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Membership Emails
Below is a sample of the emails you can expect to receive when signed up to bbg.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden has officially reopened! We are excited to welcome our community back once more. Be among the first to enjoy the Garden and visit for free during our Welcome Weeks, now through September 7.
The Garden has implemented new safety guidelines including a face covering requirement for visitors over the age of 2 and contactless entry. Read the full safety guidelines at bbg.org/visit.
Advance timed-entry tickets are required for all.
Reserve Tickets
Photo by Michael Stewart.
Enjoy 52 Acres of Beauty
The new Woodland Garden is open for the first time! The Woodland Garden features an open-air “walled garden” and an accessible path that connects the Lilac Collection, the Osborne Garden, the Native Flora Garden, and a new maple grove. Designed to be a source of inspiration to urban gardeners, the Woodland Garden features plants that flourish in shady, relatively dry conditions, like ferns, sedges, and may-apples.
The redesigned Overlook, which opened shortly before our closure, will also be a new sight to many visitors. The Overlook features an ascending garden with wonderful views of Cherry Esplanade and the Rose Garden. Its winding path, shaped by smooth walls with integrated benches, leads visitors through a landscape filled with summer-flowering crape-myrtle trees, ornamental grasses, and herbaceous perennials.
Photo by Blanca Begert.
#MakeBrooklynCount
If you haven’t yet done so, please take a few minutes to fill out the 2020 Census form today. The new deadline to submit is September 30.
Two congressional seats and New York’s fair share of billions of federal dollars are at stake. This includes funding for public education, affordable housing, roads and bridges, and much more.
Brooklyn had the lowest self-response rate of any New York City borough in the 2010 Census. Fill out the form today and #MakeBrooklynCount!
I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Adrian Benepe, and I joined Brooklyn Botanic Garden one month ago as president and CEO. Before then, I spent my career advocating for green spaces for all New Yorkers. Like most of you, I’ve known and loved BBG for a long time.
That’s why I am reaching out today about the Garden’s Fight for Sunlight, the campaign to raise awareness of and opposition to a massive development proposed for 960 Franklin Avenue. The height and density of that development, just one block from the Garden’s eastern boundary, poses an existential threat to our conservatory complex, where plants are propagated for the entire
collection, and where our rarest collections are maintained. It will also create a shadow at certain times of year and day that will reach all the way across the Garden into Prospect Park, as well as afternoon shadows over adjacent parks and open spaces east of the proposed building, along with other negative environmental impacts.
We urge you to enlist your friends and family in the Fight for Sunlight by encouraging them to sign our petition and join our mailing list. We will be delivering the Fight for Sunlight petition at the upcoming Community Board 9 meeting when this project is on the agenda, in either December or January. We have signed up tens of thousands of supporters and raised awareness through tabling at local greenmarkets and other community outreach, but we need your help now to reach every person who will be impacted by this threat.
Since launching the Fight for Sunlight in March 2019, we have been in frequent contact with officials at the Department of City Planning to track the status of the the 960 Franklin Avenue Rezoning project application. We learned last week that the project will be certified to enter the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) on November 30 or December 14 at the City Planning Commission’s review session. While this session is not open to public testimony, it does mark the beginning of the public review process where your participation is crucial.
There are many ways to make your voice heard in this fight, from signing the petition, to contacting key policymakers and advisors, to testifying at upcoming meetings and public hearings. As we did last year, BBG will convene virtual events this fall and winter to train and support volunteers. Stay tuned for updates, and check out technical resources on our Fight for Sunlight page.
In this fight against the harmful impacts of shadow, cold, wind, and darkness, we are joined by and grateful to local activists, elected officials, institutions, and individuals who advocate for a more livable, greener, healthier city—a more human city. Together with your support we will turn back this threat.
Gate into the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, with katsura tree in foreground. Photo by Steven Severinghaus.
This year, Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s top priority has been to connect with you, near or far.
To bring the peace of BBG to visitors at home during the Garden’s closure, BBG’s Digital team shared videos of meditative walks through the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, Cherry Esplanade, and Rose Garden on our website. Meditative virtual walks, educational videos, family nature activities, gardening articles, and other digital content reached more than 1 million over the spring and summer.
Throughout this year, it has meant so much to us to be there for you and for our communities–from converting this year’s Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest into an opportunity for community gardeners to build backyard crop gardens in support of food security in their neighborhoods, to offering complimentary or “pay if you can” admission during the Garden’s Welcome Weeks.
What we can offer the community is largely thanks to you!
Support BBG
Your annual giving, combined with support from your fellow community members, makes up a third of the Garden’s overall annual budget. BBG is facing a $4.5 million deficit this year alone due to COVID-19 and every single dollar you can donate helps.
On behalf of BBG, thank you for your love of the Garden and your continued commitment.
