NYBG: ORCHID SHOW 2026

From 2013-2018, I went to the New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Show six years in a row. Only a few of the shows were loosely themed: 2017’s Thailand; Dale Chihuly’s curving glass sculptures dotted the garden’s grounds in 2018, but only one of them appears in my photos from the conservatory; I didn’t go in 2019, but the theme was similarly inconspicuous (Singapore).

Have you ever seen thousands of orchids thriving up close? They’re magical. They’re improbable. They’re downright spiritual. Some of them look like slippers and others give off a sweet scent like living chocolate bars. They are the ultimate anecdote to AI: designed by actual intelligence, animated by a mysterious lifeforce, and cultivated by human hands. I love a good theme, but I have never once left the show wanting for a singular thread to tie it all together or wishing for extraneous set pieces to distract from the orchids’ other-worldly beauty.

This year, however, the garden put the show’s pollen-covered reins into the gloved hands of Mr. Flower Fantastic, described in official press interviews as “one of the most in-demand floral artists in the world.” MFF is a pseudonym for a Queens-born graffiti artist who transitioned into making “bold, sculptural works that blend art, fashion, and pop culture,” entirely out of flowers; his resume is undeniably impressive, including clients such as Serena Williams, Nike, and Netflix.

In photos, MFF is shown among the garden’s orchids, wearing a black hat, jacket, and goggles. He dons latex gloves and a respirator due to a severe flower allergy and to allow “the focus to stay on the art rather than the artist.” I would argue that his steampunk, Banksy-like aesthetic feels tired and actually does the exact opposite. Which might be a good thing: I had high expectations for this year’s show—billed as “a vibrant celebration of New York City and the extraordinary beauty that can bloom in even the most unexpected places”—but I was disappointed.

Even if the show’s ungainly official title, The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle, still technically gives orchids top billing, it also makes clear that this year’s installation has been curated by a Famous Artist. Jockeying for the spotlight within MFF’s concrete-less jungle, the delicate, diminutive orchids put up a good fight—but everything that was built around them feels fantastically flat.

The first piece you see upon entering the always-dazzling Enid Haupt Conservatory, is a brownstone covered in orchids. Or maybe it’s the second, or tenth thing you notice; I wouldn’t be surprised if you missed this show-opener entirely. Set in the middle of a small pond, the monochromatic brownstone (which here is rendered pitch black, as are most of the other set pieces in the show) disappears almost completely behind a cascade of colorful orchids. And maybe that’s the point! I understand how contrast works. If you want to let the flowers shine, slathering everything in matte black paint is a good way to do so. 

But smoothing out any ounce of originality or grit from objects and places that appear in infinite variations across the five boroughs—including trash cans, a Dumpster, fire escape, car wash, pizza parlor, and laundromat—is a weird way to celebrate a city as artistically fruitful city as New York. I was prepared to look for “beauty in unexpected places,” I just didn’t think the places themselves would be so devoid of character.

As you work your way around the conservatory, the set pieces and accompanying signage feel increasingly cheap, like 3D-printed, Temu-knock-off versions of their real life counterparts better suited for a Hollywood backlot version of “The Big Apple” than in a flower show set in the actual city of New York. I can almost guarantee that there are high school productions of West Side Story being staged in the Midwest right now with more authentic sets. 

At best, the installations recede into the background and cede attention back on the orchids: My uncle went with me, said he ignored the New York theme completely, and enjoyed himself. At their most unforgivable, MFF’s creations were too complex to interplay with orchids at all—or lazily designed that way: Oversize pizza slices, an orange-and-white striped steam tube, and the back half of a lifesize cab (bearing the license plate ORCH1D) are covered in (fake!) carnations. 

Forgive me for being literal, but I come to the orchid show to see orchids, and I came to this show specifically to see orchids set amongst “a dazzling reimagining of the Big Apple, from stoops and slice shops to the subway itself.” I suppose the “reimagining” part is technically correct, but I wish MFF had more imagination, particularly with the signage. His newsstand, slice shop, laundromat, and car wash are saddled with uninspired names and signs to match (particularly unforgivable in a city that includes generations of free graphic inspiration and a newly-opened museum dedicated to preserving it). 

