The New Native Garden at the New York Botanical Garden.

[Gloria]

If you scroll to the bottom of the page there is a great slide show of the garden. While it takes a few years for a garden to really fill its borders it is New York and they spent enomouse amounts of money. There is also the fact that many mature native trees and shrubs already were part of the old Native Plant Garden.

Native Plant Garden | NYBG

Native Plant Garden - YouTube

Native Plant Garden - YouTube

[Gloria]

Articles from May 2013.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/nyregion/new-native-plant-garden-at-the-new-york-botanical-garden.html?_r=0

Public gardens: A new model blossoms - The Washington Post

[dapjwy]

The water and rocky areas really enhance the beauty of the whole garden.

I'm glad they brought up the plant-animal connection.

Excellent find, Gloria!

[dapjwy]

The video is a great inspiration for me and validates things I've thought of through the years. I remember, when I still lived at home, noticing that the woodland wildflowers seemed to finish up and not offer much (or as much) color into the summer...but that I would want to have wetland and pond plants and a meadow to take over where the woodland wildflowers finished up. The comments from the video make me appreciate the shift of focus that happens as the seasons change (not that all areas don't offer beauty in all seasons).

It really inspires me to make the most of our two acres--and feels good to know that I have only one acre less than they do, so I can create something on my own grand scale that can mimic what they have done (but in my own style).

I'm really hoping to create the full water feature and wetland area that I have envisioned...I only wish it could span the whole garden as theirs seems to (but, I'll be happy to settle for what I create in one section of the property).

I've always loved rocky outcroppings and I'm fortunate enough to have some fairly large rocks and boulders, even if they are on a smaller scale than the NY garden. I really feel that my vision for the place is to accentuate many of the same features this garden does. Again, I wish I had a larger rocky outcropping to work with, but I'm thrilled to have even one of a much smaller scale--the rocks and boulders were actually part of the selling point of the property (or at least a huge bonus).

As you can tell, this video has got me rather excited about my project. Too bad I have so few mature trees (a great bonus that they were able to incorporate the mature trees into their design)...but luckily I have a few of fair stature already. The future of our property and my project is bound to become more and more beautiful as it is transformed. Thank you for the inspiration. I am hoping it inspires the general public to make these connections, appreciate the beauty of natural landscapes, and want to recreate them on their own properties on whatever scale fits.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by Gloria

Articles from May 2013.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/nyregion/new-native-plant-garden-at-the-new-york-botanical-garden.html?_r=0

Public gardens: A new model blossoms - The Washington Post

When you visit the new Native Plant Garden at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx — and it should be a matter of when, not if — you will not see what I saw last week, and perhaps not even the garden that will attract visitors over the next two event-filled weekends. Gardens are like rivers. Not only can’t you step into the same garden twice, but their evolution is so fluid, you also can’t even step into the same garden once.

What a great lead in...and wonderful pictures.

[dapjwy]

Each of these miniature habitats flows almost edgelessly into the next, and is meant to be able to sustain its particular ecological character with its distinctive plants. Through the garden’s heart runs a crescent-shaped 230-foot-long water feature — a series of artificial pools fed by underground cisterns holding 50,000 gallons of rainwater.

Again, very inspiring for me. I love the idea of a seamless transition from mini-habitat to mini-habitat--that is my goal here.

[dapjwy]

I'm not a city person, but this thread, the video, and the article have me wanting to visit...almost (still dread going into the city).

[dapjwy]

I do agree that the water feature looks out of place.

My goal is to make my pond and stream look as natural as possible...it is well on its way (the small, stage one pool..."pond"?..."tub"), but could use some improvement.

[Gloria]

Really glad you like the garden articles. These public gardens using native plants can be inspiring.

[linrose]

Long ago I had a friend that went to work at the NY Botanical Garden and tried to convince me to come with him and work there too. Ah, the choices we make in life, but I was not a city girl so it was not to be!

It was inevitable that they would create such a garden, especially given the $15 million dollar grant. You can do a lot with 3 and a half acres and that amount of cash. It's interesting they chose plants that are native to the Northeast which spans a good deal of real estate, that's why I love the photo of Spigelia marilandica - Woodland pinkroot - which doesn't naturally occur anywhere near New York state. I love it in my garden though!

90,000 plants of 400 species went into this garden, I can imagine the work involved. Actually I like the sharp contemporary lines of the pool, it offsets the naturalistic plantings around it in my view. To me it whets your senses to the plant life around it in contrast. Blame it on my love for architecture in landscape. Too much soft needs a little hard.

I'm glad to hear they are expanding a Native Flora Garden which will feature only New York state native plants. That one will really focus on natives which local visitors can take note of. Makes ya wanna live in the Bronx right??? Not for this country girl though!