P.S. With your help we can do something extraordinary! BBG has received a $1 Million Challenge Grant from the Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust in response to ongoing revenue loss as a result of COVID-19. The challenge set forth by the Trust is that BBG must raise $3 million in new and increased support over the next 12 months. Please make a donation today to help BBG meet this challenge and receive the $1 million gift!
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718-623-7200 bbg.org
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Photo by Michael Stewart.
An Update from Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Summer 2020
The staff and board of Brooklyn Botanic Garden wish to thank you for your support during our closure. We are deeply grateful for your patience these past months and for your care of the Garden and its staff.
The Garden is a place of healing and respite, and a welcome center of calm for so many. That’s why we want to keep you informed of our reopening plans.
Since closing to the public in mid-March, we have been maintaining the Garden’s collections with small crews of gardeners while most of BBG’s staff has worked remotely from home. Many of you have joined us, virtually, to enjoy video tours of some of BBG’s iconic collections and landscapes such as the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and the flowering cherries. We will continue to bring the Garden to you by offering such videos regularly.
In order to bring you back to the Garden, we are creating new staffing, social distancing, and public hygiene protocols at BBG. We are guided by New York State’s phased reopening and public health guidelines in planning when and how to bring back the increased staff that is needed before we reopen to the public. BBG is a living museum, and our teams in Horticulture, Security, Facilities, Visitor Services, and Administration are needed to maintain the Garden and its collections and support the safest possible welcome for visitors.
A reopened Brooklyn Botanic Garden will look different from in the past: Visitation will be capped to maintain social distancing; timed tickets will help manage traffic at our entrances and exits; most indoor and certain outdoor facilities will be closed; many on-site programs will not be able to happen; and amenities like food and drink will be very limited, all in an effort to protect our public and our staff.
When will BBG reopen?
BBG hopes to reopen this summer or when permitted to do so by local and state governance. Our plans are informed by Governor Cuomo’s phased New York State reopening plans: As a cultural organization, BBG would be permitted to reopen in the fourth and final phase. We are monitoring evolving guidelines and look forward to timelines for organizations in New York City so BBG can develop its schedule for reopening.
Will BBG offer summer programs?
With the start of summer just two weeks away, BBG has canceled on-site programs for this season, including Children’s Garden and Continuing Education classes. The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest was canceled earlier this year.
We are here to help if you would like to receive a refund, apply your registration fee to a future class, or donate your registration fee to help support the Garden. Thank you for considering applying your fees to a future class or donating. Every contribution helps ensure the future of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s collections and programming. If you would like a refund, please reach out to Registration at 718-623-7220 or registration@bbg.org.
Looking ahead
We are proud of BBG’s deep roots in the community, and we are eager to welcome you back. Until then, we wish you good health. Thank you for your ongoing support and love of BBG.
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718-623-7200 bbg.org
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Friends,
Our hearts ache from the ongoing violence and police brutality toward the Black community, including those who have been harmed while protesting in the neighborhoods surrounding BBG.
As protests continue in Minneapolis, Brooklyn, and cities across the world, Brooklyn Botanic Garden stands with those calling for justice and change.
In deference to the moment, we will postpone Spring Fling, which had been scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2.
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718-623-7200 bbg.org
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Photo by Michael Stewart.
Fall at BBG
Late-blooming native plants, perennials, and early-fall foliage are among a few of the autumnal sights to enjoy this October at BBG. Visit and see the changing leaves of red maple trees, Kentucky yellowwood, and more.
New hours this October are Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Advance tickets are required; new tickets become available every Friday.
The Garden Shop is now open for visitors. Other indoor areas remain closed while we assess their safety.
Reserve Tickets
Photo by Michael Stewart.
loved. Live.
Sunday, October 4 | 11 a.m.– 5 p.m.
Every hour on the hour, Mantra Percussion will performloved. live on Cherry Esplanade.
loved.is a site-specific sound composition for seven percussionists playing tuned metals and was created for the Garden by NYC-based composer Michael Gordon to honor those we have lost in the pandemic. Each performance runs approximately 5 minutes.
Mantra Percussion is an ensemble committed to bringing to life new percussive works by living composers. The group has been hailed by The New York Times as “finely polished...a fresh source of energy” and lauded by bothThe New Yorker and TimeOut New York for presenting some of the city’s most noteworthy classical performances.
Photo by Michael Stewart.
Art in the Garden: Fall Sundays
Sunday, October 18 & Sunday, October 25 | 1–6 p.m.
Save the date for these two special Fall Sundays, when the Garden’s 52 acres will flourish with live music and dance as performers present duets and solo work throughout the grounds.
Attendees are encouraged to take an artistic stroll, finding drummers, dancers, and bluegrass players along their way.
Fall Sundays are presented in partnership with Haiti Cultural Exchange, and feature Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s artists in residence.
On these performance days, the Garden will also offer self-guided, autumn-themed tours for the whole family.
Photo by Maureen O’Brien.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ Home
Check out the Garden''s how-to article on growing asters, the late-season bloomers that bring blue-violet flower tones to fall. Get inspired with our recent how-to on design ideas for your shady, urban garden based on plants found in our new Elizabeth Scholtz Woodland Garden.
