Conservatory Garden: Spring 2016

The weather in New York lately has been absolute garbage—rainy and chilly and too much like the gray days I thought I had left behind forever when I left Ohio. We didn't have much in the way of winter either, but I'm hoping that this damp mid-50s cloud lifts sooner rather than later. Despite the gloom, spring is indeed happening and I'll be forever sad that my daily commute no longer takes me through Central Park. I did go on my lunchbreak recently to check out the Conservatory Garden, my favorite portion in the northern section of the park, and see how my old tulip friends were faring.

This is my fourth time in five years gawking at the tulips, and they're always such a treat. I think 2012 is still my favorite year, but it could just be that it was my first year seeing them and you never forget your first. This year the timing was a bit off, with certain sections and colors blooming way before the others, so the effect was somewhat uneven. It's still a wonderful sight to see so many tulips so beautifully organized in a spectacular, circular space and I can't blame them for being confused with this crazypants weather.

The cherry blossoms were also in bloom along Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue and in the garden. I never made it

back to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

to check on the cherry esplanade before this weekend's rain washed away most of the blossoms, but thankfully the Upper East Side is no slouch when it comes to cherries.

The tulips elsewhere in the garden were also starting to bloom, and the daffodils were still hanging on. I know I say this every year, but the large variety of flowers always thrills me, especially when they're all hanging out next to each other creating a wonderful mix of textures and colors. I suppose I should be grateful that at least it looks like spring in the city, even if the weather hasn't yet received the memo.