New York Botanical Garden

Annamaria on a Splendid Summer Sunday in the City

The New York Botanical garden, a 250 acre museum of plants and trees, is on land that largely once belonged to the Lorillard family who made their fortune from a New World plant: tobacco.  NYBG was established in 1891.  Most of its buildings, including the glorious, Crystal Place-like greenhouse, date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These days, the garden is on the US National Registry of Historic Places and welcomes more than a million visitors a year.

So, you may wonder why I--who has, in the past ten months, visited beautiful gardens in Japan and South Africa, took until yesterday to visit this splendid place, which is right in my own backyard.  (Well, less than an hour's drive north of me in the Bronx.)

The garden has dedicated itself to being more than just beautiful--which it is to the nth degree.  It defines itself as an advocate for the plant kingdom.  in addition to its collection of 7.8 million botanical specimens (second largest in the world after the French Museum of Natural History in Paris), it houses the largest, most comprehensive botanical library in the Americas.  Over 90,000 school children visit every year.  All of that, and this:  

The library building from 1899.

A historic building from the original Lorillard property. 

Fountain of Life in front of the Library

Detail of Same

Poster for the current exhibition

The Bronx River flows through the property.  Until I saw this view, to me
Bronx River was the the name of a highway.

The dome of the conservatory

I found some old friends that I first met in Paraguay,  These
large lily pads make an appearance in "Invisible Country,"
my second South American mystery.

Cactus that looked as if it might say something.

Stan and Michael may say "ho-hum" because these cuties are common
sights for them, but they surprised and delighted me.  

Plants, not rocks!!

And a lovely restaurant to add to the perfection of visit.

I plan on being a regular visitor from now on.