They’re not only visually boring, but he also could have used a better copywriter. Some of the floral puns are better than others: a soda case contains Sprout (aka Sprite, cute) but also a headscratching variation of Diet Coke called “Natural Orchid” (what?). Inflation has yet to hit Fantastic’s Pizzeria, where slices are 99 cents and come with appetizing toppings such as Dendrobium Stems and Cymbidium Tubers. (A disclaimer warns that not all orchids are edible, but doesn’t specify further).

Conversely, the machines in Fantastic Laundromat “cost” $5 and direct visitors to scan a QR code to learn more about the orchids peaking out from behind round windows. This isn’t a criticism unique to the garden unfortunately, but the last thing I want to do—especially when I’m in a conservatory full of extraordinary live plants—is be tethered to my phone. (I’d take a visually dull explanatory placard over none at all).

I promise I am not a pearl-clutching white person aghast that a Black graffiti artist was let loose on one of New York’s sacred spaces. I wanted more graffiti. More proof of life. Something messy and imprecise as an anecdote to the perfection of the orchids. The Dumpster and trash cans felt too pristine. The familiar-but-faux scaffolding devoid of any stickers, sharpie tags, or layers of old wheatpasted posters. There is just one nod to MFF’s previous life as a graffiti artist: the tag MFF spelled out in (more fake) flowers affixed to a subway “tile” wall in the “Orchid Avenue” stop. 

MFF says that his show is an homage to two Jamaicas: the one in Queens, where he grew up, and the island where his ancestors were from. With respect to residents of both, I don’t think the show does a good job of transporting visitors to either. And I wanted it to do so, badly! 

I can’t blame the garden—I understand why they fell for MFF’s pitch. But in a city full of so many underemployed artists, I’m annoyed that garden officials chose this particular capital A Arteest, who has the nerve to call himself “Mr. Flower Fantastic,” (too literal, even for me) while delivering a show where the only fantastic moments are delivered by the thing he seems to had little to do with: the (real) flowers themselves.  

Orchid Show 2018

This was my sixth year in a row attending the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden (see my photos from 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013). The show changes subtly each year, but I appreciate that it doesn't change too much. We went on Saturday, which was the first really nice day of the year—in the 70s and sunny—and it seemed like every single person in the city was outside. We had to wait in line just to get into the conservatory, which was a first, but the orchids are worth the wait. 

It's surreal to me that I'm coming up on my five-year New York anniversary and I'm becoming very protective of the traditions that I have made over these years. My uncle is usually in town for the orchid show and it did feel a bit wrong to go without him, but I can't bear to miss it. 

The variety of orchids will never cease to astound me and my respect for nature grows each time I visit the garden. I feel like an expert by now on the orchids at the show—here are the ones that smell like chocolate, there are the ones that look like slippers—but of course I know very little about plants. I've killed nearly everything I've tried to grow on my own, so I'm happy to just be a spectator. 

Spring has just now arrived, so most of the garden is behind in its bloom schedule. The cherries, which are usually just about reaching their peak at this time are just beginning to bloom, so it was nice to be able to spend a few hours surrounded by so many orchids at their peak. The cultivation and collection of orchids is a fascinating world, and if you have even a passing interest in the subject I highly recommend reading this book. 

I don't know if I'll be able to make it to the orchid show every single year, but there's a comfort in knowing that no matter how bleak the winter gets, spring will always come early to the greenhouses of the New York Botanical Garden.

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New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458-5126
The Orchid Show is open Tues-Sunday, 10am-6pm until Sunday, April 22nd

NYBG: Chihuly

My mom and I recently went to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx to check out the Chihuly exhibit. Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor (with an eye patch!), and even if you don't realize it you've probably seen his work which appears in permanent collections around the world.