And get tips on late-season tomatoesand learn an easy new salsa recipe as part of our Eat Local series.
Photo by Blanca Begert.
Continuing Education Classes Online
There is no better time than now to delve in and learn something new with BBG! Sign up for online classes and expand your skills in gardening, food, wellness, art, or horticulture. Registration opens on Thursday, October 1, at 9 a.m.
Gardening Preparing Your Garden for the Winter
Thursday, October 8 | 6–8 p.m.
Get your garden ready now for fuller blooms and healthier plants next spring. Learn the best techniques for protecting perennials that will overwinter outdoors (including in containers); preparing the soil to ensure maximum fertility; and minimizing pest and disease problems next year.
Native Gardening for Pollinators
Wednesday, October 28 | 6–8 p.m.
Learn how to attract and support a diverse array of pollinators by incorporating the native plants they have evolved with and the habitat they need.
Food How to Pickle Everything
Thursday, October 22 | 6–7:30 p.m
Led by Leda Meredith, author of Pickling Everything, this class teaches how to safely and deliciously pickle foods from veggies to fruit to seeds to cheese and more.
Art It’s Easy Being Green: Mixing Vibrant Tones in Watercolor
Thursday, October 8 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Learn different ways to mix and match colors, and how to blend colors to better suit the needs of each painting.
Hudson Valley Apples in Watercolor and Colored Pencil
Wednesday, October 28 | 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Learn the basic watercolor techniques for realistic botanical subjects while painting a seasonal Hudson Valley apple from a photograph.
Wellness The Art of Herbal Tea Blending
Wednesday, October 21 | 12–2 p.m.
If you want to take your herbal knowledge to the next level, this class will crack open the mysteries of blending therapeutic teas. We’ll discuss several plants in detail and how their flavors can be adjusted for the desired effect, with recipes and demonstrations included.
Mindfulness Meditation: Embody Nature Everywhere
Tuesday, October 27 | 12–1 p.m.
Whether indoors or outdoors, city or country, guided meditation practice can support opening our senses and imagination, connecting us to nature and the elements as a source of grounding and resilience wherever we are. Students will practice sitting and walking meditation, bringing awareness of the reciprocity between the earth’s support and our gratitude.
Horticulture Soil Management
6 Mondays: October 5–November 16 | 6–9 p.m. (No class October 12)
Learn about soil’s physical and chemical properties, soil fertility management, and soil cultivation techniques. Gain an understanding of soil improvement practices—including composting, cover cropping, soil testing, and mulching.
BBG wishes you a safe and happy Labor Day weekend! BBG will be open on Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The holiday marks the end of our free Welcome Weeks. After Labor Day, a portion of each day’s tickets will continue to be offered free to anyone who is unable to pay regular BBG admission. These Community tickets will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Advance timed-entry tickets are required for all.
Reserve Tickets
Photo by Michael Stewart.
Final Weekend for loved.
This weekend will mark the conclusion of loved., a site-specific sound installation created by NYC-based composer Michael Gordon to honor those we have lost to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Visit and listen to this meditative composition, playing hourly on Cherry Esplanade though Monday, September 7. ?
Photo by Morrigan McCarthy.
New Horticulture Classes Announced
Interested in our Certificate in Horticulture program? New classes open for registration Tuesday, September 8, at 9 a.m.
Plant Health Care Online
Learn how to maintain a healthy landscape while preserving its ecology as much as possible. This class offers an in-depth examination of various strategies and resources for sustainably growing plants and managing major disease and insect problems, weeds, and animal issues, including use of Integrated Pest Management and organic techniques. 9 Tuesdays: September 15–November 17 | 5–7 p.m. (no class November 3)
Herbaceous Landscape Plant Identification Blended
Learn identification methods and landscape uses of perennials and annuals commonly used in the urban landscape, including native plants. Class will meet twice weekly, with one virtual lecture and one in-person tour on BBG grounds per week. 6 Tuesdays: September 15–October 20 | 7:30–8:30 p.m.
6 Thursdays: September 17–October 22 | 4:30–6:30 p.m.
If you haven't yet done so, please take a few minutes to fill out the 2020 Census form today. The deadline to submit is September 30.
Brooklyn had the lowest self-response rate of any New York City borough in the 2010 Census. Fill out the form today and #MakeBrooklynCount!
Copyright ? 2020 Privacy Policy | Contact BBG
BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718-623-7200
bbg.org
Above: BBG’s Brooklyn Urban Gardener training program transitioned to online learning this year.
This year, BBG’s education team has reimagined our programs to bring the inspiration and connection of the Garden to you, wherever are.
With resilience and positivity, BBG teams worked with:
Thousands of families to bring science and the environment into their homes with free virtual plant-based activities,
50+ Garden Apprentices to deepen their knowledge of plants through remote horticulture, cooking, and science classes, and
Dozens of Title I and NYC Urban Advantage teachers to host online teacher training and provide resources during this especially challenging school year.
