Orchid Show Returns to NYBG in the Bold and Colorful Vision of Famed Floral Designer Jeff Leatham

                                           

You can’t help but feel it. Spring is pulsing. Broadway is back. And in the world of gardens ~ the slowest of the performing arts ~ there is a return engagement as well.  

I received word the other day from The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) that its popular orchid exhibition returns with “The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope, from February 26 through May 1. 

Clearly, the orchids are the heartstopping stars of this show. And yet it cannot be denied that the irrepressible lifestyle icon and floral designer to the stars, Jeff Leatham, shares marquee status. This is a man who so loves orchids that he literally wears that love, well, not on his sleeve, but his leg! The Vanda, his favorite orchid, is tattooed there. Jeff is reprising his role because the 2020 Orchid Show he designed was cut short due to the COVID pandemic. I was fortunate to review the original Kaleidoscope so you’re in for a treat preview here. 

Ten Best Trees & Shrubs To Create All-Season Garden Design Beauty, Privacy & Habitat

Spring is tantalizingly close. On my Wellness Walk today I saw Easter-egg colored crocus and leucojum ~ their teeny white heads hanging down like tiny umbrellas, along with  the tips of tulip bulbs peeking out.  Yayyy. The symphony of spring is tuning up.

Meanwhile, with our thoughts turning ever-more to the garden, now is almost the best time to think about the bones or the foundation of your garden. 

Learn How the Godmother of Urban Gardening Grows Hope and Sustainable Food

Karen Washington, farmer, urban gardener, food advocate, activist, and New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) Trustee was a distinguished guest recently on my Ladies Who Lunch Conversations monthly talk and interview show. 

I’m so very honored to host such extraordinary, inspiring women to explore their captivating, candid, & inspiring stories about their life journeys. These great dames are surely our time’s “women of rank and dignity”; thought-leaders who share their challenges, grit, optimism & more to help turn a talent, hobby, or dream into a well-lived life  

Karen was long a community activist who has been referred to as "urban farming's de facto godmother" by The New York Times. 

Love in the Garden ~ NY Botanical Garden Announces Major Exhibit for 2022: Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love

                               

 

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) today announced that its major, institution-wide exhibition for 2022 will be Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love. 

Gotta' Love that!

According to NYBG, “This multifaceted presentation that examines the art and science of foodways and food traditions, many dating back thousands of years, visitors will explore the rich cultural history of what we eat and learn that—from global dietary staples such as rice, beans, squash, and corn to the regional spice and flavor provided by peppers, greens, and tomatoes—plants are at the base of all culinary customs. Expansive displays of living edible plants, art and science installations, weekend celebrations, and wellness and culinary-themed programming will provide opportunities to discover the diversity and beauty of plants that are grown for cuisine around the world; uncover the botanical origins of the foods people think they know; cultivate deeper understanding of the environmental and social impacts of food choices; and invite gathering at artist-designed tables set throughout NYBG’s 250 acres, bringing to life stories about the featured and other notable edible plants. Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love will be on view June 4 through September 11, 2022.”

Winter Gardening Tips to Inspire Your Garden Designs; Green Cocktails and Gardens in Movies!

Making a pivot from my last post and its references to ballet and performance art, I thought I’d “pivot” or jeté back to the garden. Puns intended (smile).

Mac Griswold famously said, “Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts.” 

Mother Nature indeed knows how to choreograph a spectacular show: the colors, the texture, the orchestrated tempo of blooming flowers and blossoms, the dance of myriad pollinators ~ all coordinate to create a spectacular, heart-stopping show. And one of the best parts? The show changes every day! There’s no playbill noting intermissions or understudy.  The show must go on… 

Yet, let’s not forget that a garden is a planned space. I always tell my garden clients that every good garden design tells a story… When creating your garden oasis and telling your story, you need to start with a master plan to reimagine (if you’re just starting out) or to enhance your space (if you’ve already got a cultivated garden). What to do at this time of year if your garden views are white with snow or winter fog? 

Here are some tips to get your garden ready for the spring. Plus a list of movies that feature inspiring gardens, and a garden-to-glass cocktail that is sure to stimulate your green garden fantasies… 

How to Balance Career & Mental Health: My Conversation with Megan Fairchild: Ballerina, Best-Selling Author

 

One of the very best traditions of the winter Holiday season is to attend the New York City Ballet production to experience George Balanchine’s The NutcrackerⓇ ~ it just whispers legend and folklore and fantasy.  

In that spirit, as I’ve noted in some of my recent social media posts, you can understand why I had my heart set on showcasing a ballerina on my Ladies Who Lunch Conversations during the holidays. 

I was in pursuit of the magic of ballet and its ability to sprinkle us with its fairy dust and transport us to dream worlds.  I felt it in my bones that this was most especially needed in the time of a pandemic.  Art transports us… 

How did the Ladies Who Lunch Conversation come about?  Through a good friend, of course.