I first became aware of Chihuly when I was in college and saw an exhibition of his at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. The NYBG show is similar to that one in that it intersperses Chihuly sculptures with the garden's own plant collections and natural surroundings. Chihuly pieces are so fluid and organic-looking that they fit perfectly into a garden setting. There were actually some pieces that fit in so seamlessly that it was hard at first to discern what was glass and what was plant—and vice versa. 

Chihuly pieces aren't exclusively based on flora—there were ones that looked like cranes and rock candy—and I was surprised at how many different styles are on display in the garden. He's probably best known for his twisting, curling, spikey concoctions as well as his undulating bowls, but there were more modern, simple pieces placed near water so that their reflections were as integral to the art as the actual glass panes.  

I was very impressed with his work back when I saw it at Phipps, but ever since I feel like I've very badly wanted to hate on Chihuly for being too commercial or write off his work as faux-opulent (he has a lot of work in Vegas and a store at the Bellagio), but I'm won over every time I see a piece in person. 

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The New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458-5126
Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, Closed Mondays
"Chihuly" is on view until October 29, 2017

NYBG: Roses

My mom and I recently went to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx to see the Chihuly exhibit. I met her for breakfast at Tom's on the Upper West Side (of Seinfeld fame) and we walked to the C train at 110th Street. We got off at 145th Street, the last place to transfer to the D which is the train that we needed to take to the garden. The first train that came was an A, and then another A. After the fourth A train came, I was frustrated and declared that if yet another A train pulled up, I was going home.

When the next train was indeed an A, my mom very sheepishly said "is there another level to this station? The announcements keep mentioning a lower level." We had waited for nearly an hour on the wrong platform, while presumably five D trains had come and gone below us. This was over a week ago and I still feel dumb but New York always seems to have a way of humbling you like this when you least expect it. 

Despite the delay, we did eventually make it to the garden and it was packed. When I lived in Manhattan, I was a member of the NYBG and I went frequently. I have never seen it so crowded, and we had to wait in line just to get a ticket. Luckily the Chihuly pieces are spread throughout the grounds, so unlike the holiday train or orchid shows the conservatory wasn't overwhelmingly packed. They were also running trams quite often, and we took one to the rose garden.

I actually wanted to visit the rose garden because I thought there was a Chihuly piece there (there isn't) and roses have never been my favorite flower or held much fascination for me. They've always seemed a little boring and cliche, but I think I've under-appreciated them for too long—maybe it just means that I'm officially turning into the old lady I've always (not-so) secretly been. Even though the blooms were past their peak (my mom kept saying "it would be nice if they weren't all dead") it's hard not to be wooed by the variety, beauty and fragrance of the humble rose.

NYBG: Orchid Show 2017

This was my fifth year in a row attending the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. Even though the design of the show changes from year to year—this year's theme is "Thailand"—the flowers are pretty similar, and yet I'm still nowhere near over the thrill of seeing so many beautiful orchids in one place.

As far as I'm concerned, orchids are basically aliens—or maybe we're the aliens that invaded Planet Orchid. I feel that way about a lot of nature (have you ever really looked at deep sea creatures??), but orchids are so intricate and varied that it's hard not to be in complete awe of their beauty. I think it's their variation that amazes me the most—there are orchids that look like slippers, people, animals and mimic other types of flowers. There are orchids with blooms as big as your hand and as tiny as the tip of your finger. There are green ones and purple ones and orchids with stripes, spots and blotches. Some orchids smell like chocolate, and others have no scent at all.

For the second year in a row, the slipper orchid managed to be the most memorable for me. The single blooms are easy to miss at the show—this year they're low to the ground around the centerpiece—but they're so incredibly intricate and just downright strange-looking. The veiny, kiwi-colored one simultaneously grossed me out and intrigued me, and no matter how long I look at them they're hard for my brain to process.

Despite my best intentions, I still seem to have trouble keeping my own plants alive so it's nice to be able to surround myself with such top-notch specimens just for the price of admission. After some false starts, spring has been dragging its feet coming to the city, but I've come to regard the Orchid Show as an essential ritual to welcome the season.

