Latest news with #BrooklynBotanicGarden
Time Out
6 days ago
- General
- Time Out
This is officially the greenest, most beautiful block in all of Brooklyn
Brooklyn has spoken—or, more accurately, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has—and crowned the 2025 Greenest Block in Brooklyn. That picturesque title officially goes to Eastern Parkway between Franklin and Bedford Avenues, where flower-filled sidewalks, lush street tree beds and a whole lot of neighborly TLC have created an urban oasis worthy of borough-wide bragging rights. Announced at a press conference held today along the winning stretch, the award marks a first in the contest's nearly 30-year history: A block built predominantly of apartment buildings has taken home top honors. Translation? You don't need a brownstone stoop or sprawling front yard to go green—you just need committed residents and a knack for turning concrete into paradise. The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest, a project of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the office of Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso (with National Grid as major sponsor), is more than a beauty pageant for plants. It's about sustainable gardening, street tree stewardship and good old-fashioned community spirit. This year, more than 100 blocks threw their trowels into the ring, representing neighborhoods from Downtown Brooklyn to Flatlands and Bay Ridge to East New York, with stops in Flatbush, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights and Park Slope along the way. An expert panel of judges—BBG staff, trustees and local horticulture pros—fanned out across the borough, taking in window boxes bursting with blooms, storefronts dripping in greenery and community garden streetscapes so verdant you'd swear you'd stumbled into the countryside. Beyond the big win, other 2025 honorifics include Greenest Storefront, Best Street Tree Beds, Best Community Garden Streetscape, Best Window Box and Rookie of the Year. It's no small feat: In a city where space is at a premium and summer heat can scorch even the hardiest petunia, winning takes serious coordination. On Eastern Parkway's winning block, we can only assume that meant synchronized planting days and vigilant street-tree care through July heat waves. It turns out the payoff isn't just prettier sidewalks—it's also stronger bonds with your neighbors.
New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
A Garden in Brooklyn Bridges a Gentrification Divide
Good morning. It's Tuesday. Today we'll find out why a block in Crown Heights is Brooklyn's greenest. We'll also get details on the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration in New York City. People on Eastern Parkway describe the block between Franklin Avenue and Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights as one of the busiest around, with a station where trains from three subway lines stop. They also say it's one of the most organized blocks anywhere, with a block association that tends communal herb gardens and paints benches where passers-by can linger. As of today, they can also describe it as the greenest block in Brooklyn. It won that title, conferred by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in an annual contest, beating 10 other finalists from among more than 100 entries. Adrian Benepe, the president of the botanic garden, said that Eastern Parkway was a departure for the contest, which began in the 1990s: It was the first winner from a block made up mostly of apartment buildings. Past winners have been quieter residential blocks with one-to-four-family homes that had 'lots of places to do the greening,' he said. That part of Eastern Parkway has mainly four-to-six-story apartment buildings with smallish front yards. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Time Out
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Celebrate 100 years of bonsai at Brooklyn Botanical Garden's beautiful new exhibition
This summer, it's all about big celebrations for little trees. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 's beloved bonsai collection turns 100—and the Garden is going all-out to honor one of the oldest and largest public bonsai displays outside Japan. From June 14 through October 19, the 'Bonsai 100' celebration will unfold with new exhibits, weekend tours, outdoor installations, workshops and even a bonsai-themed manga. 'Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been the proud caretaker of this remarkable bonsai collection for 100 years, fostering a practice that is equal parts horticulture, art, design and patience,' said Adrian Benepe, president of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 'We are excited to see even more of these miniature trees—true works of art—displayed this year, including outdoors amid full-sized trees for a stunning comparison.' The C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum will showcase a rotating selection of these tiny marvels, including rarely seen specimens and the garden's smallest bonsai, while Magnolia Plaza will host seasonal outdoor displays. Among the headliners are a 500-year-old Rocky Mountain juniper, a Daimyo oak that cycles through four colors a year and a trident maple with roots dramatically hugging a rock. Inside the Conservatory Gallery, The Mountain, the Tree, and the Man by graphic novelist Misako Rocks! tells the story of a bonsai's life through playful manga-style panels. The exhibit also celebrates legendary curator Frank Okamura and includes a restored 1971 short film on his work. Weekend bonsai tours and live demos began on June 14, with monthly programming continuing through October. Fall workshops invite visitors to try their hand at the art form themselves. For those who prefer to admire with a drink in hand, Japanese-inspired fare awaits at Yellow Magnolia Café, along with a series of ticketed sake dinners in September. Shoppers can also head to Terrain for bonsai starter kits, planters and limited-edition totes featuring Okamura's illustrations. The celebration opened this weekend with expanded exhibits, live music and guided tours and all activities are free with Garden admission unless otherwise noted. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just bonsai-curious, this is the year to go small in a big way.
Time Out
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Let Me Tell You—How to celebrate the summer solstice, the best day of the year
There's a line in The Great Gatsby that inevitably pops into my mind at this time of year as the sun lingers in the sky. "Do you ever wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it?" Daisy Buchanan asks in the book. "I always wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it!" Daisy's line, of course, symbolizes much more than sunny evenings, but it serves as my annual reminder to savor the summer solstice—my favorite day of the year. For me, the solstice is a holiday on par with New Year's Eve. I see it as a reset, a chance to prepare for the second half of the year, and a reminder not to squander nature's fleeting joys. I invite you to join me this year in these June 20 rituals, so let me tell you about a bunch of great ways to celebrate around the city. Swedish Midsummer Festival I'm so solstice obsessed that I traveled to Sweden a few years ago to attend their renowned summer solstice celebrations. During a solstice party at the open-air museum Skansen, I made a flower crown, danced around a maypole and tried to sing along with Swedish folk songs. But this year, you can do all of that without taking a long flight to Stockholm. A free Swedish Midsummer Festival popping up in Rockefeller Park features all the midsummer necessities. The event is hosted by the Consulate General of Sweden, New York—so you know it's going to be as authentic as possible. Events run from 5pm–9pm on Friday, June 20. Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga On the summer solstice in 2003, three people did yoga at sunrise in Times Square. After that, two of them co-founded a solstice yoga in Times Square event that now draws thousands of yogis. Officially called Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga, this all-day yoga festival turns the hectic streets of Times Square into an oasis of calm. This year, the event runs from 7:30am to 8:30pm on Friday, June 20 at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue between 43rd and 48th Streets. Classes are free to attend; just be sure to register in advance here. Free yoga mats will be provided to registered attendees while supplies last; be sure to bring your own water bottle. Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Summer Solstice Celebration Brooklyn Botanic Garden will celebrate sunrise and sunset on the longest day of the year with special performances. One ticket ($24/adult) gets you access to both the morning and the night performance on Friday, June 20. At sunrise, the day begins with a guided musical meditation by composer/saxophonist Matthew Evan Taylor, accompanied by Metropolis Ensemble's chamber orchestra. The show explores the profound connection between breath, sound and Black identity, inviting participants to become part of a communal soundscape. As the day comes to a close, enjoy Taylor's Afropneuma, then let the energy build as Erik Hall's visionary reimagining of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians takes you on a hypnotic journey with electric guitars, basses, synths and voices. Coney Island Fireworks Though it's not an official summer solstice event, the weekly Coney Island fireworks series kicks off on Friday, June 20—and that would make for a magical way to celebrate the solstice. Fireworks begin at approximately 9:45pm and typically launch from the beach at West 12th Street, providing a breathtaking backdrop to the iconic boardwalk and amusement parks. I'd recommend getting to the beach early (Summer Fridays, anyone?) to enjoy the sun and surf. When you get hungry, grab some dinner at one of the Coney Island's best restaurants. Then settle back onto the sand to watch the sun dip behind the horizon before the fireworks light up the night sky. A DIY celebration
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Bonsai Collection Turns 100
