Brooklyn Botanical Garden - New Visitor Center Opening May 16, 2012

The new visitor center at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden will open on May 16, 2012.

Seamlessly melding architecture and landscape, BBG's new Visitor Center is a model of energy-efficient design, including earth-sheltered construction, a geoexchange system for heating and cooling, a living roof, and fritted-glass walls. Surrounding the building is a new garden filled with native plantings and water-capturing beds.

Link to the BBG's website: http://www.bbg.org/discover/visitor_center/

BBG’s Tiger Orchid Blooms

It’s not every day that a tiger orchid blooms in Brooklyn. It’s not even every year. In fact, BBG’s Grammatophyllum speciosum had only bloomed twice in its 13-year residence here—until now. The 300-pound tropical orchid has thrived since it was repotted in June 2010 and is now producing a magnificent display of hundreds of yellow-and-brown-spotted blossoms. Even in its native habitat of Southeast Asia, the species blooms infrequently—reportedly once every two to four years. For a specimen to blossom in cultivation and at this latitude is a special event indeed. Don’t miss it.

Source Brooklyn Botanical Garden: BBG.org

BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN - FOCUS ON SCHOOL GARDENS

On Tuesday, November 15, from 6 to 8 p.m., BBG is offering a workshop, How to Grow a School Garden: Winter Planning for Spring Learning. Led by GreenBridge program manager Nina Browne and Brooklyn Urban Gardener (BUG) graduate Michelle Israel, this workshop will provide strategies to New York City parents, teachers, and administrators to ensure that a school garden program is a perennial success. The class is free, but registration is required

About Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is an independent nonprofit institution committed to education, research, and the display of horticulture. Situated on 52 acres in the heart of Brooklyn, the Garden is home to over 12,000 kinds of plants and hosts more than 725,000 visitors annually. Learn more at bbg.org.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Garden is closed on Mondays except public holidays. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens (65 and older) and students with ID. Children under 12, all school groups, and Garden members are admitted free at all times. For directions, please visit bbg.org/visit/directions.

Learn what’s happening at Brooklyn Botanic Garden at bbg.org/visit/calendar, read the Garden’s blog at bbg.org/news, and see photos of current highlights at bbg.org/bloom.

Source: GardenNews.biz