Past orchid shows: 2016 // 2015 // 2014 // 2013

NYBG: Orchid Show 2016

This was my fourth year going to the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. It's safe to say that it's now a tradition, one I don't intend on breaking anytime in the near future. The orchid show always comes along right about the time I'm getting very tired of being cold and longing for the colors and warmth of spring.

The design and layout of the show doesn't seem to change much from year to year and I've begun to recognize most of the types of orchids. But orchids are so insane that it's still hard to believe that they're actually real. Nature is so strange and fantastical.

This year I became particularly obsessed with the slipper orchid. Named of course because it literally looks like a slipper ripe for slipping onto a tiny foot. With their striped and spotted wings they also look like little alien creatures that might come to life and fly away at any moment.

I took a Tuesday off of work to go with my uncle, who was in town, and it was such a more civilized way to see the show. The orchid show isn't quite the zoo that the holiday train show is, but being able to wander at a leisurely pace and actually see the flowers without having to view them through someone else's selfie stick is definitely preferable.

NYBG: Orchid Show 2015

Sunday was the last day for the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens and I had been meaning to go for some time. I renewed my NYBG membership last Christmas and I try not to miss an opportunity to go. This was my third consecutive year seeing the Orchid Show, which is—in my opinion—their best show.

This year's show was set up a bit differently than the past two. The theme was "Chandeliers" and a lot of the orchids were arranged in large baskets dangling from the conservatory ceilings. It was also organized differently and took you through the entire conservatory space clockwise instead of counter-clockwise.

I was initially disappointed by the sparse and kind of shriveled up orchids, and I was afraid that waiting until closing day had been a mistake. But the reverse layout meant that they saved the best for last and it wasn't until the end of the show that I was as wowed as I had been the previous two years.

The orchid show is my favorite because it's a spectacular show, but also because after such long and brutal winters in the city, it is a very welcome jolt of color and a great way to shake off any residual winter blues. Very suddenly the entire city seems to be in bloom and I couldn't be happier that it's finally starting to look and feel like spring.

2013 Orchid Show / 2014 Orchid Show

NYBG: Holiday Train Show 2014

Before my membership ran out at the end of the year, I made one last visit to the New York Botanical Garden for the Holiday Train Show. I went to the train show twice last year but they add buildings every year, so I wanted to see what was new.

My complaint from last year was the same this year: there are too many children and pushy parents, but that is to be expected. I wasn't able to go during a weekday this year, so I braved the crowds on a Saturday morning. It's all pretty organized, so you can still see everything and they do offer child-free bar car nights for evil child-hating hags such as myself. I renewed my membership, so maybe this will be the year I finally do the nighttime visit.

A lot of the buildings and bridges were repeats from last year, but there was enough new material and different arrangements to make it interesting. I've also seen a lot of the real-life versions of things since last year, so it's always a thrill to recognize a replica and compare it to my impression of the original.

This year I recognized Lyndhurst, Sunnyside, Kykuit, the Little Red Lighthouse, the Bartow-Pell mansion, the Jewish Museum, the Apollo Theater, the Old Stone House, Gracie Mansion, the Morris-Jumel mansion, and the TWA flight center specifically from my travels. There was also a special exhibit on World Fair structures, including the Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion and a display featuring famous mansions in the Hudson Valley area—both of which I've visited recently.

It was sad to see a particularly beautiful mansion only to read that it had been demolished years ago, and seeing the old Penn Station—even one made from twigs and leaves—is always bittersweet. I love the innovation and interesting use of natural materials, and anything in miniature never ceases to fascinate me.

The models are really extensive, with staircases and interior lighting and patterned roof tiles—all made from sticks, leaves, nuts and flowers. Although it's called a train show, and there are plenty of trains running around the displays, it's really more about the wonderful architecture and neighborhoods of New York. Like one of my other favorite places to visit—the New York Panorama—the Holiday Train Show is a little extravagant, a little kitschy and a whole lot of just-for-fancy.

