A Day Out at NYBG

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Nov 2

The LuEsther T. Mertz Library | New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) | Bronx, New York City — The LuEsther T. Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), in the Bronx, New York City

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Last Friday, my son had early dismissal, and I played hooky so the two of us could spend the day at the New York Botanical Garden, just down the street from his school in the Bronx.

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) was inspired by an 1888 visit that eminent botanists Nathaniel Lord Britton and his wife, Elizabeth, took to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London. The Brittons believed New York should have a great botanical garden to advance public understanding of plants, be a repository of rare and valuable specimens, and lead original research in botanical science. Today, the 250-acre Garden—the largest in any city in the United States—is a National Historic Landmark.

In addition to the natural attributes that attracted the Brittons, NYBG encompasses 50 specialty gardens and collections comprising more than one million plants.

Fall foliage at New York Botanical Gardens (NYBG) — Fall foliage at New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)

No problem! Fall foliage at New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)

We had lunch at the Hudson Garden Grill, walked the grounds (in all its autumn splendor), and spent time in the library, which is housed in a grand neo-Renaissance style building constructed in the late 19th century. It’s the United States' largest botanical research library and the first library whose collection focused exclusively on botany.

I had the pleasure of thumbing through some gorgeous folios and doing a little research for my upcoming online course on the history of the tulip. I’m in love with this oversized collector’s edition showcasing antique paintings and drawings of birds and animals from the most important natural history collection in France.

Here’s a peek inside: