Photo Friday: Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Fragrance Garden Gate at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 
August 29, 2010. Photo by Shrimpcracker.

The Fragrance Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was created in the 1950s and is a garden designed for the seeing-impared. The signage is also in braille and the plantings are selected to heighten the other senses: they are meant to be touched and smelled.  

Happy Labor Day weekend, all.

April Showers bring May Flowers - Wildflowers and Sakura Matsuri

With this week's rain behind us, the weekend ahead promises pretty weather and two big ways to celebrate the city in bloom again.

May 1-9 is NYC Wildflower Week.  There are tons of events in every borough to expose residents to the native species in our area, as well as explorations of New York City's open space, including many locations typically closed to the public.  It may be hard to believe but New York City's biodiversity is surprisingly strong, yet many species are fragile.  Wildflower Week will kick off with a giveaway from 8am-3pm at the Union Square Greenmarket, where you can pick up native plant seedlings (while supplies last) and other swag.  There are walks, kids events, lectures and more.  Most events are free but some require an RSVP.  Check for a full schedule here.   
www.nycwildflowerweek.org

Cherry blossoms may be past peak in most areas, but the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 2010 Sakura Matsuri celebration will take place this weekend, May 1 &2.  There are more than 60 events scheduled in this celebration of Japanese culture, ranging from music and food to manga and poetry, so this weekend the Botanic Garden promises more than cherry blossoms to help welcome spring. 
www.bbg.org/sakura2010/

Week in Review: Governor's Island / Toy Center / Trees / Flowers / Earth Day

Now that New York City owns Governor's Island, these plans capture the imagination of New Yorkers. (via Curbed) The New York Times invited readers to submit their wild ideas as well. Peep that slideshow here.

The Grey Group's relocation to and makeover of the 1909 landmark building at 200 Fifth Ave - a one time toy center - in the Flatiron District is profiled in "Mix It Up"in April's Metropolis Magazine.

The New York Times ran this piece about Bolinas, CA where a town moratorium on issuing water meters has effectively capped development. I think this is genius. Water is really limited, so it's a legal restriction; this should be used in many more Western towns who struggle with growth.

This week, Patrice Frey's PreservationNation piece in her series "Old Homes in a Sustainable World" Takes the Long View on Renewable Energy.

Brooklynology offers this adorable piece about Brooklyn's flower, the forcythia. The borough even had a Forcythia Queen!

Put Down Roots! Million Tree giveaway continues this weekend - locations include Bowne House, Flushing, Queens; Putnam Triangle, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn; Snug Harbor, Staten Island; Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx.

At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden it is Hanami, the month-long cherry blossom celebration. Check here for events, culminating the first weekend in May with Sakura Matsuri, for what's abloom and what's doin'.

In Fort Greene, Habana Outpost will be opening its gate for the season come Saturday with its annual Earth Day Expo!


Photo used under Creative Commons license, by WallyG