Oct 23 2009
Now through November 15, 2009, at The New York Botanical Garden
Don't miss this third and final year to be dazzled by the spectacular autumn landscapes of Japanese gardens with scarlet maples and golden bamboos set against the backdrop of emerald conifers. Celebrating the time-honored tradition of Japanese fall flower-viewing, more awe-inspiring chrysanthemum "sculptures" than ever, painstakingly trained using traditional Japanese methods, are the centerpiece of the most elaborate exhibition the Botanical Garden has ever mounted, on display in the Conservatory Courtyards. Bonsai provide another fabulous element to the show. On weekends, enjoy guided tours, autumn gardening demonstrations, and taiko drumming performances.
Japanese Autumn Garden
Specific combinations of light and heat are needed to bring the massive chrysanthemums, cultivated from tiny cuttings over the last 12 months, into simultaneous flower. This year, just as the Yankees have battled the elements during their baseball postseason, Garden staff have also had to deal with quirky weather in the Bronx. Cold temperatures and overcast skies in New York necessitated staff gardeners returning the star mums of this outdoor show to the greenhouses for the extra light and warmth they crave to bloom. This was in direct contrast to what was required during the first two years of the Kiku exhibition when warm, late-summer temperatures persisted through October, and staff gardeners scrambled to shade and cool the plants to prevent flowering before showtime. Visitors can appreciate this marvelous manipulation of nature and see the spectacular fruits of the gardeners' labor in this, the third and final year of the exhibition on view through November 15.
Source: http://www.nybg.org/