You make this all possible!
Your annual giving, combined with support from your fellow community members, makes up a third of the Garden’s overall annual budget. BBG is facing a $4.5 million deficit this year alone due to COVID-19 and every single dollar you can donate to support environmental education helps.
Support BBG
The financial gap is daunting but gardeners are resilient. We know how to reinvigorate our world, plant by plant, step by step. Every person joining us in this effort matters.
On behalf of BBG, thank you for your love of the Garden and your continued commitment.
P.S. With your help we can do something extraordinary! BBG has received a $1 Million Challenge Grant from the Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust in response to ongoing revenue loss as a result of COVID-19. The challenge set forth by the Trust is that BBG must raise $3 million in new and increased support over the next 15 months. Please make a donation today to help BBG meet this challenge and receive the $1 million gift!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Spring Fling is Next Week!
On June 2, join Brooklyn Botanic Garden for our first-ever Spring Fling—a full day of virtual workshops, classes, and performances—plus a dance party!
Join us online to green your mind, body, and spirit with free BBG educational programs and special performances during the day. At night, wear your festive florals and enjoy BBG’s virtual Garden Soiree and Dance with Your Plants After Party.
RSVP to receive botanical cocktail recipes and Zoom backgrounds to make the most of Spring Fling.
All Spring Fling programming is free and open to the public. Join for some or join for all!
RSVP
Spring Fling will feature: • Yoga & wellness in the Garden with Sarah Schumann
• Children’s Program Series—Trees & Saplings (ages 2–6)
• Nature Crafts: Bow & Arrow, Basket Weaving, and Floral Crowns
• Horticultural Therapy at BBG
• BBG virtual tours: Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden Walk & Cherry Esplanade Walk
• Kitchen Gardening: Planting Seeds
• Botany with Pantry Plants
• Growing and Eating Microgreens
• Performances in the Garden featuring Darrell Thorne, Craig Harris, Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg, Emeline Michel, and Haleh Liza & Matt Kilmer
• And more!
For a full schedule, please visit our website at bbg.org/springfling.
If you are able, we ask you to support BBG and the Spring Fling with a donation.
Every contribution helps ensure the future of the Garden’s collections and programming—and the well-being of our community and staff.
Sunday, October 18 & Sunday, October 25 | 1–6 p.m.
The grounds and collections are shifting into fall, and are especially colorful in areas like the Overlook, the Native Flora Garden, and the Water Garden, which feature native grasses and blooms in striking purples and yellows.
In celebration of autumn, on two Sundays, October 18 and October 25, BBG’s 52 acres will flourish with live music and dance for our Fall Sundays. Attendees are encouraged to take an artistic stroll, finding drummers, dancers, and bluegrass players along their way. The Garden will also offer self-guided, autumn-themed programs. Performances are free with Garden admission.
Fall Sundays are presented in partnership with Haiti Cultural Exchange.
Reserve Advance Ticket
Fight for Sunlight Update
Friends of the Fight for Sunlight, an important moment is fast approaching.
You’ll recall that our campaign has focused on defeating a proposed rezoning that would allow for a massive development just 150 feet east of BBG. That project includes 420-foot towers that would cast shadows on the Garden’s greenhouses, nurseries, and conservatories, permanently crippling our ability to propagate and display plants and carry out educational programs that are vital to our mission.
We’ve now learned that the 960 Franklin project application is complete, and the Department of City Planning (DCP) has given 30-day notice of its intention to certify the project (“certify” does not mean approve—it means the beginning of a formal public review process). This milestone could happen as early as November 16 at the City Planning Commission’s review session, but we will follow up with confirmation of the date as we learn more.
Once certified, the project enters the formal Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP), which includes several opportunities for the public to weigh in on the applicant’s plans and work to defeat the rezoning. First up will be a hearing at Community Board 9, which must be held within 60 days of certification. In preparation for this, you will be hearing from us on specific actions you can take to make your voice heard and support BBG in this important battle. In the meantime, make sure you and your friends have signed the petition. Thank you for being part of the Fight for Sunlight.
Photo by Alvina Lai.
New Horticulture Class
Urban Garden Design 6 Thursdays: October 29–December 10 (no class November 26) Get acquainted with the field of landscape design. Beginning with an introduction to the history of garden design, this virtual class will progress to include key design principles, terminology, and a general overview of plants and materials. Students will produce a base plan, site analysis, and concept design for an urban garden through hands-on exercises and site visits. Registration for Continuing Education online classes begins on Thursday, October 22, at 9 a.m.
Art in the Garden Premieres this Month Virtual Performances Bring the Garden Home to You
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is hard at work planning for a safe reopening this summer in accordance with the New York State “UnPause” timeline. We anticipate a July or August reopening, and more details will follow in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, BBG continues to share original digital content filmed on-site to help bring the Garden to you. This summer’s Art in the Garden series features special performances by artists whose work connects plants, people, and the planet.