Fall Flowers

I've said more than once that I was never a big flower person until I moved to New York. You might not think that flowers and the city necessarily go hand-in-hand, but everywhere you look there are beautiful blooms to match every season. I've really been noticing and loving the transition from summer to fall in the gardens around the city, particularly the Conservatory Garden in Central Park and the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

While summer flowers are bright and cheery, I definitely prefer the deeper shades and more interesting mixes that start popping up when the weather turns chilly. I just can't get enough of the dark reds, bright purples and of course oranges, mixed with neon greens, grays and deep, dark purples. I also love the weirder looking plants—the things with spikes and veins and spots and fuzz.

It seems like suddenly every sidewalk and stoop is overflowing with the most beautiful mums, and the NYBG has an entire show devoted to the weird and wonderful things people can make them do. I went to the Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden Show this year and last year, and I am continually amazed at the variety and complexity of nature. Hundreds of blooms growing from a single stem, intricately layered petals that go on for days, honeycomb-like centers and the most breathtaking color gradations—just a few more reasons why fall is the fucking best.

NYBG: Haunted Pumpkin Garden

I didn't have to work yesterday (or today)—thank you obscure Jewish holidays!—so yesterday I spent the day at the New York Botanical Garden. I became a member last winter and I've been trying to go and see the garden in every season since. The Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden show just started, but I was most excited about seeing the Haunted Pumpkin Garden.

The HPG is technically for children, and when I went on a weekend last year it was full of them (not my favorite thing). On a Thursday afternoon, however, I mostly had the garden to myself and it was much better than I remember from last year. Most (if not all) of the carved pumpkins are fake, but like the Great Jack'O'Lantern Blaze, it doesn't really diminish the overall effect.

The weather was perfectly fall-like yesterday and seeing so many pumpkins in all different shapes and sizes really thrust me headfirst into the Halloween mood. At every turn there were more and more pumpkins—grey-green ones, white ones, ones with bumps and spots and even some of the biggest pumpkins I've ever seen (600+, 700+, 900+ lbs.).

The carvings were all different and appropriately spooky and I especially love the way that they incorporate the pumpkins into their environments—bats in trees, mushrooms in the forest—everywhere you looked there was a glimpse of orange peeking out from somewhere. A few of the creations were painted bright colors, but pumpkins come in so many different and beautiful colors that I'm glad most were left as nature intended.

I'm sure children would love the interactive events but definitely don't discount the HPG just because it's in the Children's Adventure Garden. I saw more adults walking through than children (thankfully) and I hope I never grow out of my love of all things Halloween. Although, if there's any "children's" activity that I can get behind it's certainly one that involves creepy carvings, a few bones and at least one vulture.

NYBG: Rose Garden

On Sunday, after I went to America's first pet cemetery (more on that later), I decided to stop at the New York Botanical Gardens to check on their rose garden. I had read that the roses were in peak bloom and I hadn't been back to the garden since the orchid show in March. I'm a member, so I get in for free, and there is a Metro North stop right outside of the entrance. I was coming back on the Metro North from Hartsdale, NY, and a walk through the roses seemed like a perfect end to a already-wonderful day.

It was a very sunny day and to my delight the roses were all in bloom and completely incredible. I've been to the rose garden before during its peak, so I knew what to expect, but it's still a thrill to see so many different kinds of roses in all shapes, sizes and colors in such a beautifully landscaped space. I always love the really dark purple flowers because they feel special, but I found myself really admiring the peachy orange ones on this trip.

Roses seem sort of cliché and old lady-like as a general rule, but that's really a stupid reason to discount them — there's definitely a reason they're so popular and classic at this point. Of course they all smelled amazing, and some of them have color gradations or petal patterns that are so intricate they almost seem fake.