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is celebrating the 100th anniversary of their bonsai collection with a ... More special exhibit and events. Shown are bonsai within the garden's Magnolia Plaza. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden often gets attention for when their esplanade of cherry blossom trees are in bloom. However, the park is recognizing another tree species on its grounds this year - the bonsai. 2025 is marking the centenary of the BBG's bonsai collection. Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing and shaping miniature trees in containers, and the BBG is said to have one of the oldest and largest collections on public display. From June 14 through October 19, the BBG will celebrate the collection with an expanded display of specimens, including never-before-displayed 'tiny trees' and an outdoor display of bonsai. The festivities will also extend to special tours, exhibits, workshops and other events. 'Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been the proud caretaker of this remarkable bonsai collection for 100 years, fostering a practice that is equal parts horticulture, art, design, and patience,' said Adrian Benepe, the garden's president. 'We are excited to see even more of these miniature trees—true works of art—displayed this year, including outdoors amid full-sized trees for a stunning comparison.' The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum is the location for the garden's longtime ... More bonsai collection. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder The garden's bonsai collection was started in 1925 through a generous gift of trees and shrubs imported from Japan in 1911. It was donated by Ernest F. Coe, a Connecticut landscape designer and nurseryman. Three bonsai from this original donation remain. They are a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), a Daimyo oak (Quercus dentata) and a Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora). Today, the Rocky Mountain Juniper is the oldest living bonsai in the BBG's collection. This Juniperus scopulorum is about 500 years old and features a full cascade style, meant to depict a tree hanging from the side of a cliff by the seashore or a stream. Overtime, the collection grew and diversified under the care of the BBG's first exclusive bonsai curator, Frank Masao Okamura. His 34-year tenure at the garden ran from 1947 to 1981. During his career, Okamura developed bonsai from unusual plants, including many tropicals and semitropicals. In the 1950s, the BBG launched the first of its renowned bonsai handbooks and began offering some of the first bonsai classes in the U.S. For 34 years, Frank Masao Okamura was the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's first exclusive bonsai curator, Today, the garden's bonsai collection is on view in the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum. As many as 30 specimens are on exhibit at any given time from the BBG's collection of almost 400 temperate and tropical bonsai. Some of the trees are well over a century old, with many still cultivated in their original containers. For the BBG's bonsai collection's 100th anniversary, this museum will have new interpretations highlighting it as well as bonsai techniques and tools. A selection of bonsai outdoors in a seasonal display will be shown on Magnolia Plaza. 'I change the display often and bring in flowering and fragrant trees as much as possible so that the visitor's experience is always fresh and exciting,' explained BBG's C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum gardener David Castro. 'We have so many bonsai and this is such a rare collection, it's easy to display something different.' Visitors at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden marvel at the garden's bonsai collection inside the C.V. ... More Starr Bonsai Museum. In the BBG's Conservatory Gallery, visitors can see The Mountain, the Tree, and the Man by graphic novelist Misako Rocks!. In this playful exhibit, a bonsai in the BBG's collection shares memories of its life in manga-style panels. Along the way, visitors will learn about Okamura and can watch a restored short film from 1971 featuring Okamura. From June through October, the garden will offer tours for visitors to learn about the collection and see bonsai gardening demonstrations. Tours will run every Saturday and Sunday in June starting June 14 and happening monthly from July through October. Continuing Education bonsai workshops will be offered this fall. Visitors will find Japanese-inspired dishes and drinks in the BBG's Yellow Magnolia Café and Canteen; a series of ticketed Sake Dinners will happen in September. Terrain at Brooklyn Botanic Garden is offering not only bonsai trees, planters and tools, but also new boxed sets of cards and tote bags featuring illustrations of bonsai by Okamura. On Saturday, June 14, visitors are invited to mark the 100th anniversary of this collection, join a tour and enjoy live music. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's website.