In a time when we cannot gather together in the Garden, we are grateful to bring the voices and work of these artists to you virtually.
Art in the Garden launches with musical performances by Craig Harris, Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg, Emeline Michel, and Haleh Liza & Matt Kilmer. Later this summer, we will bring you dance performances by Urban Bush Women, Company SBB, Raphael Xavier, and Dance Heginbotham. BBG is honored to work with these artists.
Performances will premiere live on BBG’s Facebook page and website. The first performance premieres on Tuesday, June 16. Future premiere dates will be announced soon.
Craig Harris “Breathe” Tuesday, June 16 | 7 p.m.
Craig Harris, joined by pianist Peter Drungle, performs a series of compositions, all entitled “Breathe,” that look at the need for us all to breathe in order to survive as a society and as a planet. Since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014, followed by the killing of Eric Garner in New York, Harris has felt an urgency to change the world through music. He has been paying particular attention to the concept of breathing.
New context, including COVID-19’s disproportionate effect on the Black community and the police killing of George Floyd, continues to inform this work.
Recorded in the Osborne Garden in May 2020.
Curatorial Partner:
Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg
Trumpeter, composer, and Klezmatics founding member Frank London is joined by fellow Klezmatics founder, vocalist, and accordion player Lorin Sklamberg for a mini concert of klezmer music and more.
Recorded in the Plant Family Collection in May 2020.
Emeline Michel
Joined by guitarist Dominic James, Haitian songstress Emeline Michel performs original songs honoring nature and life and bringing forth hope and renewal.
Recorded in Bluebell Wood in May 2020.
Curatorial Partner:
Haleh Liza & Matt Kilmer
Vocalist and poet Haleh Liza shares new translations from poet Rumi, both spoken and sung; as well as songs inspired by her travels through South America. Liza is accompanied by percussionist Matt Kilmer. Poetry and song in English, Persian, and Spanish, meant to soothe and dialogue with these surreal times.
Recorded in the Tree Peony Collection in May 2020.
As a way of processing and reflecting on the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers loved., a site-specific sound installation created by NYC-based composer Michael Gordon to honor those we have lost.
The meditative composition for seven vibraphones plays on Cherry Esplanade three times a day, at 11 a.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m.
“Like the ringing of fractured bells, loved. marks the memory of those just recently lost. As we walk down the tree-lined path that just months ago exploded with blossoms, the music moves into the natural space in waves of resonating metals, silences, and an acceleration of harmony.” —Michael Gordon
Photo by Michael Stewart.
Tickets Available Every Friday
Every Friday, BBG will open a new batch of tickets for reservation. Be among the first to visit the newly reopened Garden. Our free Welcome Weeks run through September 7.
Advance timed-entry tickets are required for all. Read our new safety guidelines at bbg.org/visit.
Reserve Tickets
Photo by Michael Stewart.
#MakeBrooklynCount
If you haven’t yet done so, please take a few minutes to fill out the 2020 Census form today. The new deadline to submit is September 30.
Two congressional seats and New York’s fair share of billions of federal dollars are at stake. This includes funding for public education, affordable housing, roads and bridges, and much more.
Brooklyn had the lowest self-response rate of any New York City borough in the 2010 Census. Spread the word and #MakeBrooklynCount!
While the Garden remains closed, we are sharing special online musical performances by artists whose work connects plants, people, and the planet as part of Art in the Garden. The series kicked off on June 16 with composer-trombonist Craig Harris, joined by pianist Peter Drungle, performing “Breathe.” If you missed it or want to watch again, the full performance is available on BBG’s website.
Next Tuesday, Art in the Garden features trumpeter, composer, and Klezmatics founding member Frank London joined by fellow Klezmatics founder, vocalist, and accordionist Lorin Sklamberg for a mini concert of klezmer music and more. Watch live on Facebook on Tuesday, June 23, at 7 p.m. EDT.
This weekend, BBG is also launching an online Yoga in the Garden series. Connect with nature, yourself, and your practice during these special sessions with returning yoga instructor Sarah Schumann. Experience the beauty and tranquility of the Garden from the comfort of your own home with a peek at favorite spring collections offered by members of our Horticulture team. All yoga sessions are free. The first in the series premieres this Sunday, June 21, at 10 a.m. EDT on BBG’s website.
Photo by Melisa Cardona.
A Juneteenth Poem
Today we celebrate Juneteenth, which recognizes June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Texas found out President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had freed slaves more than two years prior.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, BBG, with Junebug Productions, 651 ARTS, and Hi-ARTS, had looked forward to copresenting Gomela this week in observance of Juneteenth. Created and produced by New Orleans–based Junebug Productions, this theatrical musical and spoken-word journey based on stories, music, and dance from the African diaspora had been planned as a three-day run staged outdoors in the Osborne Garden.
