admitted with up to 5 guests.
Corporate members also receive 10% discount at the Garden Shop and on BBG classes.
Present valid, photo work ID (or business card plus photo ID) with your ticket at admission booth.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Volunteers
Active Garden volunteers may show volunteer ID with ticket for free admission with guests.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please contact [email protected].
Closed Mondays (except open October 14, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.)
Admission
All visitors must present ticket for entrance. Members and affiliates with free tickets must also show proof of eligibility.
Advance tickets are recommended. Tickets are available 30 days in advance of visit dates. Same-day tickets may be obtained at Garden admission booths.
Children under 12 are free. Children under 14 must be supervised by an adult 18 or over.
If you are feeling unwell, please reschedule your visit. Tickets are nonrefundable, but may be exchanged in advance for another date (see ticket confirmation for details).
Admissions and membership revenue helps Brooklyn Botanic Garden care for its 52 acres of grounds and conservatories and provide the environmental education programs, breathtaking botanical displays, exciting public events, and community greening efforts that have made the Garden a world-class living museum for all to enjoy. Thank you for supporting this with your visit!
Free Admission Opportunities
Admission is free:
BBG members receive free general admission year-round.
Children under 12 are always free.
Community Tickets: A portion of each day’s tickets are available free of charge to those who need them. Supported by JPMorgan Chase.
Free admission during public hours is also offered to the individuals and groups listed below. Check full details at the link below before planning your visit.
Academic members and participants in the following programs, with valid ID:
Students, employees of Brooklyn College and Medgar Evers
Students, employees, alum of Pratt
Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment students and families, employees
Cool Culture cardholders and their families
Garden Apprentice Program teens and families
Project Green Reach classrooms, students and families (with pass)
Urban Advantage teachers, classrooms, students and families (with voucher)
Visitors with the following affiliations, with valid ID:
Individual members of the following museum and garden associations: AHS, APGA, Museums Council of New York City
Members of gardens that participate in the AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program
Employees of current corporate members
Brooklyn Botanic Garden volunteers
With preregistration:
Public library patrons with a Culture Pass reservation (with pass)
Registered, self-guided school and camp groups
Registered, self-guided groups from nonprofit senior centers, shelters, rehabilitation centers, and other 501(c)(3) organizations serving people with disabilities
Participants in accessibility programs, including monthly Memory Tours
Community Greening & NYC Compost Project workshop participants
Enhance your day in Brooklyn by visiting our neighbor, the Brooklyn Museum! Purchase a Museum & Garden ticket here at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and present your receipt for same-day admission to the Brooklyn Museum.
Museum & Garden visits must be made on the same date. The Museum is closed on Tuesdays.
Offer is not valid for special events.
The Brooklyn Museum’s admission is suggested. Tickets are not refundable.
There is no combination ticket for children under 12 years of age. Children under 12 enter for free.
Official Tourism Partner
Support
Sponsor, Community Tickets
No need to travel upstate or to New England to view beautiful fall foliage—the Garden is the perfect place for leaf peeping. Come see our colorful black tupelos and maples as well as golden ginkgos, scarlet Liberty Oaks, and orange and red sumacs.
Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Get TicketsBecome a MemberPlease note outdoor tours may be canceled in inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
This fall, bring your school group (of any age!) on a self-guided visit to the Discovery Garden. Our volunteer Discovery Docents will lead hands-on activity stations throughout this area of the Garden. Be sure to explore our meadow, woodland, and marsh habitats, too!
This is a free, self-guided program for school groups of all ages. For each time slot, there is a maximum class size of 30 students. We request a minimum ratio of 1 adult per 10 students.
School groups must register in advance for Discovery Garden access at these times. Select a time slot below.
All programs are outdoors and will be canceled in inclement weather. Check this page and your inbox for updates. Questions? Email [email protected].
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden opened in 2016 with a lush design inspired by the wetlands of New York. Gardener Margarita Diaz Poulson thinks of this space as an all-season garden, with something magical to notice any time of year.
Listen along as Margarita shares her favorite highlights from all four seasons.
Learn about riparian plants and water conservation in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden opened in 2016 with a design inspired by the wetlands of New York State. With over 9,000 individual plants, the Water Garden conserves water and provides a habitat for local wildlife. Its lush plantings and secret nooks are a haven of tranquility in our concrete jungle.
I’m Margarita Diaz Poulson, the gardener of this space, and I’m excited to share my favorite highlights.
When visitors ask me about the Water Garden, they often expect to find floating plants or large fountains. But it is a wetland habitat, and many of the plants featured here are riparian plants, from rushes, sedges, and willows to black tupelo trees.
Riparian plants don’t float on the surface of the water. Instead, their strong fibrous roots are anchored along the shore. They are magnificent plants. They are continuously working to prevent soil erosion, while removing contaminants and improving water quality.
The two bodies of open water in this space, along with a hidden piping infrastructure, help the Garden capture, filter, and recirculate rainwater, easing pressure on city storm drains and reducing water consumption.
I like to tell visitors that the Water Garden is truly an all-season garden. Whether you're here in the quiet winter months or the spectacular summer, this space has something magical to offer each visitor.
Spring highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
In early spring, look for the dainty yellow blooms of the cornelian-cherries planted at the south end of the Water Garden, near the Children's Garden house.
While you're here, see if you can find the native sassafras tree and its greenish-yellow flowers. These flowers emerge right before its leaves. One leaf is shaped like a mitten, one like a football, and one like a ghost!
Along the water’s edge, you’ll find native marsh marigolds with yellow blooms that resemble buttercups. You'll also find a diverse collection of sedges and rushes sending up new shoots. Blue herons and egrets start to visit the pond at this time of year in search of their daily snacks.
In mid-spring, don't miss the blooms of Davidia involucrata, an iconic tree located between the Children’s Garden house and the larger pond.
Its large white bracts––or modified leaves that surround the flowers––wave majestically in the wind, resembling handkerchiefs. Known as the dove tree or handkerchief tree, I think of it as the matriarch of the Water Garden.
Summer highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
In the summer, the Water Garden is lush and vibrant.
At the north end of the Water Garden, across from the large lawn, is a tall meadow planted with ironweed, helianthus, echinacea, and rudbeckia. It creates a lovely barrier from the road. Weaving into the meadow is a path with a bench, where you can catch birds taking a bath in Belle's Brook.
Head south on the road and you’ll find elecampane, meadowsweet, lobelia and other plants with histories of medicinal use. Also prominent here in summer are plants in the Malvaceae, or mallow, family. You’ll see the large bright blooms of hardy hibiscus and rose-of-Sharon planted around the large pond near the weir path that bisects the two ponds.
If you're looking for another spot to rest, sit under the shade of the northern catalpa tree, which shows off its string bean-like seedpods from mid-summer through fall.
One of the best things about the Water Garden is the wildlife. From bees to dragonflies to frogs, this garden is full of life in summer. The stars of the show for me are the birds that spend time here, filling the garden with their sounds and entertaining visitors.
One of my favorites is the northern mockingbird. When I'm weeding, there’s bound to be one watching me nearby, waiting for any insects exposed in the soil.
Autumn highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
As the season shifts to autumn, the bright purples and yellows of asters and goldenrod make a spectacular show around the perimeter of both ponds. This perennial pairing is not only attractive to us, but also to bees and other insects.
Near the road close to the Discovery Garden, you’ll also find beautyberry shrubs. They produce clusters of tiny purple, pink, or white berries that sustain many birds through the cold months, while rabbits in the garden enjoy snacking on their foliage.
In the fall and winter, I leave many of our flowering shrubs and perennials standing, rather than cutting them back to the ground. I do this for two reasons: they are a source of food and shelter for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, and I like to showcase their interesting seedheads and seedpods.
It makes for a much more interesting garden space than bare ground, and when rain, snow or ice falls on those stems and seedheads, I think it adds an additional touch of magic.
Winter highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
In the winter, on the south end of the Water Garden, the bare stems of red, orange, and yellow twig dogwoods, as well as the orange stems of flame willows, light up the area with all their colors.
Also on the south end, take in the coppery-colored leaves of Epimedium, or bishop’s hat, before it gets cut back to the ground in anticipation of its early spring flowers.
As we move into January and February, I can't wait to see the fuzzy nubs emerge on the branches of pussy willows as a signal that spring is near. You can find them adjacent to the tall meadow along Belle’s Brook. Some are gray, and some are pink. These nubs are the bud of a flower, called a catkin, that blooms in early spring in a rainbow of colors.
In late winter, we start to cut back many of the deciduous woody shrubs to rejuvenate them before spring arrives. On warm winter days, take a seat on one of the boulders around the ponds, and watch the ducks drift by.
Join Shinnecock tribal citizen Chenae Bullock for an enlightening plant walk through the Native Flora Garden during Climate Week NYC. With a deep passion for awakening humanity to the natural world and our collective responsibility for planetary health, Bullock will share the rich oral histories of her ancestors and their biocentric ways of living along the shores of New York.
Experience a unique blend of cultural storytelling and environmental education as we explore the vital relationship between people and the land. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of Indigenous wisdom and its relevance in today’s climate discourse.
Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Chenae Bullock is a citizen of the Shinnecock Nation and descendant of the Montaukett Tribe in Long Island, New York. She is the author of 50 Medicines: Indigenous Oral History and Perspective, on which the Ohkehteau (Plants of the Earth): A Shinnecock Oral History exhibit in the Native Flora Garden is based.
Bullock’s writing has appeared in Forbes, Rolling Stone, TedX, Tribal Business News, Bloomberg, Conde Nast Traveler, Indian Country Today, and Yahoo Finance. Following in the footsteps of her ancestors who were whalers and business leaders, the foundation of her work is based on the resurgence of the traditional canoe culture of the Northeast Algonquin communities.
Each summer, Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Lily Pool Terrace lights up with a display of radiant lotuses. All of these cultivars are relatives of the species Nelumbo nucifera, whose common names include lotus, sacred lotus, and Asian lotus.
When you see these remarkable plants towering over the water, captivating in their symmetry and seeming to glow, it’s not surprising that they have played a role in many culinary, artistic, and spiritual traditions throughout history.
Getting to know Nelumbo nucifera
Nelumbo nucifera is an aquatic perennial plant. It thrives in subtropical biomes, with a native range that spans across Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and parts of Oceania (e.g., Western Australia and Papua New Guinea). It has been introduced and cultivated around the world, and there are established populations in the eastern United States.
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A detailed drawing dating to the early 19th century highlights the different plant parts of Nelumbo nucifera. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
At Brooklyn Botanic Garden, lotuses are grown in pots set on pedestals in the Lily Pools and Rose Arc Pool. Some of the cultivars here are hybrids crossed with the native Nelumbo lutea (American lotus), which has distinctive yellow flowers.