I didn't spend much time in any other part of the NYBG on this visit, but the roses were so spectacular that I didn't really need to, and I love that I can go whenever the mood strikes me and not have to worry about seeing the whole place in one visit. I thought that with the end of spring would come the end of the beautiful blooms, but it's nice to know that although my beloved cherry blossoms and lilacs may be long gone, I can still get my flower fix without ever leaving the city.

NYBG: Orchid Show-Part Two

Even if you really hate orchids (is this actually anyone?) there are still things to see at the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show that aren't orchids. I have been to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory many times in the past year and I'm still finding pieces to swoon over in their permanent collections.

Everywhere you look there is something new and interesting and completely strange because plants are probably aliens and more often than not, kind of freak me out.

There are leaves with spots, leaves with stripes, furry, curly plants that look like monkeys' tails and flowers with colors so bright that they don't even look real. The desert collection is always full of weird and prickly things and I decided recently that if I were a type of plant, I would definitely be a cactus. I love the subtle gradations and colors in the succulents and cacti especially, and I always have to resist touching, squeezing or otherwise fondling even the most dangerous-looking ones.

Some of the plants are so perfect that they look plastic; others smell fantastic or are so strange looking that I can't possibly figure out their purpose in the grand scheme of things. I never skip the permanent collections when I go to the garden, since there is always something new to discover, and sometimes I end up enjoying them more than the main exhibits.

I really never considered myself a plant/flower person until I went to my first orchid show last year, but now I'm continually fascinated. Nature is a weird and wonderful thing, and even though I still may not be able to grow or nurture a plant to save my life, at least I can go visit hundreds (thousands?) of them whenever I start to yearn for something green (or pink, or purple, or orange...).

NYBG: Orchid Show-Part One

On Sunday Trent, Jim and I went to the annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. The Orchid Show was my first experience at the NYBG last year (I went with my uncle) and having since been to other shows throughout the year —Kiku: Japanese Garden and the Holiday Train Show— I can say that the Orchid Show is definitely the best (not that the others are bad, but orchids are just awesome).

That being said, I think last year's show was better than the current show; it seemed as if there were less flowers this year, which I can't know for sure if there was, but something about it felt more sparse. Maybe it was just that a bit of the novelty has worn off since I recognized a lot of varieties from last year, which is totally understandable. It was still a great escape from the cold, never-ending winter, and we all got in free because I'm a NYBG member.

There is a seemingly infinite variety of orchids on display, from ones that smell like chocolate to ones that look like slippers or giraffes or ladies in ruffled skirts. Jim read that there are orchids you can cook with chicken and that blue is the rarest color. I found myself being especially drawn to the darker varieties — maybe the fact that they're rare makes them feel particularly special. There's always been something about a really dark flower that I love. Flowers are such a happy, beautiful thing that they aren't usually associated with darkness or dark, somber colors. It should come as no surprise that I go to a flower show and end up falling in love with the most morbid ones I can find.

I also really loved the green orchids, once again because green is not generally a flower color. It's actually quite odd to see a green flower and they almost didn't even look real.

The show was a great place to continue playing with my new camera and my 50mm lens was basically made to take a million close-up photos of weird-looking plants, so that's what I spent my time doing. The flowers are so beautiful on their own that I didn't have to try too hard to get a good photo and each one was so different that I couldn't help myself from trying to capture them all.

Becoming a member of the NYBG was one of the best investments I've made and I've gotten more than my money's worth just a few months into my year membership. Although it's currently fucking-freezing degrees outside (this is an exact measurement of temperature now) the orchid show was a wonderful taste of spring — even if we may never again get to experience actual spring in New York.

NYBG: Holiday Train Show and Snowy Walk

Ever since my first visit to the New York Botanical Garden last year for the spectacular Orchid Show, I've considered becoming a member. It's definitely worth it, financially, especially if you intend to go to all of the special shows ($20+/ea.) during the year. It is always hard for me to wrap my head around spending a lump sum of money all at once, vs. smaller chunks spread over time, even if the smaller payments add up to much more in the end.