Since we can’t physically be together, we shared “Black Back,” a poem from Gomela, on IGTV today.
Photo by Blanca Begert.
Tour the Rose Garden in Full Bloom
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s historic Cranford Rose Garden is at peak bloom this month. There are more than a thousand different rose specimens here, including species, old garden, and modern hybrids. Take a virtual stroll with Rose Garden curator Will Wallace and watch highlights from past years.
This week online, we also highlighted different roses in bloom at BBG including Rosa ‘Harison’s Yellow’, a wild rose, and Rosa ‘Meitebros’ FRÉDÉRIC MISTRAL, a hybrid tea rose with a sweet fragrance and a large, single bloom at the end of a long stem.
As different parts of New York begin to open, we know our community is eager to return. Brooklyn Botanic Garden is excited to welcome you back soon, and we are hard at work planning for a safe reopening this summer in accordance with the New York State “UnPause” timeline. More details will follow in the coming weeks.
For now the Garden remains closed, but we hope our newest virtual tour will brighten your weekend. Savor the play of spring light and colors, the sounds of birds and pollinators at work, and the fantastical profusion of blooms in a new virtual walk through the Cranford Rose Garden in June. This special tour will premiere on the Garden’s Facebook page at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, and will then be available on bbg.org. Enjoy a teaser in the meantime!
Video by Nicholas Wood.
More Art and Yoga in the Garden
Art in the Garden continues next week with Haitian songstress Emeline Michel and guitarist Dominic James. Join us for a set of original songs honoring nature and life and bringing forth hope and renewal.
This performance was curated in partnership with Haiti Cultural Exchange. Watch live on BBG’s Facebook on June 30, at 7 p.m.
BBG’s second Yoga in the Garden class airs this Sunday. Experience the beauty and tranquility of the Garden from the comfort of your own home with a class led by yoga instructor Sarah Schumann.
All yoga sessions are free. The second in the series airs June 28, at 10 a.m. EDT on BBG’s website.
In Case You Missed It
Art in the Garden kicked off with composer-trombonist Craig Harris, joined by pianist Peter Drungle, performing “Breathe.” Last week, Frank London and Lorin Sklamberg of the Klezmatics performed a mini concert of klezmer music. Watch both performances now on BBG’s website.
Photo by Dave Allen.
Take a BBG Class at Home
We are happy to announce that Continuing Education classes are moving online. With our first round of classes, take this moment to explore a career change with our Certificate in Horticulture, upgrade your backyard garden, or kick-start a fermentation hobby in your own kitchen. Visit bbg.org/learnto discover what else is in store this season and register for courses.
Catch the brilliant fall foliage at the Garden before it’s gone. Vivid splashes of autumn color can still be found all around the Garden, like the rows of deep red scarlet oaks on Cherry Esplanade and the yellow and red maple trees around the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Visit this weekend to enjoy the beauty of autumn at BBG.
Reserve Advance Ticket
New Class Announced
Registration for our new Soil Management class is now open! Plus, a few spots remain for our art classes. Sign up today!
Soil Management
6 Mondays: November 30, 2020–January 11, 2021 | 6–9 p.m. (no class January 4)
Healthy soil is the foundation for a healthy garden ecosystem and abundant crops. Learn about soil’s basic contents, its physical and chemical properties, soil fertility management, and soil cultivation techniques—in addition to improvement practices ranging from composting to cover cropping.
Go on a Garden Quest!
Have you ever wondered whether a pumpkin is a fruit or vegetable? Do you know how plants keep warm in the winter, or why leaves change color? Become a botanist and find answers to plant science questions while visiting the Garden and with at-home experiments.
All Garden explorations are self-guided and can be completed by children ages 4 and up with the help of a caregiver during your visit to Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Photo by Elizabeth Peters.
Make a Dedication in the Garden
Dedications are contributions recognized with a specific living or structural feature in the Garden in honor or in memory of a loved one, identified by a bronze plaque bearing a personal inscription. Dedications generate support for Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s horticulture and education programs each year. Learn more about dedications on our website or contact development@bbg.org for more information.
Fight for Sunlight Update
The Garden’s Fight for Sunlight has entered a critical moment: The 960 Franklin Avenue project may be certified to enter the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) within the next few weeks and will subsequently be reviewed at an upcoming full Community Board 9 meeting. This critical meeting could happen as early as December.
Stay tuned for more on how you can participate in the coming weeks, as we continue to monitor the timing of the ULURP sequence. In the meantime, please share our petitionwith your community and on social media to help get the word out!
Tickets to BBG’s reopening are available starting Monday, July 27.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden will reopen on August 7 with four special Welcome Weeks featuring free admission. Members are invited back to the Garden for an exclusive Member Appreciation Week from July 31 to August 6.
Advance timed-entry tickets are required to enter.
The Garden will reopen with new safety guidelines including a face covering requirement for visitors over the age of 2 and contactless entry. Read the full safety guidelines and reserve your tickets, starting Monday, July 27, at bbg.org/visit.