In the wild, Nelumbo nuciferagrows from mud found at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and marshes. It reproduces by seed and by rhizomes, which are modified underground stems that behave like roots. Its flowers range from white to pink and can grow about one foot wide; the number of petals varies.
Lotuses are sometimes mistaken for water-lilies (Nymphaea sp.), which bloom alongside them at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. An easy way to tell them apart: Lotuses flower atop long stems, while water-lily blossoms usually stay closer to the water. Lotus flowers’ female parts are enclosed in a yellow cone-like structure at the center of the bloom. That structure later becomes a large seed pod.
The seed pod of a lotus cultivar in the north pool of Lily Pool Terrace. Lotus seeds have been used as food and medicine for thousands of years. Photo by Rebecca Bullene.
N. nucifera has several fascinating qualities. For one, its leaves are notably hydrophobic (i.e. water-repellent), meaning that even in the murkiest swamps, they remain pristinely clean. This self-cleaning ability is known as the “lotus effect,” and has inspired new technologies and materials. Sacred lotuses are also famous for their longevity. UCLA researchers found 1,300-year-old lotus seeds while excavating an ancient riverbed in northeastern China, and successfully germinated them.
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Lotus leaves are considered ultrahydrophobic, with a bumpy, waxy surface that makes them unusually water-repellent. Photo via Vengolis / Wikimedia Commons.
Though N. nucifera plays an important ecological role in its native aquatic habitats, in the United States it is considered potentially invasive and is not recommended for planting in some areas. With the ability to spread in dense mats, it may pose a threat to native aquatic vegetation and dependent animals.
“Rising from the mud yet remaining unstained”
The sacred lotus has been cultivated in Asia for its ornamental, edible, and medicinal qualities for thousands of years, and has extensive cultural significance in the region.
You can find sacred lotuses in classical literature, poetry, and religious texts, in the design of both ancient and contemporary structures like Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Lotus Temple in India, and planted in landscapes and gardens. A fabric made of lotus stems, called lotus silk, is produced by expert silk makers in Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia and sold for high prices around the world.
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Lakshmi, an 1894 print by Ravi Varma, depicts the Hindu goddess standing on a lotus. Image via Public Domain / Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The lotus is an important symbol in dharmic religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It is believed that when the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born, lotuses bloomed to mark his first seven steps. One of the most important scriptures in Mahāyāna Buddhism is the Saddharmapundarikasutra, or the Lotus Sutra.
The lotus has many symbolic meanings, from enlightenment to immortality to beauty and fertility. In his well-known essay “On the Love of the Lotus,” 11th century Neo-Confucian philosopher and poet Zhou Dunyi highlighted the flower as a symbol of moral purity:
“I love only the lotus, for rising from the mud yet remaining unstained; bathed by pure currents and yet not seductive.”
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Lotus Square in Macau. Image via WeelStone / Wikimedia Commons.
The sacred lotus is also the national flower of India and Vietnam, and part of the national flag of Macau. Every June, Macau hosts a Lotus Flower Festival. Lotus-themed celebrations also take place in U.S. cities like Los Angeles and Washington D.C., highlighting the flower and its connection to the cultural heritage of various Asian American Pacific Islander communities.
Helpers in healing (and eating)
Sacred lotus is widely used across Asian traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM) systems to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. Depending on the plant part, sacred lotus is used to help with pain relief, skin issues, urinary problems, gastrointestinal regulation, oral health, and more.
All parts of this remarkable plant are edible, too. The rhizome is acclaimed for its crisp texture and subtle flavor profile, allowing for diverse preparations. In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian cuisine, you can find many different pickle recipes that range from sweet to spicy and sour.
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Mooncakes are made using lotus seed paste and traditionally eaten as part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Image via Fanny Schertzer / Wikimedia Commons.
Lotus root, or nadru, is a core ingredient in Kashmiri cuisine. It is fried as a snack (nadru monje) served alongside chai, or added to yogurt sauces (nadru yakhni) and rich curries. And for those with a sweet tooth, lotus seed paste is a typical filling for the delicious mooncakes eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which originated in China. These treats can be found in bakeries across New York City.
BBG’s lotuses are ornamental and not harvested as food—though Canada geese make regular attempts to swoop down and snack on their rhizomes! Next time you visit in the summertime, stroll over to Lily Pool Terrace and take in these magical blooms while they last.
Celebrate Brooklyn’s West Indian community with a Tuesday Night Fête at the Garden featuring a live DJ. Dance along to Caribbean beats while enjoying a curated cocktail and special food menu, plus take a free tour of the Trees of Little Caribbean exhibit. Bring your flag and get ready to jump into the annual West Indian American Day parade!
Join us in celebrating Caribbean plants and the fruits they bear through this creative activity. Paint a papaya, mango, soursop, or your favorite fruit!
Join Little Caribbean’s favorite ice cream parlor, Mr. P’s, for a special demo of Trini style treats. Children and their caregivers can learn how their tropical flavors come to life in the Discovery Garden!
6:30–7:30 p.m. Meet at south end of Lily Pool Terrace
Trees of Little Caribbean Exhibit Tour
Learn about native Caribbean trees like papaya, guava, soursop, and allspice as well as nonnative plants (like the banana) that were brought from across the globe under colonialism.
Join an interactive workshop on traditional Carnival characters from Sailor to Baby Doll to Moko Jumbie. Learn about the significance of these beloved characters as they are portrayed by artists from Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean.
Led by chantwell & cultural scholar Michael Manswell of performing arts and education organization Something Positive.
Discover BBG’s plants and gardens in peak bloom and other highlights of the season in this free walk led by trained Garden Guides.
Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Please note tours can be canceled due to inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
Kira Louzoun-Heisler (she/her) is a community herbalist based in Brooklyn. She is a recent graduate of the Terra Sylva School of Community Herbalism and is also the Community Greening Outreach Assistant and Instructor at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Fire cider, a folk remedy made from pungent and spicy herbs infused in a blend of apple cider vinegar and honey, is typically made in anticipation of cold and flu season to support respiratory, circulatory, and immune health. Guided by a certified community herbalist, learn the history and chemistry of fire ciders, then choose from a selection of autumn crops, like spicy peppers, garlic, onions, and herbs, to make your own personalized concoction for yourself and your community.
ASL interpreter available upon request; contact [email protected] at least 2 weeks prior to the class date.
For more information about BBG’s Community Greening programs, visit bbg.org/community.
On May 10, 2024, an application by Continuum Company to up-zone 962–972 Franklin Avenue was entered into the City’s land use review process. The application seeks to allow construction of buildings up to 14 stories plus bulkheads on lots that are currently zoned for seven stories. BBG is opposing this project.
The proposal’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) shows the rezoning would cause unavoidable “adverse impacts due to direct shadows effects on open space and natural resources in Brooklyn Botanic Garden” [download PDF]. In July 2023, when the application for this project was first submitted to the City, representatives of the Garden spoke at the Department of City Planning’s public scoping meeting to express our concerns and to urge that the environmental review process take into consideration the impact of the loss of sunlight on this important resource.
On Monday, June 24, Brooklyn Community Board 9 voted unanimously (with two abstentions) to disapprove the proposed rezoning. They cited the project’s potential for “significant adverse effects on portions of the community district including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) and the Jackie Robinson Playground.” They also noted that “the 1991 zoning of the district previously contemplated the issue of height restrictions for the protection of the BBG and should be sustained.”
On July 26, the borough president issued a recommendation to disapprove the proposal, stating, “I will not support any development here that will create additional shadow impacts.”
Dozens of people spoke out against the proposed rezoning at the City Planning Commission public hearing on August 7. A vote against this project by the Commission is key to stopping this rezoning. They are expected to issue a recommendation by September 23.
Thank you for your continued support!
FAQ: About the Threat
What is the proposed project?
Real estate developers Continuum Company are asking for a new zoning designation at 962–972 Franklin Avenue, which would result in a 14-story/145-foot-tall tower, plus bulkheads, roughly twice the height permitted under current zoning.
Is this the same project BBG fought a few years ago?
No, it’s the same developer but a new proposal for part of the site. Continuum Company sought a rezoning for 7 lots in 2019–2021 that would have resulted in a 34-story complex. The Garden and community members opposed this massively oversized development, gaining support from City officials and tens of thousands of New Yorkers. The City Planning Commission ultimately rejected that rezoning application in 2021.
The current proposed rezoning is slightly smaller—6 lots—but would have significant and unmitigable harmful impacts on the Garden. With a new massing even closer to BBG’s Conservatory, greenhouses, and nursery, the proposed building would block sunlight year-round. The impact statement shows aggregated shadow for up to 3 hours a day. Around 15% of available sunlight would be lost to the Conservatory through the winter and the nursery through the summer—exactly when the plants in these spaces most need light.
How would shade from this project affect BBG’s plant collections?
Plants need sunlight! In the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the developer disclosed “significant unmitigable environmental impacts,” including loss of sunlight and increased shading, particularly on the Conservatory complex and nursery area.
Loss of sunlight would significantly impact BBGs ability to grow plants for the entire 52-acre Garden, and would harm plant health, plant diversity, and our ability to grow and display plants from around the world.
Isn’t this area zoned for low-rise buildings?
Yes, zoning on the lots where this project is proposed, bordering BBG near Washington Avenue, is now capped at 75 feet (approximately seven stories). These parameters were written into the City Charter in 1991 in order to prevent shadows on BBG’s conservatory complex.
Does BBG oppose other developments in the area?
The Garden pays close attention to all proposed developments in the neighborhood and has not opposed projects that we have determined will not significantly impact our collections. The Garden will oppose projects or rezoning that could harm the Garden and its collections.
Is the Garden opposed to affordable housing?
Categorically not. While we are keenly aware of the affordability crisis faced by New Yorkers, the Garden does not take a position on individual housing proposals or projects unless a development proposal negatively impacts the Garden’s growing facilities and collections.
I’d like to support the Garden—what can I do?
We will keep our supporters updated on the public review process including moments for community input and how and when to reach out to public officials.
In 1991, City Planning proposed an amendment to NYC zoning to “encourage residential development in keeping with existing neighborhood character, and to minimize the potential shadow impact upon the Brooklyn Botanic Garden from any new residential development.” The amendment was adopted after being unanimously approved by CB9, the Borough President, and City Council.
The background further explains, “The purpose of this amendment is to ensure continuous unobstructed sunlight for the Botanic Garden, and to encourage new development which is compatible with the existing building scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood.” The DCP presentation in the matter demonstrated that “harmful shadows could be cast on the recently completed Garden greenhouse, should building development occur to its maximum height potential.”
