Nestled in the heart of Brooklyn, there is the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, 52 acres of gardens within gardens. The garden aims to stir public awareness about how fragile our natural environment is, both local and global. With 27 plant exhibits throughout the garden, there is plenty for all age to enjoy at this sprawling natural sanctuary.
Founded in 1910, the grounds that the gardens rest upon, were originally an ash dump in the late 1800s. In 1897 the New York State legislation reserved 39 acres for the garden, and thirteen years later the garden was begun. The next 100 years would bring ever-changing ideas to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, from the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden in 1915 to the restoration of the Osborne Garden and Magnolia Plaza in 2004.
In the months of April and May the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens have the Cherry Blossom Festival, or Sakura Matsuri. The flower is well represented throughout the garden, with more than 200 trees of 42 different varieties blooming. The festival features traditional Japanese drummers, and traditional Japanese food offerings throughout the gardens.
You might also be interested in taking the lush, and lovely Shakespeare Garden. Brimming with plants like primrose and crocus, mentioned in all of Shakespeare’s work. Brick paths will lead you through he gardens to a teak bench and a fountain that really transport you to the atmosphere of an English cottage garden of Elizabethan times.
In the Helen Mattin Warm Temperate Pavilion you can take a quick trip around the world. The pavilion houses trees, shrubs, vines, and other diverse plant life from warm temperate regions. These regions include the Mediterranean, South Africa, Austrlia, New Zealand, and Eastern Asia. In February and March the South African bulbs are in full bloom, making the Pavilion particularly brilliant.
No matter the time of year you go, there is guaranteed to be a vast display of blooms is vibrant colors throughout the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. With its convenient location the garden makes a perfect stop for locals and visitors alike. You will never see the same thing twice, as the scenery is always changing, blooming and growing.