Wednesday, May 11, 2011

New York Botanical Garden in peak bloom (GBBD)


The Bronx is known as a tough neighborhood, 
but it also has the most magnificent magnolia trees.

The drive to the New York Botanical Garden from Manhattan 
usually takes under a half hour.


On the one sunny day of April vacation week, the drive took us three times as long. Next time we will take the train from Grand Central Station (20 minutes on the Metro North.)

The crowds, however, were heading to the Bronx Zoo. 
 The Botanical Garden was nearly empty of people but bursting with magnolia blooms . . .

. . . and daffodils.

Cherry trees danced in the breeze.

Have you ever seen bluer skies in New York City?

Spring has finally come to Maine too: my forsythia.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth, from the USA to France!

Blog Watch: this post is part of Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day hosted at May Dreams Gardens.

Blogger was down Wednesday-Friday and ate most of the comments. If your comments don't reappear as promised, I'll repost them from my email notifications. This was a system wide problem and many posts (not mine) disappeared as well.  I've been waiting to visit your blogs until this bug was fixed.

30 comments:

A Cuban In London said...

If it hadn't been for your accompanying text I would have never thought this was New York. For some reason the image I have of the Big Apple is that of an urban mammoth, with high rises everywhere. These shots are so beautiful. I'm sure New Yorkers would be proud. :-)

Greetings from London.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Just glorious Sarah. That cherry tree ... !!!

Tracy Golightly-Garcia said...

Hello Sarah

Love pictures--thought Washington DC had only beautiful cherry trees.I know better now!

Have a great day.

Best
Tracy :)

Tracy Golightly-Garcia said...

Sorry Sarah

That's lovely pictures

Tracy

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

How did you ever leave???

Alyson | New England Living said...

That is stunning and the blue skies are just so striking as a backdrop to the delicate blossoms. Spring can truly be spectacular in NYC! I remember feeling the same way last April in Central Park.

troutbirder said...

What a beautiful botanical. Wherever I've traveled at home or abroad, I always look for the botanical gardens. Always. Well, actually, I like zoos too. :)
Am a little jealous of anyone who can get forsythia to bloom in northern climes. No success here at all....

Amanda Summer said...

no, i don't think i have ever seen a bluer sky - and it's the perfect foil for those glorious blossoms. what a gorgeous day and hopefully well worth the extra drive time!

(and yes, that cherry tree is truly dancing in the breeze!)

Amanda Summer said...

sorry, sarah - blogger is giving me a lot of trouble lately when i try to leave comments. first it doesn't publish it, then it leaves multiples -- arrggh

David Cranmer said...

I love that hill with the daffodils. Give me a pair of sunglasses and a good book and I'm set.

septembermom said...

One of my favorite places. So beautiful. I need to go and visit soon :)

Cat said...

So happy to see that spring has arrived for you! I love forsythia...not something that grows here but I grew up with it in the DC area. Beautiful flowering trees, I'd prefer your field trip over the zoo too!

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

What a feast for the eyes--so lovely, so brilliant. Thank you.

Les said...

I was going to try and make it there during our NYC trip last summer, but there is never enough time. Thanks for the tour, the blooms and skies were gorgeous.

Anonymous said...

I am in NY too and have noticed the bluest skies ever here. I am glad you mention it. The flowering trees are lovely at this time of year. Happy GBBD.

Megan said...

So many beautious spring blooms! Gorgeous pics!

Jeanne Henriques said...

Your photos are stunning Sarah!! So glad to see that spring has sprung in New York!

I can appreciated the blogging dramas. I have posted about it and have discovered that many share similar thoughts.

Jeanne xx

Bumble Lush Garden said...

Beautiful pictures! You're making me miss home. Love the pretty yellow forsythia too.

TheGardeningBlog said...

Stunning photos, gorgeous blooms!

ARK said...

oh my goodness...THE TREES!

Anonymous said...

I love magnolias, Sarah, they are beautiful trees. I even thought about planting one in our garden!
As for the zoo versus botanical garden: I guess it's quite usual that people prefer zoos to b. gardens because they usually go there with children who are not interested in trees but in an ice cream and climbing frames and well, a bit in the animals. Good for you! ;-)

Barrie said...

Spring has sprung! Beautiful photos!

Kelly (The Sorry Gardener) said...

Beautiful photos. I love the shape of that cherry. I'll be back to check out your book list in more depth.

Larry said...

Hi Sarah... these are wonderful photos of some very beautiful trees. I grow a great many magnolias and seeing these pictures does stir up a bit of tachycardia as I find them so exciting.... thank you for sharing .... wonderful! Larry

Rose said...

Beautiful images! As much as I enjoy the spring bloomers like the tulips and daffodils in my garden, nothing can compare to glorious flowering trees. I'll visit a Botanical Garden over the zoo any day:)

Sarah Laurence said...

Thanks for all your comments and a hearty welcome to the new faces from GBBD: gardenwalkgardentale, Greggo, Megan, Bumble Lush, TheGardenBlog, allenaim, Kelly and Larry.

Here are the comments that were erased when Blogger crashed:

Alyson (New England Living):

That is stunning and the blue skies are just so striking as a backdrop to the delicate blossoms. Spring can truly be spectacular in NYC! I remember feeling the same way last April in Central Park.

troutbirder:

What a beautiful botanical. Wherever I've traveled at home or abroad, I always look for the botanical gardens. Always. Well, actually, I like zoos too. :)
Am a little jealous of anyone who can get forsythia to bloom in northern climes. No success here at all....

Amanda:

no, i don't think i have ever seen a bluer sky - and it's the perfect foil for those glorious blossoms. what a gorgeous day and hopefully well worth the extra drive time!

(and yes, that cherry tree is truly dancing in the breeze!)

David Cranmer:

I love that hill with the daffodils. Give me a pair of sunglasses and a good book and I'm set.

septembermom:

One of my favorite places. So beautiful. I need to go and visit soon :)

Cat:

So happy to see that spring has arrived for you! I love forsythia...not something that grows here but I grew up with it in the DC area. Beautiful flowering trees, I'd prefer your field trip over the zoo too!

Tricia J. O'Brien:

What a feast for the eyes--so lovely, so brilliant. Thank you.

Carol said...

Dear Sarah, It has been so long since I visited the NY Botanical Gardens. You capture it so beautifully!! Spring must be caressing your world by now.

cynthia said...

Magnificent blooms!

Donna said...

Those flowers are beautiful! I love flowering trees. They just bloomed on many trees here in Iowa--big white puffy ones, and it is so pretty.

Bee said...

These pictures are heavenly. After a long winter, the magnolia and cherry blossoms truly do rejuvenate the spirits.

And that sky is the bluest of blues!