The application specifically calls out the lots located on Franklin Avenue between Montgomery Street and Sullivan Place which could be developed to 13 stories under the prior zoning. Through the adoption of the amended zoning, this was deliberately downsized to R6A, to “provide the Garden’s greenhouses with safeguards against harmful shadows which could result from future development on underbuilt or vacant sites such as this parcel.”
The zoning that protects this public resource must be retained! This site can be developed without a rezoning that would reverse these protections and harm the Garden. The existing zoning for these lots allows as-of-right construction of 6 story buildings with up to 300 units, and a substantial incentive (485-x) exists to make 25% of these units permanently affordable.
CB9 Resolution Against the Rezoning
In disapproving this application, the Community Board cited the project’s potential for “significant adverse effects on portions of the community district including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) and the Jackie Robinson Playground.”
They also noted that “the 1991 zoning of the district previously contemplated the issue of height restrictions for the protection of the BBG and should be sustained” and “the adverse impacts outweigh the nominal increase of affordable housing stock proposed in the project.” Read the full resolution below.
Brooklyn Borough President Recommendation Against the Rezoning
In his recommendation against the 962–972 Franklin Avenue proposal, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso notes: “The core consideration for this proposal is the potential impact on BBG and JRP [Jackie Robinson Playground], where the acceptable amount of shadow impact on BBG’s sensitive resources is zero. ... This is simply the wrong place for this proposed building because of its adjacency to a critical, public, sunlight-sensitive resource.”
Read the full recommendation below.
Dozens of community members voiced their concerns about the impact this proposed rezoning would have on the Garden at the City Planning Commission hearing on August 7. Watch a video of the hearing on the Department of City Planning’s YouTube channel. The Commission is expected to issue a recommendation by September 23.
From 2019 to 2021, Brooklyn Botanic Garden fought off a serious threat from a proposed development complex that would have blocked hours of sunlight to the Garden’s 23 conservatories, greenhouses, and nurseries, which grow plants for the entire 52-acre Garden site and its community programs. Read about that victory.
Current zoning protects the Garden’s access to sunlight by capping building height at this location. These laws must remain in place to prevent irreparable damage to the Garden.
This is Brooklyn’s Garden, a vital educational and environmental resource for our community, and it’s up to all of us to protect it.
A processional performance by Patrick Costello
BBG artist in residence Patrick Costello’s The Holes are Alive: A Garden Tour is an immersive theatrical performance in the form of a guided tour focused on plants and pollinators.
Bringing together artists, scientists, horticulturists, and other delightful weirdos, this collaborative outdoor spectacle revels in the exuberant messiness of multispecies interactions, especially as they occur within the fraught and necessary space of a garden. Come for the fall blooms, stay for the beetle-magnolia relationship drama. Thistle definitely be something you won’t want to miss!
Performers include: Ash Ferlito, Bex Love, Bruce Baldini, Emily Bate, Evelyn Manlove, Jackie Soro, Jessi Li, Kat Sotelo, Kiebpoli Calnek, Patrick Costello, Pawel Pieluszynski, Quinn Jordan, and Will Lenihan. American Sign Language interpretation provided by ASL artist Brandon Kazen-Maddox.
Suggested for ages 12 and over
Tickets: $22; $18 for Garden members
The 6:30 p.m. show on September 26 includes ASL interpretation.
If you require other accommodations for this program, please email [email protected] by September 11, 2024. Visit bbg.org/access for more information about accessibility at BBG.
Information for Performance Attendees
Advance tickets required.
Enter at 150 Eastern Parkway. Nearest subways: 2/3 to Eastern Parkway—Brooklyn Museum.
The show starts in the Osborne Garden and lasts approximately one hour.
Participants will travel a half mile and make several stops.
Additional details will be emailed to ticketholders the day before the performance.
In the event we must cancel the performance due to weather, we will notify you by 3 p.m. on the day of the show. Unless we have to cancel, there are no refunds.
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BBG artist in residence Patrick Costello
Art in the Garden is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Try your hand at woodblock printing with Sato Yamamoto, a Japanese artist inspired by culture and diversity. Choose the Gardens for Peace pattern or other patterns by Sato and create your own print.
This event is part of Gardens for Peace. Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
This pattern was designed by Toshiko Tanaka, an A-bomb survivor and advocate for world peace.
The design consists of three parts that together represent the word heiwa, which means peace in Japanese:
He (the first arch) I (parentheses) Wa (circle)
Event Partner
Enjoy a peaceful stroll through one of BBG’s best-known specialty gardens. These 20-minute tours highlight the Japanese garden elements in this historic garden designed by Takeo Shiota in 1914.
This event is part of Gardens for Peace. Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Please note tours can be canceled due to inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
View all the residential blocks that participated in the 2024 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. Click the map points to see the names of the registered block associations.
The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is a free annual competition open to all residential blocks, commercial blocks, and community gardens in Brooklyn. For more information, contact [email protected]or 718-623-7250.
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A new anthology edited by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, asks the reader to give back to the nonhuman world with our presence and deep attention, while challenging traditional interpretations of the “nature poem.”
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Ada Limón. Photo by Ayna Lorenzo, courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The collection, published in April 2024, is part of a larger project that includes a series of poetry installations in national parks. The book features work from celebrated contemporary poets like Joy Harjo, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Jericho Brown, and Diane Seuss.
We spoke with Limón in late April from her home in Lexington, Kentucky, where her crabapple tree had just finished blooming. She discussed the ideas behind You Are Here, her changing relationship to nature, and what she’s planting in her garden this year.
In your introduction, you compare assembling this anthology to “rewilding” an area, or nurturing an entire ecosystem. What is the relationship between writing and nature for you?
I’ve always loved the term rewilding. I still remember where I was when I read it. I think that there is often a tidiness when we think about nature, a colonizing aspect when we think about nature, a sense of ownership when we think about nature.
When I was coming up as a poet, I had a lot of different interactions with nature poetry, and for the most part, those poems were white men going to the top of a mountain and having an epiphany. There was this idea that nature is something to be owned or tamed or a portal toward a higher sense of spirituality.
None of those poems dealt with the reciprocal nature of nature itself. Instead, it felt like a separateness that was then oftentimes exploited for a personal narrative.
In conceiving of this book, I wanted to redefine the nature poem, and to offer a sense of the messiness and everyday aspect of nature. I also wanted it to be re-envisioning and reclaiming access to nature for everyone.
Can you tell me about the inception of You Are Here? What was important to you as you were assembling this anthology?
With the project as a whole, I wanted two elements. One of them was to have poetry installations in seven different national parks. I also wanted to do something that pointed out the continual idea of nature. Not just intentional nature—the nature you plan for, drive to, and think of as a destination—but nature that is all around us, nature that is us, our bodies, our breath, our blood, the bird that’s on your window in Brooklyn.
A lot of people think nature is just driving to Yellowstone or Yosemite. But in reality, it’s us. It’s everywhere. The anthology was born out of the idea that there is something equally beautiful and sacred about our everyday relationship to the nature that we interact with all the time.
We are animals living on a planet with other animals and plants. I really want to challenge the idea of separateness because that, to me, feels like where we do the most harm—when we feel like we are completely separate from nature.
A lot of people think nature is just driving to Yellowstone or Yosemite. But in reality, it’s us. It’s everywhere.
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A fig tree in Limón's garden in Kentucky. Photo courtesy of Ada Limón.
So to reimagine the whole concept of nature is to see if we can address our own loneliness, our own need to self-segregate, our own need to feel as if we don’t belong, when in reality, everything around us belongs. We’re all part of this one thing.
Has your relationship to the natural world changed over the years? It’s an important theme in your poetry, but it seems like there is a sense of urgency in your work now.
I’ve always felt like it was one of the main topics that I wanted to spend time with and write about. At the same time, I do think there is an aspect in which the nature poem and nature itself has become political. My relationship to nature has changed because our planet has changed.
You can’t write a poem about a tree and not think about everything that impacts that tree, and not think about ownership and borders and the climate crisis and air pollution. So I think it has changed significantly, because, as I’ve aged, we’ve experienced so much loss.
Did you learn anything new as you were assembling this book?
Well, one of the things that was really surprising to me is that everyone is having a complicated relationship with the planet right now. We can feel like, How do I look at a flower and feel peace and love and ease when so much is happening? When these poems came in, I realized how much they were in conversation, and how beautiful they were as a connected entity.
My love for trees and plants, they saved me. They saved me all the time. I was just outside a second ago letting the dog roam before her lunch. Then I came back inside and I was like, Oh, I’m better. I’m better for just having been outside for one moment and taking a deep breath. So I think the biggest thing that surprised me is that we’re not alone in our complicated feelings toward the changing climate and toward our love of the natural world.
My love for trees and plants, they saved me. They saved me all the time.
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Tulips blooming in Limón's garden this spring. Photo courtesy of Ada Limón.
Where do you write? Do you have a view of the outdoors?
Right outside my office is this beautiful silver maple that I write about quite a bit. She appears in a lot of my poems. For the most part, my favorite place to write is on the screened-in porch outside. I get to see all of the lilacs blooming. The viburnum is there.
Everything just feels really alive. The screened-in porch has two doors, and on one door is a bird’s nest, so I’m trying not to disturb her. I’ve made a big sign on the glass door so that I remember to use the other door instead because I don’t want it to be frightened.
Oh my god, there’s a lot of life that’s out there. That’s one of my favorite places to write because there’s just so much to absorb and receive. It feels like such a gift.
Are you growing anything in your yard right now?
I’m growing so many things, but I will be very honest that I just ripped up my actual vegetable garden in service of a pollinator garden. I travel so much that every time I was doing a vegetable garden, which I loved doing, I was not tending to it the way that I needed to. Now I have all of these beautiful plants and flowers, and so many things are blooming right now.
That’s been really incredible to see, and actually not thinking about it as a way of control, like, Oh, I'm going to make a neat tidy row of lettuces. Instead, growing flowers and watching the bees and hummingbirds come by, there’s a nice freeing moment that’s happening right now in the backyard.
The title You Are Here feels like a call to action. What do you hope readers understand after reading this anthology?
I hope that people find hope in it. And I hope they think about how they might build a deeper connection with what’s around them by understanding where their watershed is, what their native plants are.
I hope people are moved to commit to the world in a new way. If we can pay attention deeply to the natural world, maybe we can love it more.
This year’s Annual Border is reaching its midsummer peak in an eye-catching swirl of vibrant colors and textures.
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The Annual Border in July.
The border was curated by BBG gardener Wayken Shaw, who oversees Lily Pool Terrace, Magnolia Plaza, and the Annual and Perennial Borders. Designed as part of our Natural Attractions: A Plant-Pollinator Love Story exhibition and program series, it highlights some of the fascinating forms plants have evolved to attract different insect pollinators.
