You may not think visiting a botanical garden in winter could be very interesting. The flowers have faded, the leaves have fallen and the forest has turned into “stick season”. While that may be true, that doesn’t mean it’s not interesting. Winter is cold, but it’s a wonderful time of year. Yes, I do feel sad when the trees bid farewell and take refuge in their roots until spring arrives, but there is still so much to see. Birds’ nests are easier to spot in the trees, and the landscape takes on a new color palette of browning leaves, red berries and the striking greens of the conifers. One of my favorite spots in the NYBG any time of year is the stand of majestic Eastern White Pines just along the edge of the garden. The soft, brown needles are a relief to walk on after a long week of walking on hard concrete city sidewalks. Just past the White Pines are the native Pitch Pines. These pines are twisted and rugged with spiky cones. They’re built to survive dry, rocky ridges, exposed mountainsides and thrive in places other trees cannot. I love spending time in any season among the pines in the garden, but in winter especially. The garden is even more peaceful this time of year and a wonderful respite from the urban world just beyond its gates.
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Today was a typical cold, gray winter day, but a great time to visit the NY Botanical Garden. The garden seemed still and quiet. Very unusual for New York. Maybe people were staying inside, tired of the cold winter days. It was peaceful. And although I enjoy these days when less people are out and about at the garden, I look forward to spring and the warner days ahead.
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The trees at the New York Botanical Garden were still holding onto their vibrant fall colors. It was a sunny day making their hues even more vibrant. After a very busy month of October, taking refuge under the golden leaves of a maple tree was a much needed respite. I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders; a feeling of peace, content and relaxation. I stood under the maple for a long time enjoying the warm embrace of fiery gold hues and the sunshine that flickered through the leaves.
Fall is a bittersweet time of year. The trees put on their best display before saying goodbye for the winter when they take their life deep down into the earth to prepare for a long winter rest. But even after the leaves fall to the ground and begin to decay, there will be seedpods for birds and other critters to harvest and feed upon during the cold months ahead. Winter can be a very beautiful time of year. And while I do not favor the cold when it drops below freezing, I do enjoy the quite and peace of the winter season soon to come.
Today was my first time visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Because we are members of the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, we have a reciprocal membership with other participating gardens. This is a great perk and having a membership supports the work of the gardens. The garden occupies 52 acres in central Brooklyn near Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum. There is so much to see here. The garden has a number of specialty gardens including a Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden, Water Garden, Rose Garden, Native Plant Garden, and a Fragrance Garden just to name a few. The weather today was extremely hot and humid, and we were grateful to find shaded paths along the way. There are hidden benches tucked away beneath the trees in the romantic, Shakespeare Garden too where we could sit for a moment to cool off. We had a wonderful day exploring, and I can’t wait to come back again to see more.