Photo by Joni Blackburn.
Weed of the Month: Goutweed
Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria), also called bishop’s weed and other names, is a lush, shade-loving groundcover that happily grows in dry, shady spots where nothing else will thrive. The inflorescences resemble small Queen Anne’s lace blossoms and make nice cut flowers. So why is this well-known garden plant considered a weed? The answer lies beneath the surface. Read more on BBG’s blog.
Video by Nel Shelby.
Art in the Garden: Dance Heginbotham
You Look Like a Fun Guy is based broadly on avant-garde composer John Cage’s methods of creation and his commitment to mycology. Dancers Courtney Lopes and Mykel Marai Nairne share a series of identical, short movement phrases; the phrases are performed in an order randomly selected for each performer. This latest installment in BBG’s Art in the Garden series was filmed on Cherry Esplanade.
Leading into the performance is a conversation between the choreographer and the Garden’s foreman of grounds exploring the synthesis of art and nature, and the mutualistic connections formed by both fungi and humans alike. The dance begins at minute 11.
Watch live on BBG’s Facebook on July 28, at 7 p.m. EDT.
Watch previous Art in the Garden videos, including dance performances by Company SBB and Raphael Xavier accompanied by Gary Dourdan onbbg.org.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden will reopen to the public on August 7.
BBG is excited to announce plans to reopen to the public on August 7. Members will receive early access to the Garden during Member Appreciation Week, July 31–August 6. The Garden will reopen with new guidelines in accordance with the latest health recommendations from the CDC, New York City, and New York State for COVID-19. Timed-entry tickets will be required. We look forward to welcoming our community back again! More details to follow soon.
Video by Nel Shelby.
Art in the Garden: Company SBB
Next Tuesday, watch the latest performance in our Art in the Garden series, Company SBB: Unnatural Contradictions. This film study by Stefanie Batten Bland’s Company SBB offers the point of view of a Garden visitor who happens upon three installation solos by Jennifer Payán, Yeman Brown, and Bland herself paying homage to Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. This performance was filmed in the Osborne and Woodland Gardens.
Watch live on BBG’s Facebook on July 21, at 7 p.m. EDT.
Watch previous Art in the Garden videos, including performances by Craig Harris, Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg, Emeline Michel, and Haleh Liza, anytime on bbg.org.
Curatorial Partner:
Photo by Blanca Begert.
BBG on Camp TV
Catch BBG’s Children’s Garden team on Camp TV, a new one-hour public television series that brings the day camp experience to children nationwide. Stream episodes and check out the full Camp TV lineup at camptv.org.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden @ Home:
Art and Yoga in the Garden
BBG is part of Phase 4 of the New York Forward plan, which appears likely to begin at the end of the month. Stay tuned for details as the Garden prepares for reopening in the coming weeks.
Art in the Garden continues next week with vocalist and poet Haleh Liza, joined by percussionist Matt Kilmer. Liza will share new translations from poet Rumi, both spoken and sung, as well as songs inspired by her travels through South America. Watch live on BBG’s Facebook on July 7, at 7 p.m.
Yoga in the Garden continues this weekend. Experience the beauty and tranquility of the Garden from the comfort of your own home with a class led by yoga instructor Sarah Schumann. All yoga sessions are free. The third in the series, set in the Tree Peony Collection, airs Sunday, July 5, at 10 a.m. on BBG’s website.
Watch previous Art in the Garden videos, including performances by Craig Harris, Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg, and Emeline Michel.
Photo by Alvina Lai.
Children’s Garden Grows Vegetables for Our Neighbors in Need
Since the Children’s Garden cannot hold on-site classes this summer, our staff has decided for focus on serving our neighbors in need: Since May, the Children’s Garden team has transformed the garden into a production farm, growing vegetables to share.
In partnership with the Campaign Against Hunger and the Brooklyn Museum, the Children’s Garden crops are being shared with families at food distribution sites all over Brooklyn. So far, the team has donated over 500 pounds of lettuce, spinach, radishes, and potted herbs.
This project is funded in part by the Urban Agriculture Resilience Program, a joint initiative of the U.S. Botanic Garden and the American Public Gardens Association.
We look forward to connecting with our community this summer, from farm to table!
Photo by Steven Severinghaus.
In Case You Missed It
This week on BBG’s Garden News Blog, we reported on the many birds spotted at the Garden this spring, as well as how to safely Bring Nature Indoors to Your Cat. For children and families, we highlighted new activities you can begin together this holiday weekend, like how to Make a Butterfly Habitat in a Window Box and Nature Play at Home for Kids of All Abilities.
Finally, BBG premiered our latest virtual tour this past weekend. Experience the beauty of the Cranford Rose Garden in full bloom now on BBG’s website.
BBG wishes everyone a safe and relaxing Fourth of July weekend.