Guided by interpretive signage, visitors can explore many different shapes and sizes of blooms, which are factors that help determine which pollinators will visit, along with scent, color, and nectar guides. For example, bees often visit shallow flower shapes with a landing pad, while moths can often reach into longer trumpet-shaped blossoms, and beetles tend to go for large, bowl-like shapes.
Bear in mind that many of the plants featured in the Annual Border are nonnative cultivars that have been bred for showy blooms. If you want to support pollinators in your own growing space, it’s typically recommended that you prioritize “straight” (meaning they occur in the wild) native species that coevolved with native pollinators.
Check out some of the standouts from the Annual Border below, and see if you can guess which pollinator might go for each!
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Bees are often attracted to blue and purple flowers. (Seen here: Browallia americana ‘Blue Morn’.) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES4_BBG_6965.jpg"}
Butterflies love the wide landing pad provided by zinnias (Zinnia marylandica DOUBLE ZAHARA RASPBERRY RIPPLE = ‘Pas1246684’). {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES14_BBG_6937.jpg"}
This grouping of impatiens, sweet alyssum, and zinnia cultivars reflects a variety of floral shapes, sizes, and colors. {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES1_BBG_6971.jpg"}
Bidens species belong to the Asteraceae family, whose members are often visited by bee and butterfly pollinators. (Bidens ferulifolia ‘Golden Eye’){embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES9_BBG_6942.jpg"}
Butterflies are attracted to bright pinks, as seen on these dahlia blooms, as well as oranges, reds, yellows, and purples. (Dahlia ‘Karma Corona’) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES13_BBG_6931.jpg"}
Salvia species are beloved by many different insect pollinators, as well as hummingbirds. (Salvia splendens RED AND WHITE = ‘Pas3287’) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES11_BBG_6926.jpg"}
Tiny flowers arranged in an umbel shape offer an easy landing spot for this small bee. (Visgnaga daucoides ‘Green Mist’) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES10_BBG_6938.jpg"}
This dahlia cultivar (Dahlia ‘Mystic Illusion’) has an open, shallow bloom. {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES7_BBG_6960.jpg"}
The tubular shape of this bloom might appeal to visitors with a long tongue (or beak). (Petunia EASY WAVE RED = ‘Pas1360461’)
Enjoy the blooms!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden occupies part of the unceded homeland of the Lenape people. Colonial settlers and federal policies perpetrated generations of genocide, forced migration, and systemic, violent oppression that pushed the Lenape west and north to rebuild their nations in the areas now known as Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario. We acknowledge today’s Lenape communities, including Lenape people who belong to the Delaware Nation and Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma; the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Wisconsin; and the Munsee-Delaware Nation, Moravian of the Thames First Nation, and Delaware of Six Nations in Ontario. Brooklyn Botanic Garden supports their movements to reestablish their visible presence here, in their ancestral lands.
The Lenape people have intimate knowledge of the organisms and systems that make up this land and understand its deep significance that goes beyond any individual or entity. Partnering with the Lenape Center, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is committed to developing this living land acknowledgement and to continue working with them and other regional tribal leaders.
Informed by their knowledge, Brooklyn Botanic Garden aims to expand our understanding and educate ourselves and the public in a way that challenges the dominant colonial worldview of science, botany, and horticulture.
Discover BBG’s plants and gardens in peak bloom and other highlights of the season in this free walk led by trained Garden Guides.
Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Please note tours can be canceled due to inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
Barbara Kurland is BBG's director of Learning and Partnerships, where she manages school programs and teacher-training programs as well as partnerships with other institutions. She holds a BA from Vassar College and an MA from Lehman College, CUNY, both in biology, and before joining the Garden in 1989, she taught middle and high school science in the New York City public schools.
Dodo Loechle teaches classes in botany and gardening throughout New York City, including certificate courses in horticulture, plant identification, rooftop gardening, native plants, and proper plant usage. She has also worked at various botanic gardens and estates, including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition to horticulture, she has a background in design and fine metalcraft.
Fabio Andrés Ávila Castillo (Andrés) is a Colombian forest engineer and second-year PhD student in the Biology–Plant Sciences program at CUNY. His research interests are in systematics and biogeography of neotropical vascular plants, especially in the northern South American Compositae (daisy family), and Proteales (Sabiaceae and Proteaceae [macadamia nut family]). He has worked in several botanic gardens: Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín (Colombia), and Kew (UK), in conservation, living collections, editorial work, and taxonomy.
We need to talk about Kevin.
Kevin, short for F#$%ing Kevin, is the name I apply to any one of the many Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) living in my yard. Many gardeners complain of deer, birds, rats. I complain of squirrels.
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An Eastern gray squirrel. Photo by Jean Ogden / Flickr.
We’ve gotten into a vicious cycle. In the fall, the army of Kevins adds a minefield of acorns to my carefully fertilized, mulched, and leaf-covered beds. In the spring, the squirrels and I vie for control. I rip up brand new oak seedlings. They dig in my freshly planted beds for their stored loot, scattering my own seeds in the process. The summer comes, and they attack my growing tomatoes, taking single bites out of each one. They leave them out in the open for me to find, apparently merely to watch me scream. Autumn arrives, and the cycle of squirrel annoyance begins anew.
“Pest” is a word that we apply to many of the creatures that irritate us. They attack our stuff—the crops and gardens we love so dearly. Slugs. Caterpillars. Sap-sucking insects. Seed-seeking birds. Rats. Deer. Squirrels. They’re the multilegged, mobile counterpart of the weeds that also plague us—and they are a lot harder to fight, as they can’t just be ripped up and hurled in the compost.
But as I reported my book, I began to understand that the animals we call “pests” and the plants we call “weeds” all have something important in common: Us.
“Pest” and “weed” are relational terms. Calling an animal a pest, calling a plant a weed, suggests that the creature or plant has little value in our eyes. I hate my Kevins because they are animals in a place I think of as mine. They are doing something I don’t want. They are taking something that I value.
For a word that is supposed to describe an animal, “pest” has a lot of “I” in it.
There are lots of reasons why we give pests their label. They cause frustration and harm—and for those who farm for a living, they can cause real, painful economic loss. But in the home garden, I find these labels often intersect with ideas of control.
In my garden, I’m harnessing the power of soil and sun and seeds to give me food and flowers and green things to fill my eyes and heart and stomach. I plan with careful math, economics, tomato stakes, and a large amount of twine. I work hard, scooping better soil into my heavy clay, wrestling with drip irrigation, and religiously turning my compost. When I’m done, I see neatly arrayed plants, watered on my schedule and carefully plotted to ensure each has their right amount of time in the sun.
What a pest or weed really is, often, is an animal or plant that is thriving too close to us.
Pests and weeds are the chaos that make a mockery of my work. Ivy—the English and poison varieties—creeps in determinedly from my neighbor’s yard. Bamboo springs forth on the other side. Birds scratch at my seeds, and the squirrels, well...
For many, the initial impulse is to poison and punish. To blast the ivy with weed killer and set traps and poison for rats. To scream at the squirrels. But while that might feel satisfying, it can be ineffective. Ripped up plants come right back. Poisoning rats in urban gardens can even have the opposite effect, as those poisoned rats end up in the bellies of local birds of prey, killing the very animals we welcomed as a solution to our pest problem.
What if we turned the idea of the pest around? Instead of asking what will get rid of the thing we hate, why don’t we first ask why it’s there?
What a pest or weed really is, often, is an animal or plant that is thriving too close to us. In a world where our actions routinely drive plants and animals to extinction, they are a success. Their resilience is frustrating, yes. But it’s also intriguing.
The best approach usually starts with a little curiosity. Ivy creeps in because my hill is shaded and bare. In city environments, rats are the natural result of garbage left outside and crumbling infrastructure. Squirrels have strong memories, and will come back to their first tomato spot to find others. Deer munch on tender foods like hostas, and prefer edge habitat.
Learning about our pests allows us to think about prevention, a key principle of Integrated Pest Management. Rats, for example, thrive where there’s lots of food. Changing how your neighborhood stores their trash (as New York City is beginning to do) can send rats seeking elsewhere. This technique requires working together—as a community garden, a set of neighbors, a city.
In my garden, I’m trying to know my own enemies. It starts with defense instead of offense. I’m steadily planting, foot by foot, rows of native phlox and ragwort—groundcovers aggressive enough to stand against ivy, if I help them along. My tomatoes now have a cage, though one that had to be reinforced with twine, chicken wire, and a lining of bricks after three Kevins got themselves stuck inside it. I recently discovered that squirrels often go after tomatoes when what they are seeking is water. This year, I’m adding a tiny water fountain.
I’m trying to garden with a little less control, and a little more understanding. As I do, I’ve dredged up more than a little respect. Ivy makes me curse, but its tenacity also inspires me. The army of smart, athletic Kevins in my yard highlights a thriving suburban ecosystem. The more I learn about them, the more impressed I become. Maybe my local squirrels have earned their tomato tax.
Our ticketing system is down at the moment. We apologize for the inconvenience.
If you’re new to tree identification or need a refresher, this class is for you. You’ll learn the fundamental concepts used in dendrology while being introduced to the Garden’s most common trees. The class will share some relevant botanical terminology, but will largely apply a jargon-free approach. Participants will also receive recommendations for resources and strategies to improve their own independent self-study. The awareness of trees is one of the best portals into creating a closer relationship with land and nature!
Examine the art of natural perfumery. Gain a basic understanding of the sense of smell, the history of perfume, the advent of synthetic ingredients, and the return to naturals. Explore perfume ingredients and formulation, and leave with two bottles of your own bespoke perfume.
This class offers an in-depth examination of cultural management practices to support plant health and biodiversity in urban gardens. Students will learn how to identify major insect orders and plant pathogens. Through scouting walks on BBG grounds, students will have the opportunity to practice identifying signs and symptoms of plant pests and diseases. Students will also learn how to apply Integrated Pest Management strategies to effectively address pest and disease problems.
Dodo Loechle teaches classes in botany and gardening throughout New York City, including certificate courses in horticulture, plant identification, rooftop gardening, native plants, and proper plant usage. She has also worked at various botanic gardens and estates, including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition to horticulture, she has a background in design and fine metalcraft.
A strong foundation in botany is essential to understanding how to maintain a healthy landscape. This course includes discussions on plant anatomy, plant life cycles and reproduction, taxonomy, and plant physiology. This course requires no previous knowledge of botany and is recommended as a first course in the Certificate in Horticulture program.
Ask a Gardener is a seasonal advice column written by BBG gardener Laura Powell.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden in summer. Photo by Michael Stewart.
What are some natural ways to improve soil fertility without using chemical fertilizers?
