New York: New York Botanical Garden
Explore the New York Botanical Garden - a 250-acre site supporting over one million living plants in the Bronx.
For those willing to venture out of the confines of Manhattan, New York is sure to surprise you with some of its lesser-known destinations to the international tourist. Located in the Brox, the New York Botanical Garden is just one of a handful of the city's impressive botanical gardens. Covering a total space of 250-acres and home to over one million living plants living in tropical, temperate and desert flora climates, the gardens are sure to impress and educate visitors as it transforms throughout the seasons of the year.
The grounds play host a vast multitude of gardens for visitors to explore including the Seasonal Walk, Wetland trail and the Rock, Rose and Herb gardens, to name a few. Many transform over the year, allowing returning visitors to witness a constant change of colour, form and beauty. The jewel of the garden is the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory; an impressive Victorian-style glasshouse that contains a diverse range of plants from a variety of climates housed within each of it's 'galleries', from lush tropical rainforests to cactus-filled deserts and temperate lands. Under the large glass roof, the conservatory is climate controlled, ensuring habitats are maintained, and plants consistently cared for. This also means that the gardens look their best and visitors can experience the tropical wonders even in the highs of Winter.
During the Winter months of 2019, the NYBG hosted the 17th edition of its orchid show, the inspiration of the latest exhibition taken from Singapore where the orchid is the country's national flower. The tribute to the “City in a Garden” used thousands of orchids to create mesmerising and colourful displays, many housed in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Large tree-like sculptures, similar to the forms seen at Singapore's Supertree Grove, reach for the conservatory's glass roof, encouraging visitors to look up and admire the views.
This oasis in the heart of New York shows a dramatically different side to the city that never sleeps. A calming retreat for visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets not only looks beautiful throughout the seasons but educates people of all ages. In a time where nature and the environment are a hot topic, the New York Botanical Gardens connect us back to the earth, reminding us just how important and incredibly beautiful it is.