Community Partners
The Brooklyn Museum welcomes young artists to the adventure of online art camp! Inspired by their exhibitions and collections, campers will have fun engaging with art, while interacting with other campers, discovering artists, working with different mediums, trying out new techniques, and more. After five days of art-making, campers close out the week by sharing their creations in an online open studio. Learn more.
The final class in our Yoga in the Garden series airs this weekend, set in Bluebell Wood. Follow along with yoga instructor Sarah Schumann this Sunday, July 12, at 10 a.m. on BBG’s website. All virtual yoga sessions are free.
Video by Nel Shelby.
Art in the Garden: Raphael Xavier & Gary Dourdan
Next Tuesday, enjoy a dance performance by Raphael Xavier & Gary Dourdan filmed in front of the weeping beech near Oak Circle, as part of BBG’s Art in the Garden series. In this work, Xavier explores the intuitive concept of listening, assessing, and adapting through improvisational street dance. Dourdan accompanies on flute, guitar, and beats. Watch live on BBG’s Facebook on July 14, at 7 p.m.
Watch previous Art in the Garden videos, including performances by Craig Harris, Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg, Emeline Michel, and Haleh Liza, anytime on bbg.org.
Curatorial Partner:
Photo by Laura Berman.
In Case You Missed It
BBG’s Continuing Education classes are now open! Register for a class today and explore the world of plants.
Permaculture: Gardening in Harmony with Nature
Thursday, July 16 | 6–9 p.m.
Dive into the world of permaculture—a set of design principles centered around whole-systems thinking, using natural ecosystems as a tool and road map. Learn more.
Succession Planting for Small City Gardens
Monday, August 17 | 6–7 p.m.
Master the art of succession planting for your small garden by making efficient use of space and timing. Learn more.
Fermentation 101: Sauerkraut
Thursday, July 23 | 7–8:15 p.m.
Grab a head of purple or green cabbage, a quart-size mason jar (or two pint-size jars), and some noniodized salt to create your own sauerkraut with a fermentation expert. Learn more.
Soil Management
5 Mondays and 4 Wednesdays: July 20–August 17 | 7–9 p.m.
In this online course, learn about soil structure, fertility, and water availability to understand what happens underground. Learn more.
As New York State is nearing Phase 4 of the reopening plan, BBG will soon announce plans to welcome visitors back to the Garden. Please continue to check our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates.
The Garden will reopen on August 7 with four special Welcome Weeks featuring free admission. BBG members are invited back to the Garden for an exclusive Member Appreciation Week from July 31 to August 6.
Advance timed-entry tickets are required to enter. Tickets will be available to reserve beginning Monday, July 27.
The Garden will reopen with new guidelines in accordance with the latest health recommendations from the CDC, New York City, and New York State for COVID-19.
These include:
Face coverings are required for all visitors over age 2.
Admission will be contactless.
Guests should maintain social distance from those not in their group.
Indoor spaces such as the Conservatory, Administration Building, Garden Shop, café, Library, and Visitor Center lobby are closed until further notice.
Some areas of the Garden may be closed or restricted. Please follow signs and stay on designated paths.
Food and beverages will not be available or allowed on-site. Guests may bring in their own bottled water. Water fountains will not be available.
Restrooms will be available only at the Flatbush Avenue entrance and at the Visitor Center.
All on-site classes, tours, programs, and events are suspended until further notice.
Staff members have been trained in New York State COVID-19 hygiene and social distancing protocols and wear face coverings while in public areas. Help keep our staff safe. Please don’t engage staff members caring for our living collections and facilities. If you need on-site assistance, seek out Visitor Services or Security.
Ticket quantities will be limited in order to preserve social distancing.
Visitors can find a detailed health and safety plan on the Garden’s website at bbg.org/visit.
Following Welcome Weeks, the Garden’s regular admission fees will be in place, with a percentage of daily tickets available for free admission. BBG members always enjoy free admission to the Garden.
A Brooklyn Botanic Garden gate in the snow. Photo by Dave Allen.
You help our Garden thrive!
During this challenging year, BBG’s top priority has been to find ways to connect with you and our community.
We could not do it without you! Your annual giving, combined with support from your fellow community members, makes up a third of the Garden’s overall annual budget. BBG is facing a $4.5 million deficit this year alone due to COVID-19. Every person counts, and every dollar counts.
Support BBG
Please make a 100% tax-deductible year-end donation today!
By making a gift before midnight on December 31, you’ll be directly supporting the well-being of BBG’s collections, community, and staff.
Plus, with your help we can do something extraordinary! BBG has received a $1 Million Challenge Grant from the Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust in response to ongoing revenue loss as a result of COVID-19. The challenge set forth by the Trust is that BBG must raise $3 million in new and increased support over the next 12 months. Please make a donation today to help BBG meet this challenge and receive the $1 million gift!
On behalf of BBG, thank you for your love of the Gardenand your continued commitment. Wishing you a happy and healthy new year!
Ilex (holly) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo by Michael Stewart.
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