Soyan, Staten Island, NY
Dear Soyan,
Investing in your soil is one of the most significant steps you can take to maintain a healthy garden. There are plenty of ways to do so organically.
Whether your gardening space is new or established, a great way to improve soil fertility is to add compost. If you are working in a new space, you can mix the compost into the soil, but if you have an established garden and don’t want to disturb the soil, you can just spread a layer on top. (This is called “top dressing.”) The organisms that live in your soil will move the compost around over time.
Compost can do so much for your garden, including giving your plants a boost of nutrition, improving your soil structure, and improving the microbial activity in your soil. (Composted manure, though sometimes harder to come by, is another option that serves the same purpose.) Top dress in the spring or fall when plants are actively growing. A quarter or a half-inch layer twice a year is a great addition to most gardens.
Mulching is another way to improve soil fertility. The mulch (which can be composed of a variety of materials, including dried leaves and dead plants) will decompose over time, slowly adding nutrients and feeding your soil microbiome. It acts a lot like compost in your garden, just over a longer time period.
In the Herb Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, crops are rotated into different spots each year to prevent nutrient depletion in the soil. Photo by Michael Stewart.
If you’re growing annual crops, like vegetables, crop rotation is another option. Different crops have different nutrient needs and rotating crops to different areas of your garden will help reduce the likelihood of your soil getting depleted of certain nutrients. Crop rotation is most effective when used in addition to organic soil amendments like compost.
Finally, consider cover cropping. This method is suitable for an annual garden, because it is done during your off-season. The way it works is you plant a soil-enriching annual crop like winter rye or crimson clover during the time when your soil would usually be bare—generally winter time for vegetable gardens in the Northeast.
These crops are not harvested, but instead are tilled into the soil or just cut down and left as mulch. If you decide to cut it down and leave it as mulch, you can plant into the area as you would in any mulched area, by pulling the mulch back before planting, and then spreading the mulch around the plants after planting. It’s important to cut down your cover crop before it goes to seed, because you don’t want to have a garden full of cover crop seedlings!
I was given a redbud sapling as a gift. Where do these trees grow best, and how should I care for it?
Michele, Acton, MA
Dear Michele,
A redbud tree is a lovely gift!
There are several species with the common name redbud, but the most common one in our region is Cercis canadensis, or Eastern redbud, which is native to the Eastern United States. It is a small tree in the Fabaceae (legume) family with purplish pink flowers in the spring and beautiful heart-shaped leaves all season long. This species has an important legacy of use by Indigenous communities, from food (its flowers and seed pods are edible) to medicines.
As for where these trees grow best, Cercis canadensis is a fairly adaptable plant and will grow in a range of soils from clay to sandy, though it will thrive best in moist, well-drained soil. It will grow in either full sun or partial shade—it will bloom more if planted in full sun, but it will also need to be watered more often. The mature size of Cercis canadensis is 20–30 feet tall and 15–30 feet wide, so wherever you plant it, make sure it has room to grow.
Redbuds are cauliflorous, an unusual botanical trait that means they can produce blooms directly on their trunks. Photo by Michael Stewart.
Redbuds are pretty tough plants, and since they are native, they are well-suited to our soil and climate. After planting, water it regularly. How frequently you water will depend on the weather, but make sure to water thoroughly when you do. Apply a 2–3 inch layer of mulch at the base of the tree (taking care not to pile against the trunk) to help conserve moisture in the soil.
Given these conditions and care, your sapling will grow into a beautiful tree, and will likely begin blooming when it is 4–6 years old. Enjoy!
How do I deal with pests and insects without using harmful chemicals?
Rudra, Brooklyn, NY
Dear Rudra,
It is entirely possible for a home gardener to avoid using chemical pesticides.
The first step is to focus on improving the overall health of your plants. Did you know that some herbivorous insects are specifically attracted to plants that are stressed? Healthy plants are also able to weather many threats that harmful organisms present.
A few ways to support your plants’ health:
Make sure they are planted in the appropriate cultural conditions (for example, plant sun-loving plants in full sun, shade-loving plants in shade).
Don’t space plants too closely together (proper spacing allows for air circulation, reducing the spread of fungal infections).
Water properly (remember that overwatering can be as stressful as underwatering for many plants).
Maintain soil health (see previous question).
Next, include a diverse selection of plants in your gardening space. Diversity can make your garden more resilient, because there will always be some plants that are resistant to a given stressor.
A ladybug preying on aphids. Photo by Michael Stewart.
When selecting plants for your garden, be sure to include some plants that attract beneficial insects like ladybugs or lacewings. These “beneficials” feed on aphids, mealybugs, and other common garden pests. Yarrow, dill, and cosmos all attract beneficial insects and are beautiful additions to a garden.
Take the time to learn what the beneficial insects in your area look like. This way, you’ll know which insects on your plants are helping your garden.
Physical protections like row covers can also provide protection from insects and other nibbling visitors. For larger insects like caterpillars, you can hand pick them off your plants instead of spraying chemicals. And removing dead plants and debris promptly can reduce certain pests’ ability to hide and reproduce.
Soil solarization, or using plastic sheeting to capture heat in the soil, is another strategy organic growers sometimes use to manage soilborne pests and pathogens. Photo by Michael Stewart.
I recommend thinking of your garden as an ever-changing ecosystem. Some creatures that feed on plants, like aphids, are a necessary part of that ecosystem. For example, aphids are food for lacewing larvae and parasitoid wasps.
Which brings us to the most important piece of advice for avoiding the use of harmful chemicals: Let go of perfection. As long as your gardening space is healthy overall, a little bit of damage is normal.
Got a question for Laura? Submit questions for our fall installment of Ask a Gardener using the form below.
Celebrate autumn with an arrangement reminiscent of cider, bonfires, and dappled sunlight. Using a variety of autumnal blooms and textual elements, you’ll create a harvest-inspired tabletop arrangement fit for the season. The instructor will offer step-by-step instruction—from palette selection and flower care to professional techniques for crafting a lush and unique floral arrangement.
This class will guide you in prepping your plants for the end of the growing season and into the winter months. Learn when to water, feed, and prune; how to increase humidity levels when using indoor heating units; and how to achieve successful results for your indoor tropicals.
Better understand the practical tools and techniques for plant care, pruning, transplanting, and other essential tasks. Learn about the maintenance of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, container plantings, and turfgrass. Become a more well-versed horticulturist through problem-solving, hands-on activities, and garden explorations. Each class session focuses on a different maintenance topic.
This course acquaints students with the field of landscape design. Beginning with an introduction to the history of garden design, the class will progress to include key design principles, terminology, and a general overview of plants and materials. Students will produce a base plan, site analysis, and concept design for an urban garden through hands-on exercises and independent site visits. An in-class exam will be administered during the last session. Attendance is mandatory.
Learn how to create sculptural succulent terrarium ornaments that can thrive for years! Students will learn about making succulent soil, planting techniques for easier acclimation, what types of terrariums do best with succulents, which succulents are best to use, and how to diagnose any problems. You’ll be able to choose between two glass types: two hanging ornaments or one standing terrarium. An informative print-out will be available for you to take home, along with your little green terrarium world. Join us and get your hands dirty—they make great gifts!
Tai chi and qigong exercises improve balance, increase blood circulation, relax your mind and body, and increase your internal energy. The instructor will demonstrate movements. Please come prepared in clothing that allows for movement.
Tai chi and qigong exercises improve balance, increase blood circulation, relax your mind and body, and increase your internal energy. The instructor will demonstrate movements. Please come prepared in clothing that allows for movement.
Learn the basics of getting your garden ready for winter as we near the end of the growing season. This workshop will take place in the historic Children’s Garden, where we will learn hands-on by practicing late-season tasks such as cutting back perennials (or not!), planting spring-flowering bulbs, mulching, and cover cropping. Participants should dress for the weather and wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty.
As you learn to grow and care for landscape plants, it’s essential to know how to increase your stock. In this class, you are introduced to a variety of plant propagation techniques using both seed and vegetative material. After a lecture and demonstration, each method is practiced in a hands-on lab session in our Education Greenhouse.
Butterflies and moths play an important role as pollinators of plants. Their life cycles are fascinating and they are simply gorgeous to behold. Through comprehensive demonstrations and hands-on practice, we will learn to depict the intricate beauty and stunning hues of these winged creatures. We will learn graphite and colored pencil techniques in depth.
A native of Brooklyn, artist Gregory Frux draws inspiration from both urban and wilderness landscapes. His cityscapes explore parks and gardens as well as industrial sites, and his wilderness work derives from are a lifetime of trekking internationally. He has been artist in residence in four national parks and worked as shipboard artist in north and south polar regions. His work is in the collections of Library of Congress, American Mountaineering Museum, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NYC Department of Education, and National Park Service. Greg has also been an instructor at the Art Students League.
Kokedama is the Japanese practice of creating living planters out of moss. Be prepared to get your hands dirty as you learn to mount and display plants in charming moss-wrapped spheres. This workshop will focus on tropical and easy-care plants that let you express your love for plants and design with a one-of-a-kind display. Everyone will make two new easy-care kokedama to take home.
The diverse landscapes of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, from formal esplanades to native flora, provide a unique opportunity to hone outdoor drawing skills. Students will learn to sketch outdoors successfully, whether in the city or remote wilderness. We will cover preparation, portable tools, location planning, and most importantly comfort and safety. Selection of subject matter and pictorial composition are at the core of the class. The instructor will also introduce additional resources for self study, incorporating geology, botany, architecture, etc. This class is suitable for all levels.
Explore the varied techniques of painting with the unique, beautiful medium of watercolor. Experiment with color mixing, washes, and glazing, creating stunning portraits of flowers and plants.
In this introductory three-session series we will look at qualities of mindfulness including present-time awareness and mindfulness of the breath, body, senses, and thoughts. Short sitting and walking meditation combined with reflection will support us in finding clarity, alertness, stability, and ease. This makes way for feelings of gratitude, happiness, and equanimity. Additional practices will include compassion and deep listening practice. Class will meet indoors and move outside for walking meditation in the Garden. No experience necessary.
This three-part series, based on Eastern and Western floral design techniques, will give students the opportunity to experiment with ways of making more complex arrangements. While working with a range of materials, flowers, and containers, students will learn how to evaluate their own designs and work efficiently to produce multiple arrangements within a short period of time.
Asae Takahashi is a Tokyo native with a deep appreciation for art and history. As a certified instructor of the Ohara School of Ikebana and president of the Ohara School of Ikebana NY Chapter, Asae is renowned for offering exceptional ikebana experiences at various events and venues. With a delicate touch and profound insight, she seamlessly integrates her Japanese heritage into her teachings, infusing her love for aesthetics and historical understanding.
