2009-04-27

Native Flora Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Native Flora Garden was how I hoped it would be. Some of my favorite native woodland wildflowers were in bloom.

That was before our weekend heat wave and record high temperatures. Starting this week, I'll be returning on Tuesday afternoons, when I take my Soil Management course toward my Certificate in Horticulture at BBG. The instructor is Uli Lorimer, who is also the curator of the Native Flora Garden.

Slideshow



Selected Photos

The view just inside the southern entrance to the garden.
Native Flora Garden

There is a large drift of Viola sororia forma priceana, Confederate Violet, just inside the southern entrance to this garden. I would not mind this growing as a "weed" in my garden in place of the common purple violets I'm constantly digging out.
Viola sororia forma priceana, Confederate Violet

Dicentra eximia, Eastern Bleeding-Heart, grows inside and outside the entrance, and throughout the garden. I have a white-flowering form in my backyard garden which is just starting to bloom.
Dicentra eximia, Eastern Bleeding-Heart

D. cucullaria, Dutchman's Breeches, blooms nearby with similar wands of dangling flowers and lovely ferny foliage.
Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's Breeches

Erythronium americanum, Trout-Lily (yellow) and Trillium grandiflorum (white). When I visited, the Trout-Lily were blooming in fields of thousands all over the Native Flora Garden.
Erythronium americanum and Trillium grandiflorum

T. erectum, Purple Trillium, was bashful despite its specific epithet.
Label, Trillium erectum, Pruple Trillium

From repeated visits, I'm coming to appreciate the subtle charms of Uvularia sessilifolia, Wild Oats. This is one of the few upright flowers I found, just emerging from the bud; as the flowers mature, the peduncle extends, and the flowers dangle below like narrow bells.
Uvularia sessilifolia, Wild Oats

Caltha palustris, Marsh Marigold, growing in the Bog habitat.
DSC_7627_217

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4 comments:

Frank said...

Looks nice, I should go see.

MrBrownThumb said...

Nice photo tour, I especially like the Dutchma's Breeches pic.

BestViewInBrooklyn said...

The Native flora garden is so peaceful, and it's one of the less visited areas. If I remember correctly, there aren't any benches along the walkway. Is that for a reason, or was it just not deemed necessary? Do you know?

Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener) said...

NYCG: Get there quick! I was there yesterday, and the warm weekend weather transformed the place in just a few days. The Trout-lilies are done, for example. The return of cooler weather should slow the pace, now.

MBT: Thanks! These are growing in drifts, and they were still blooming when I visited yesterday afternoon. I'd love to have some of these in my backyard native plant garden.

BVIV: Seclusion has its admirers. Yesterday afternoon this garden was makeout central. Most disconcerting.

The rails along the paths are at the right height to serve as a low, if not restful, seat. I don't know if this garden has ever had benches. I think the intent is to keep it as wild-looking as possible. It's the only garden at BBG that has not been disturbed since its creation, nearly 100 years ago.