But I finally came to my senses when my friend Jean-Marie and I were at the NYBG a few days before Christmas to see the Holiday Train Show, and traded in my ticket towards the price of a year-long membership. Much like getting my first New York library card, finally becoming a member to a museum/garden goes a long way towards making me feel like a true resident. Now, I can go to the garden anytime I want (and bring two guests), although I'm most excited to see the Orchid Show again and the cherry blossoms in the spring.

The Holiday Train Show was probably my least favorite of the shows I've seen thus far (Orchid and Kiku), but that doesn't mean it was not great. It just means that the flower shows I've seen have been so outstanding, that I found the train show to be a little dull in comparison. 

The show has trains, of course, but the main attractions are the hundreds of famous New York buildings and landmarks, recreated entirely out of plant parts (nuts, bark, leaves). They're incredibly intricate and kind of mind-boggling, and they definitely overshadow the model trains zipping in and out.

The bridges were a definite highlight, which should come as no surprise since I love the real life versions of each so much. I think what I actually liked least about the show was the amount of people (and children) that were crammed into the Conservatory. It's completely my fault for going two days before Christmas, but there's no doubt it would have been much more enjoyable if I'd had some space to breathe. We were constantly getting pushed, prodded or cut-off by grumpy toddlers and their entitled parents, which is something I'm not used to from the other (more adult) shows. 

I think maybe next year I'll do one of the child-free bar car nights, which seem to exist precisely for get-off-my-lawn types like me.

This past weekend I was still enamored with the snow from our "blizzard," even after spending all of Friday in Central Park, so I decided to head back to the NYBG. I'm already experiencing the joy of having fronted the membership money, and it was so nice knowing that the day wouldn't cost me a dime. It may seem strange to head to a botanical garden in January, but the Thain Family Forest is a huge part of the NYBG, and I knew it would be gorgeous in the snow. There were still crowds funneling into the train show (although it appeared much more civil than my previous experience) but the grounds were mostly deserted.

The main roadways were plowed, but the trails were not so I got an even more rustic experience than I had expected. Luckily the boots I bought on a whim have proven themselves to be a worthy purchase, and kept my feet toasty and dry throughout my entire expedition. I walked through most of the forest, stopping to see the waterfall on the Bronx river, the Goldman Stone Mill, the Hester Bridge and the Spicebush Overlook. The NYBG is one of those places where you can forget entirely that you're even in New York, and it was a perfect place to enjoy the beautiful snow. I highly recommend taking a hike there at any time of the year — snow is always magical, the fall leaves were beautiful, it's a really nice escape from the city in the hot, sticky summer and I can't wait to experience spring under their cherry blossoms. The best part about the Thain Family Forest? I didn't encounter one sticky, snotty kid on my entire walk — worth the cost of membership, indeed.

NYBG: Kiku Japanese Garden Show

On Saturday, my uncle was in town and we decided to go to the New York Botanical Garden for Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden show. The last time he visited me in the city we also ended up at the NYBG (the first time for both of us) for the spectacular Orchid Show, so we had high expectations for Kiku. While the Chrysanthemums aren't quite as interesting (or diverse) as the orchids, it was still an amazingly beautiful show.

I had no idea that chrysanthemums could be so large and so intricate. The centerpieces of the show were these crazy pyramids of flowers (called Ozukuri, or "thousand bloom") that are trained (by some sort of gardening sorcery) to grow from a single stem. One display had almost 500 flowers, and another had more than 200 all impossibly growing outward from one tiny, precariously thin stem.

There were other varieties that looked like fireworks, some like fancy wigs, others that swirled like whipped cream and large displays of fall-colored mums, which I stupidly had never realized were actually chrysanthemums. I was able to intently study (and photograph) some really chilled-out bees that were hanging out on a huge wall of flowers, and any time I can get a great, close-up shot of a bee (or comparable insect) is a fun time for me.