Ikebana, with a history spanning over 600 years, is an ancient form of Japanese floral art deeply connected to the natural world and the changing seasons. This workshop will explore the historical relationship between nature and lifestyle in ancient Japan, offering a comprehensive introduction to the principles and philosophy of Ohara-style ikebana. Participants will learn fundamental ikebana techniques to create their own beautiful arrangements. The workshop fee includes a container and kenzan (pin frog) for your arrangement.
Learn to make original botanical remedies for your family and friends in this holiday-themed class. We’ll explore recipes for herbal presents including an herbal oxymel with pine needles, a sweet treat with hawthorn powder, herbal ketchup, and even a salve for cuts and wounds. Each student will make two remedies in class for at-home use.
After this class, you’ll never again wonder whether you watered too much or too little, when to repot a plant into a bigger container, or about any other fundamental questions of indoor plant care. Bring in your suffering houseplant (or a photo) and learn what’s wrong with it and what you can do about it.
Garlands are a wonderful way to bring the scents and colors of the season into your home. Learn how to assemble and decorate a garland to grace your table, mantle, or doorway using a variety of holiday greenery, dried materials, and whimsical flourishes.
Paint the gardens this autumn when the heat of summer has mostly receded, using soft pastels, an opaque medium with the color saturation of oil paint. This class is taught studio-style with individual attention and each session ends with a critique to discuss ideas and learn from one another’s work in group discussion. Some previous experience with drawing or other art media is recommended. On rainy days still-life subjects will be provided in the classroom.
Learn how to find and identify birds at the height of fall migration! Each class will consist of 30 minutes of classroom instruction followed by 90 minutes of instruction and field birding on the Garden grounds.
Learn to paint in the Chinese style using a bamboo brush, ink, and rice paper. Get step-by-step instruction in this ancient art form, and develop your own style. Look to the lovely environment of the Garden for creative inspiration.
Keep your annuals blooming throughout the summer and into fall. Learn what flowers will provide you with color for the autumn season and how to care for them including when to reduce fertilizing for the end of the growing season.
Teas are a fun and easy way to incorporate herbs into your daily routine. Students will learn the art of making teas and the best herbs to use for different purposes. Make your own tea blend to take home!
If you’ve ever signed up for Horticulture Certificate classes at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, you may have noticed that they sell out pretty fast—some within hours.
This popular program has offered budding urban horticulturists and passionate home gardeners a foundation in plant care since 1995. The Certificate in Horticulture helps graduates gain entry into the world of professional horticulture in NYC, or for those already working in the industry, to advance professionally.
A plant identification class at Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 2021. Photo by Michael Stewart.
Recently, in partnership with Charles Yurgalevitch, Ph.D., former director of the School of Professional Horticulture at New York Botanical Garden, we worked to refresh some of our curriculum, with an eye toward sustainability, accessibility, consistency, and learning retention. Students signing up for fall classes will access our revised curriculum.
Ecological Gardening
The certificate program here at BBG has always had an ethos of ecologically responsible horticulture, but that focus is becoming more explicit.
The program includes eight keystone courses: Botany for Horticulturists, Woody Plant Identification, Herbaceous Plant Identification, Plant Health Care, Urban Garden Maintenance, Plant Propagation, Soil Management, and Urban Garden Design.
While we’re retaining this structure, we will more consistently emphasize practices that have a positive ecological impact. For example, when we talk about managing harmful insects, we focus on alternatives to synthetic pesticides.
Increasingly, we’re seeing that people pursuing a career in horticulture are interested in ecological gardening. They’re coming to this work hoping to do more than just plant beautiful landscapes; they want to support wildlife and repair ecosystems.
Dr. Yurgalevitch, who worked with us to evaluate and update each of our eight courses, has noticed this, too. “Young people want to care for the earth,” he says. The next generation of gardeners is stepping up into a world that’s threatened by climate change, pollution, and habitat loss, and “they have ideas about what to do, from planting natives to protecting, conserving, and restoring landscapes.”
Students getting hands-on experience in plant propagation. Photo by Blanca Begert.
Throughout the certificate program, we’ll also address some of the ethical questions and conflicts that may come up in the field when balancing the needs of different stakeholders. Land management decisions aren’t always straightforward, especially when you’re grappling with invasive species and emergent diseases. Our aim is to help students learn to navigate competing needs and values in a changing landscape.
An Accessible, Tangible Learning Experience
During our review of the certificate program, we wanted to make sure we were creating an enjoyable and digestible program for all learners.
One of the strengths of this program has always been that we do not have prerequisites—anyone can jump in and learn with us. But the updated curriculum aims to break up lectures with more engaging discussion and exercises, and more tactile experiences with plants.
Students examining flowers in a botany class at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Blanca Begert.
The botany course, for example, will be incorporating new labs, including seed and flower dissections.
“These opportunities help participants connect terminology with the actual plant structures, and make sense of those structures in three dimensions,” says Barbara Kurland, director of learning and partnerships at BBG, who teaches botany each season.
With the new structure, all eight courses complement and build on each other, repeating key concepts throughout. Assignments allow instructors to stay connected with students and catch areas of misunderstanding and confusion.
To learn more about BBG’s certificate program, check out the program page—and if you’re interested in horticulture, consider joining us in the classroom at Brooklyn Botanic Garden!
Learn to identify birds living in the area or passing through on their fall migrations—from orioles and tanagers to gnatcatchers, vireos, and colorful warblers. Classes meet at the locations listed below.
Sept 7: BBG and Prospect Park
Sept 14: Central Park
Sept 21: Central Park-north end
Sept 28: Ft. Tilden/Riis Park
Oct 5: Jamaica Bay
Oct 19: Jones Beach
Level up your horticulture skills—whether you are growing a career or cultivating a backyard garden.
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Certificate in Horticulture program is designed for budding and current horticulturists as well as highly motivated home gardeners. Through classroom lectures and hands-on learning with our plant collections, certificate courses impart broad knowledge of plant care and utility, with a focus on the urban environment. Many graduates use the certificate to join or advance within the horticulture industry.
Combining lectures with hands-on learning, courses are taught at a community college level and require a significant investment of personal time in addition to class hours. To earn a BBG Certificate in Horticulture, students must successfully complete eight required classes:
Botany for Horticulturists
Herbaceous Landscape Plant Identification
Plant Health Care
Plant Propagation
Soil Management
Urban Garden Design
Urban Garden Maintenance
Woody Landscape Plant Identification
BBG Horticulture Certificate Portal
Are you an existing student but not sure which classes you need to complete the certificate? Sign in or create your account below. The portal is linked to the email address in Active, our class registration system.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden uses the Active platform to manage class registrations. You will be asked to create an account for yourself and family members.
You may view your registration records or update your profile settings in Active. Please note: Active offers a paid membership program; you are not required to participate. Member prices for classes are for BBG members and do not extend to Active passport members.
How do I enroll in the Certificate in Horticulture program, and how long does it take?
Students who register for any Horticulture Certificate class are automatically enrolled in the program.
The program can be completed in as little as one year, but more often students elect to take classes over the course of several years. The speed at which you complete the program depends on how many courses you take concurrently. You must complete all eight courses within ten years.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
We do not require that students take the courses in a specific order. However, we do have a few recommendations for students to get the most out of the program:
We strongly recommend that students with no horticulture background begin with Botany for Horticulturists.
We recommend that students do not take both plant identification classes at the same time, due to the amount of memorization they require.
Urban Garden Maintenance and Urban Garden Design are good capstone classes that build on the information learned in other courses.
Why are there different sections of the same class?
In order to accommodate as many students as we can, we offer multiple sections of each class. You may see these listed as Section A, Section B, etc. The curriculum covered in each section of a class is the same. To fulfill the requirements for the Certificate in Horticulture, you need only enroll in one section of each class.
How much does it cost?
Classes are paid on an individual basis. In 2024, class costs range from $389 to $519, depending on course hours and materials fees. Garden members receive a 10% discount on classes, so becoming a member is recommended if you plan to take multiple classes within one year.
What can I expect to gain from earning a Certificate in Horticulture?
Students can expect to develop the core skills needed to excel in the field of horticulture: identifying common landscape plants, assessing and ameliorating garden soil, managing plant health, creating a basic garden design, and maintaining an all-seasons garden. Through classroom instruction and hands-on practice, our graduates develop a holistic understanding of horticulture, while making key connections to experts in the field.
Many of our graduates have found work at public green spaces throughout NYC. Others have used their new skill set to improve their local community garden or home garden, to work for a private gardening company, or to start their own business.
What if all the classes are full?
You should add yourself to the waiting list.
Do you offer financial aid?
Garden members receive a 10% discount on all Continuing Education classes. Unfortunately, we cannot offer additional financial aid or discounts for our Certificate in Horticulture classes. The WHIN Food Council may be able to provide scholarships to eligible students enrolled in BBG’s Certificate in Horticulture courses. Please see their website for further details.
What is your refund policy?
In order to receive a refund, students must cancel their enrollment at least 10 business days before the course start date. Students will be charged a $15 processing fee for cancellation.
Are there other professional development opportunities at BBG?
The Brooklyn Urban Gardener (BUG) program is an annual ten-session course that covers the basics in urban gardening and community greening. Upon completing all coursework and required volunteer hours, graduates are certified as Brooklyn Botanic Garden BUG volunteers. Certified BUGs then continue to support greening projects at schools, senior centers, block associations, community gardens, and other organizations.
What if I can no longer take classes at Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
Some of our students find that their ability to take classes at BBG changes partway through the program. They have moved out of Brooklyn, their job hours have changed, or they are unable to take classes in person for other reasons.
If this is your situation, you may be able to transfer credits from a comparable class at another institution to fulfill the requirements of BBG’s Certificate in Horticulture. Accepted classes must be graded (you must receive a passing grade), have at least the same number of course hours, and cover the same content. Prior approval is required. You may not transfer more than two courses to fulfill the Certificate in Horticulture. Please reach out to [email protected] for more information.
The Baroque style of floral design is a study in contrast, movement, flourishing detail, deep color, grandeur, and whimsy. In this workshop we will be inspired by the Dutch masters and, using flowers as muse, create a Baroque centerpiece for your holiday table that will wow family and friends.
Roses are one of the most beautiful and praised flowers. They’ve been valued for centuries in many cultures and have been cultivated and hybridized worldwide. Learn about the beauty, history, and legacy of the adored and exalted rose. Each variety has a unique scent; we’ll discuss the different notes found in them and learn to pick out the subtle differences. A walk in the Cranford Rose Garden will provide a myriad of examples as we compare them side by side. After our walk, you will have an opportunity to create a rose perfume at our very own Perfume Bar. Each attendee will leave with a quarter-ounce vial of perfume and a fragrant bouquet of paper roses.
Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to every block in our annual Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest for sowing the seeds of greener, healthier communities!
Semifinal judging is July 10–18. The final round is held the week of July 22.
Blocks listed below will be moving on to the second round of the 2024 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. If you do not see your block in the Best Residential Block section, it may be in the running for awards in our other listed categories. Please note: This list does not include blocks still vying for Best Window Box.
Residential Semifinalist Blocks
Listed alphabetically by street name
10th Street between 6th & 7th Avenues
Park Slope
Agate Court between Atlantic Avenue & dead end
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Barbey Street between Flatlands & Cozine Avenues
East New York
Clermont Avenue between DeKalb & Willoughby Avenues
Fort Greene
Cleveland Street between Pitkin & Belmont Avenues
East New York
Concord Street between Duffield & Gold Streets
Bridge Plaza
Decatur Street between Lewis & Stuyvesant Avenues
Stuyvesant Heights North
East 26th Street between Avenue D & Clarendon Road
Flatbush
Eastern Parkway between Bedford & Franklin Avenues
Crown Heights
Flatlands 7th Street between East 108th Street & dead end
Canarsie
Garfield Place between 5th Avenue & 6th Avenue
Park Slope
Gates Avenue between Classon Avenue & Downing Street
Clinton Hill
Hampton Place between Park & Sterling Places
Crown Heights
Hampton Place between Sterling & St. Johns Places
Crown Heights
Jefferson Avenue between Lewis & Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Keap Street between South 3rd & South 4th Streets
Williamsburg
Kings Highway between Avenues J & K
Flatlands
Lefferts Avenue between Bedford & Rogers Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
Lefferts Avenue between Nostrand & Rogers Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
Lincoln Place between New York & Nostrand Avenues
Crown Heights
MacDonough Street between Lewis & Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Macon Street between Lewis & Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Madison Street between Bedford & Nostrand Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Marion Street between Rockaway Avenue & Thomas S. Boyland Street
Ocean Hill
Marlborough Road between Ditmas Avenue & Dorchester Road
Ditmas Park West
Ovington Avenue between Ridge Boulevard & Third Avenue
Bay Ridge
Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street & Ovington Avenue
Bay Ridge
Sterling Street between Bedford & Washington Avenues
Lefferts Gardens
Stuyvesant Avenue between Bainbridge & Chauncey Streets
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Stuyvesant Avenue between Bainbridge & Decatur Streets
Stuyvesant Heights North
Van Buren Street between Lewis & Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Vanderveer Place between Flatbush Avenue & East 23rd Street
Flatbush
Best Street Tree Beds
Listed alphabetically by street name
Beverley Road between East 32nd Street & New York Avenue
East Flatbush
Cleveland Street between Belmont & Pitkin Avenues
East New York
East 108th Street between Avenue M & Flatlands 7th Street
Canarsie
Hampton Place between Park & Sterling Places
Crown Heights
Hampton Place between Sterling Place & St. Johns Place
Crown Heights
MacDonough Street between Patchen & Ralph Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Marion Street between Rockaway Avenue & Thomas S. Boyland Street
Ocean Hills
Ridge Boulevard between 71st Street & Ovington Avenue
Bay Ridge
Stuyvesant Avenue between Bainbridge & Chauncey Streets
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Van Buren Street between Lewis & Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Best Community Garden Streetscape
Listed alphabetically
Green Acres Garden
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Keap Forth Community Garden
Williamsburg
Lincoln Road Garden
Lefferts Gardens
Maple Street Community Garden
Lefferts Gardens
Nehemiah Ten Garden
East New York
Prospects Heights Community Farm Garden
Prospects Heights
Red Shed Community Garden
Williamsburg
Santos Community Garden
Coney Island
Union Street Garden
Crown Heights
National Grid Leadership in Sustainable Practices Award
Listed alphabetically
6th Avenue between 15th & 16th Streets
Park Slope
Green Acres Garden
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Keap Forth Community Garden
Williamsburg
Maple Street Community Garden
Lefferts Gardens
Nehemiah Ten Community Garden
East New York
Prospect Heights Community Farm Garden
Prospect Heights
Union Street Garden
Crown Heights
Rookie of the Year
Listed alphabetically by street name
3rd Place between Clinton & Court Streets
Carroll Gardens
Agate Court between Atlantic Avenue & dead end
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Chauncey Street between Lewis & Stuyvesant Avenues
Bedford-Stuyvesant
Cleveland Street between Belmont & Pitkin Avenues
East New York
Decatur Street between Marcus Garvey Boulevard & Throop Avenue
Bedford-Stuyvesant
East 5th Street between Albemarle Road & Caton Avenue
Kensington
Gates Avenue between Classon Avenue & Downing Street
As I write this profile of the pinkster azalea, the Pinkster festival is just behind us.
The pinkster azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides), also known as the pinxterbloom azalea, pink azalea, or pinxter flower, is one of numerous vivid azaleas native to North America. This deciduous understory shrub, which belongs to the Ericaceae or blueberry family, grows in dappled woodlands from southern New England into the Southeast.
The pinkster azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides) blooming at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Blanca Begert.
When I first learned about this native azalea from NYC-based botanist Marielle Anzelone, I immediately thought of the cultural celebration, which takes place in late spring. I wondered if there might be a connection.
The Flower and the Festival
Phenologically, there is a link between the festival and the flower. Pinkster, or Pinksteren (meaning Pentecost), was historically a Dutch Christian holiday that celebrated the Pentecost, which takes place 50 days after Easter. This falls roughly within the flowering period of R. periclymenoides, which blooms here between April and May.
The pinkster azalea blooming at the Garden on May 16, 2018. Photo by Blanca Begert.
Dutch settlers brought Pinkster to the region now called New York in the 17th century, where it eventually became known as an African celebration, as local historian Lavada Nahon explained in a recent discussion of the Pinkster legacy. Today, Pinkster is considered the oldest African American holiday.
Many of the people who were kidnapped, enslaved, and brought to the Dutch colony of New Netherland were from Congo and Angola, and were already Christian, Nahon noted. They celebrated Pentecost, and the rare seasonal time off allowed to them, in Pinkster gatherings with other enslaved and free Africans—“in their own style, using their instruments, their foods, their gatherings.”
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Musicians Chief Baba Neil Clarke, O.H. Prince, and Ayodele Maakheru play an improvised set using traditional instruments at a Pinkster celebration hosted by the Wyckoff House Museum and the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum. Image via screenshot / YouTube.
Flowers are woven into this history. In the Dutch celebration, white children were draped with flowers and called “pinksterbloemetje” or “pinkster flower,” according to The Pinkster King and the King of Kongo by Jeroen Dewulf. This phrase persisted in the common name of R. periclymenoides, which became one of a few different flowers associated with Pinkster here (the blue flag, or Iris versicolor, was also known as a “pinkster bloom”).
Capitol Hill in Albany was said to be covered in “pinxter flowers” during early Pinkster celebrations. Dewulf notes that the next colonial power, Britain, referred to the Pinkster festival’s flower as the “pink azalea," and the pinkster azalea is referenced today as the “official Pinkster bloom.”
“Various wild flowers were known as Pinkster blossoms,” reads a 1908 article from Brooklyn newspaper The Standard Union, “but the beautiful wild azalea, which blooms plentifully on Long Island in May, was, and is, universally known as the Pinkster flower, or Pinkster bloom, and it is still called by the old Dutch residents Pinkster blummachee.”
Pinkster was banned by Albany lawmakers in 1811 amid enslaver fears of rebellion. But revivals have become popular in recent decades, and took place this spring at the Lefferts Historic House, Van Cortlandt Park, and other locations around New York City.
Identifying the Pinkster
The pinkster is one of the first of the native azaleas to flower in spring, blooming before its bright-green oblong leaves emerge.
The vibrancy of the pinkster bloom does not come across in herbarium specimens. (Note: I have not seen this plant in the wild.) North Carolina Extension describes the flowers as “clusters of soft pink (often cotton candy pink) to white to lavender, slightly fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers,” each with five curved stamens and five petals.
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A Rhododendron periclymenoides specimen (then known as Rhododendron nudiflorum) collected from Staten Island in April 1877. Image courtesy of Staten Island Museum.{embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Flickr_Virginia_17359266022_5b268cb630_o.jpg"}
Rhododendron periclymenoides growing in the wild in Virginia, pictured here in early May. It has an open, upright habit and drops its leaves in winter. Photo by Mrs. Gemstone / Flickr. {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/USGS_49069007121_f85b97102b_o.jpg"}
Like other azaleas, the pinkster azalea’s tubular blooms each have five curved stamens. Photo by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab.
Rhododendron periclymenoides has many common names, two of which—wild-honeysuckle and purple-honeysuckle—might help you identify it. It’s said that the flowers of the pinkster azalea resemble those of Lonicera periclymenum, or the European honeysuckle.
So what makes R. periclymenoides an azalea? Azaleas are a subcategory of rhododendrons. One way to distinguish the two is by the number of stamens (the male reproductive part of a flower). A rhododendron flower has ten stamens, while the flower of an azalea has five.
Henry David Thoreau coveted the pinkster azalea (or “pinxter-flower”), writes Allison Cusick of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. In late May of 1853, Thoreau sought out a local hunter named George Melvin to find the flowers, which he picked from along the Assabet River in Massachusetts. The specimen is now part of the Harvard University Herbaria.
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Thoreau’s pinxter-flower specimen. Image via Harvard University Herbaria / Flickr.
Local Ecology
In the wild, the pinkster azalea can be found growing near plants like mountain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). In 1985, it was announced as the official wildflower of Staten Island in the Staten Island Advance. (At the time, it was known as Rhododendron nudiflorum.)
In an article about the winning flower, Staten Islander Beatrice Hermasen recalled “fond memories of all the wooded areas beautiful with the spring blooming of the pink azaleas.”
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A 1985 article from the Staten Island Advance.
The pinkster azalea is said to attract bees, hummingbirds, and swallowtail butterflies. A gall midge, Dasineura praecox, deposits its eggs in the flower buds of the azalea. Exobasidiumazaleae, a fungus, can cause apple-shaped galls on the plant’s leaves. These “apples” are reportedly edible. Kathie Hodge, a mycologist at Cornell University, describes the apple-like plant tissue as “big and juicy and a little sweet.”
Hodge adds an asterisk, however—rhododendrons are notoriously poisonous. Many plants in the Ericaceae family produce grayanotoxins, which can affect the cardiovascular and nervous systems when ingested.
Growing the Pinkster
The pinkster azalea is a favorite of Will Lenihan, Native Flora gardener at BBG (and Staten Islander). It’s a little picky about where it grows, however, and he doesn’t recommend it as a reliable urban shrub.
“I would love to see more people experiment with cultivating it, but you have to accept that it might die fairly easily in the wrong spot,” says Lenihan.
Your best shot at growing it is on a moist but well-draining, east-facing slope that gets morning sun but is protected from too much direct afternoon sun, with a lot of acidic organic material in the soil.
Pinkster azalea buds in the Water Garden. Photo by Blanca Begert.
At Brooklyn Botanic Garden, R. periclymenoides can be found in the Native Flora Garden and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden. To see this plant growing in the wild in New York City, check out High Rock Park and Blue Heron Park in Staten Island.
Dance Heginbotham’s You Look Like a Fun Guy is an outdoor performance event inspired by John Cage’s interest in mycology and his methods of composing music. With live rebroadcasting and heightening the natural sonic environment, Omar Zubair’s audio installation plays with the audience’s perception of reality. Audiences will be transported from dusk to an illuminated spatial installation. Costume design by Maile Okamura.
Directed and choreographed by John Heginbotham, You Look Like a Fun Guy celebrates Cage’s rigorous and playful concerns as well as the astonishing nature and behavior of fungi. This performance event is shaped and informed by the venue’s singular setting, responding to the natural environment it inhabits.
Make a night of it! Performance attendees may also reserve tickets for a pre-event party featuring mushroom-inspired drinks and cuisine. See below for details.
Performance tickets: $44 ($39 for members)
Mycology & Mingle pre-event: $78 (10% discount for members); separate reservation required
Advance tickets required. To attend the pre-event Mycology & Mingle cocktail party, purchase both a performance ticket and a party reservation for the same evening.
Enter at 990 Washington Avenue. Nearest subways: 2/3 to Eastern Parkway—Brooklyn Museum or 4/5 to Franklin Avenue (no elevator).
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:45 p.m. The event takes place on Cherry Esplanade and other areas of the Garden are closed. Drinks and snacks will be sold on site.
You may bring a blanket or stadium chair (no folding chairs, please). There will be a small section reserved for wheelchairs and people who require a seat. If you require an accessibility accommodation, please contact [email protected].
Please observe all Garden rules, including:
Please do not lean on tree trunks or hang items from trees.
No outside food or beverages. (Baby bottles and pocket snacks for individuals with dietary restrictions are allowed.)
Please properly dispose of your trash and do not pour liquids or ice on the lawn.
In the event we must cancel the performance due to weather, we will notify you by 4 p.m. Unless we have to cancel, there are no refunds. The indoor Mycology & Mingle event takes place rain or shine.
Mycology & Mingle Cocktail Party
Exclusively for performance ticketholders | 6–7:30 p.m. Lillian and Amy Goldman Atrium at the Steinberg Visitor Center
Indulge in a delightful cocktail party of mushroom-inspired drinks and cuisine before the performance of You Look Like a Fun Guy! Enjoy passed mushroom bites, a mushroom station featuring four different mushroom sliders, mushroom-inspired cocktails, and wine and beer (open bar). The event wraps up just before the performance begins.
While savoring your drinks and bites, don’t miss the chance to chat with choreographer John Heginbotham and experts from the New York Mycological Society (see bios below), who will be on hand to discuss topics including composer John Cage (founder of the New York Mycological Society), mushroom identification, and performance art.
$78 prepaid (10% discount for members). Be sure to select the same night as your performance tickets.
Mycology & Mingle is a supplemental experience for ticketholders for the Dance Heginbotham performance of You Look Like a Fun Guy. You must purchase performance tickets for the same evening.
Mycology & Mingle will happen rain or shine! In the event the outdoor performance is canceled due to inclement weather, the cocktail party with choreographer John Heginbotham and the New York Mycological Society will still go on.
Reservations for Mycology & Mingle are final; there are no refunds.
If you select the member price, you will be required to show proof of membership at the event.
Reishi Berry Fizz (Mocktail) Reishi iced tea, blueberry, raspberry, mint, club soda
Beer, Wine & Mixed Drinks
New York Mycological Society Experts
August 1 & 2: Andrew Cannon
Andrew Cannon is an artist and amateur mycologist who has led many forays for NYMS. He has had work exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum, White Columns, and Page Gallery, among others. He became interested in fungi while taking a botany course in 2008 and has participated in mycological societies in Los Angeles and New York ever since. He also enjoys identifying and foraging plants, and cooking meals with wild ingredients.
August 3: Wilton Rao
Wilton Rao is an engineer, naturalist, and walk leader at NYMS. He loves fungi and is especially fond of lichens. Passionate about urbanism, ecology, and their intersection, he spends a lot of time exploring NYC, looking for wildlife in every park, sidewalk, lawn, and train platform. His other interests include drawing, foraging, and reading about social, cultural, and economic history.
Support
Art in the Garden is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Wedding ceremonies at Brooklyn Botanic Garden are affordable, intimate, and magical early-morning affairs. Couples and their guests get to experience a side of the Garden that few see—the quiet beauty of the grounds early in the day. Ceremonies must begin at 9 a.m. and be completed by 10 a.m.
If you are interested in a complete wedding package—including a ceremony and catered, seated meal—see Weddings and Celebrations for more information. Ceremonies without catering can only be booked weekends at 9 a.m.
To book a morning ceremony at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, please submit this brief form, and BBG's Registration staff will contact you with more information.
Please note that the following guidelines are for ceremonies only (not fully catered affairs). If you are interested in a complete wedding package—including a ceremony and meal—the Union Square Events at BBG team can provide more information.
Bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Spring and summer are very popular seasons, so plan early.
Only two ceremonies are permitted each Saturday and Sunday. The ceremony must be completed by 10 a.m.
Permit fee: $600 for up to 50 people (plus 4.5% booking fee). Up to 10 additional guests may be permitted at a cost of $22 per person (60 persons maximum). The fee is nonrefundable.
Ceremonies are held rain or shine. No indoor facility is available.
Ceremonies are all stand-up. Small, portable chupahs are allowed. No chairs, tables, decorations, balloons, rice, or birdseed.
Low-volume music is acceptable.
No food is allowed.
Portrait photography fees are included in the ceremony booking; all rules pertaining to photographing in the Garden apply. Photography sessions that extend beyond 10 a.m. will require a separate portrait photography permit.
Lush, romantic backdrops for your wedding and engagement photographs can be found everywhere in the Garden. From the explosions of pink during cherry blossom season to the fiery hues of autumn foliage, the Garden provides one stunning tableau after another for couples who desire a photography session on-site.
Bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Sessions are available during business hours:
April–October, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November–March, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fee: $350 for up to 25 people (plus 4.5% booking fee). The fee is nonrefundable.
The couple is encouraged to visit the Garden a week or two before the photo session to see what's blooming and select a location. Show your permit at the ticket window to receive complimentary tickets for up to 3 people for your planning visit.
Each session is 60 minutes; a security guard escort is provided to ensure that the session is not disrupted and to enforce the time limit.
End times are enforced; we suggest the wedding party arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to avoid losing scheduled session time getting ready.
No indoor photos are allowed.
If the session is rained out, a rain date will be given. The rain date is good for one calendar year from the date on your permit.
No outside food is allowed.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or call 718-623-7220.
Enjoy a performance by Blakkk, a Brooklyn-based Afro-Caribbean band known for their vibrant fusion of Caribbean jazz rhythms and contemporary sounds. Free with Garden admission.
Join “Disability Pride, Disability Joy, Exist,” an art-making program that celebrates disability as an integral part of human diversity. Led by Annie Nishwani Lachhman, a disabled artist, and Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad, an educator on disability inclusion and accessibility, the workshop invites participants of all ages and backgrounds to learn about the progressive Disability Pride flags, explore various aspects of disability, and create their own art, fostering inclusivity, understanding, and empowerment. Free with Garden admission.
This program is accessible for wheelchair users. Please reach out to [email protected] with any other accessibility-related questions.
{embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/manual/hero/_list_thumbnail_retina/Lakshmee-and-Annie-Program-Fun.jpg"}Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad and Annie Nishwani Lachhman are Indo-Caribbean, women of color and mid age. Lakshmee has nonapparent disabilities and Annie, who uses a wheelchair, has visible disabilities. They’re standing in front of a very colorful painting. Lakshmee hugs Annie from the back of the wheelchair and they are both smiling for the camera.
L’Ouverture brings the vibrant music and rich culture of Haiti and the African Diaspora to the forefront. The group embraces the meaning of its name, "the opening," by inviting audiences to experience the essence of Haitian music and stories. Free with Garden admission.
Get Tickets Become a Member Complete Hours & Admission › Entrances: 150 Eastern Parkway 455 Flatbush Avenue 990 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225 Directions & Parking › Visitor FAQ Answers to Top Questions › Accessibility ›…
English In Bluebell Wood, thousands of Spanish bluebells are nestled under the dappled shade of beech, elm, and birch trees. Listen along as Fernanda Incera, Interpretation assistant at BBG, shares her favorite stories about this special area of the Garden. Your browser does not support the audio element. Read transcript…
Claire Ratinon is an organic food grower and writer based in East Sussex, UK. She is the author of How to Grow Your Dinner Without Leaving the House and Unearthed: On Race and Roots, and How the Soil Taught Me I Belong.
Guided Tours See All Upcoming Tours › Group Tours Enhance your visit to Brooklyn Botanic Garden with a private tour! Contact [email protected] or call 718-623-7220 for information. $300 for up to 10 people; $30…
English Are you here to see the flowering cherry trees bloom? They’re some of our favorite trees, too. Listen along as Fernanda Incera, Interpretation assistant at BBG, shares some fascinating facts about cherries at the Garden. Your browser does not support the audio element. Read transcript Are you here to…
Located at the Steinberg Visitor Center entrance (990 Washington Avenue), Terrain offers a variety of unique plants, artisan gifts, and decor with the urban dweller and passionate plant person in mind. Garden members receive a 10% discount in the store. Hours: Tuesday–Thursday: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Friday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Note:…
Don’t miss the welcome return of cherry blossoms, crabapples, bluebells, and more! Extended hours and new programs let visitors make the most of this special season. Advance tickets recommended. Free admission for members. Get Tickets Become a Member Seasonal Hours Through August 1 Open late! Tuesday & Thursday: 10 a.m.–8:30…
Cherry Esplanade is a broad green lawn bordered by allées of flowering cherry and red oak trees. The double-flowering ‘Kanzan’ cherries typically bloom at the end of April, one of the highlights of spring.
Left on its own, all organic matter will eventually break down through the action of hungry bacteria and fungi as well as larger creatures such as worms, sow bugs, and centipedes. These decomposers consume decaying plant material and convert it into humus. Composting speeds up this natural process. In just…