In the courtyard of the Conservatory, I finally got to see the Four Seasons sculptures up close, and they were totally worth the wait. I wanted to see them when I went to the garden in the summer, but because I hadn't paid for an all-inclusive ticket, I wasn't able to get near them. I had even tried to peek through the surrounding fence, but couldn't catch more than a fleeting, heavily-obscured glance.

There are four sculptures, each representing one of the seasons, and sculpted out of seasonal produce and flora. Winter was hands down my favorite, and at one point there was an old man standing right in front of it who was basically the human equivalent of the craggy, rooty sculpture. Autumn was a bit of a disappointment, only because it's my favorite season (if I must pick one), so I had high expectations. They are all really spectacular, and make a striking set.

Also outdoors are two huge lily ponds, a majority of which were in bloom. I became totally enamored with the lotus flowers at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this summer, but there are even more and especially beautiful ones right now at the NYBG.

We walked through the permanent desert collection again, which seemed to be doing a bit better than when we last saw it in March. The succulents were adorable and I had to use all of my willpower not to squeeze every last one of them, because that's a totally normal reaction to succulents, right?

I'm thinking that I should probably just bite the bullet and become a member of the NYBG, because they have so many great exhibits throughout the year that it's definitely worth the price. I'll definitely be back for the Orchid Show this spring, but I'm also excited for the Holiday Train show in a few weeks, which I've never seen. A description of the train show mentions that the trains move through "more than 140 scaled iconic buildings and structures under thousands of twinkling lights," which is all I need to know to add it to my must-do list this Christmas.

NYBG: The Orchid Show

Before we went to the backstage tour at the Met, my uncle and I traveled to the Bronx (his first time, my second) for the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens. I love flowers and plants, in part I think, because I cannot for the life of me keep them alive. We always joked that my mom had a "black thumb" and killed supposedly kill-resistant things like chia pets and cacti. I'm sorry to say that I definitely inherited that trait, although perhaps to a lesser degree. I've managed to keep a few house plants alive for a few years, and the roses and Gerbera Daisies in our yard have somehow thrived despite my neglect. I think it's because of this that I have a fascination and extreme respect for beautiful foliage.

I've been to the Brooklyn Botanic garden in the spring, as well as a week ago, but I had never been to the larger New York garden. It's in the same park as the Bronx Zoo, and fairly easy to get to. If you take the subway (B/D), it's about a six block walk to the entrance on Mosholu Parkway. Thursday was a snowy day, but always on the verge of rain, so it wasn't too frigid. We arrived at the garden a little after 10am, expecting crowds but thankfully there were only a few other people milling about. Admission to the Orchid Show also gets you into the rest of the grounds, but we were on a somewhat tight time schedule so we just stuck to the orchids.

The Enid A. Haupt conservatory is a beautiful, enormous glass enclosure and nearly every room was just bursting with orchids and other wonderful plants. They also had flowering gardenias, grapefruits, lemons, enormous ferns and a desert section with various cacti. But of course, it's the orchids that steal the spotlight whenever they can.

They have an incredible amount of variety — ones that smell like chocolate, ones that look like slippers, ones that are printed like a giraffe, big ones, small ones and ones that look like tulips. Orchids are strange creatures — some even look like aliens. I wish I could have bottled the scent of the entire show, it was so lovely. It was nice to breathe in the sweet-scented, warm, moist air on such a dreary day, and after spending a few hours with the orchids I can definitively say I'm ready for spring.

I would love to go back to the garden for their take on the flowering cherries, but alas I leave for Ohio tomorrow (eek!). I did, however, pick up a copy of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief to reread — have you read it? If you've seen Adaptation you know that it's nearly impossible to explain without sounding dull, but believe me when I say it's anything but. Orlean is a fantastic writer, and the subject of passion, obsession and collecting is one that will always be near to my heart. It's even more interesting to revisit her words after I've seen a lot of what she describes, and she even mentions that some of the orchid varieties currently at the NYBG have been there since the late 1800s.

The show runs until April 22nd, and I highly recommend checking it out, and while you're there you can pick up a copy of the Orchid Thief, conveniently available in the gift shop.