Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A Garden Grows In Brooklyn




How I would love a garden such as this! It is the Herb Garden section within the Brooklyn Botanic Garden


The Herb Garden sign shows us that the food we eat every day originated all over the world. (Please click on photo to enlarge and then click on it again to make it even larger to see the map) Did you know the potato originated in South America, okra in Africa and the eggplant in Asia?



The newly designed Herb Garden in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened in June 2010. It is comprised of a small orchard, perennial plants, and annual beds as well as a composting area, cold frame, tool shed, overlook pavilion, and trellis systems.  It is designed to be a decorative but utilitarian potager, or kitchen garden, that freely mixes medicinal and culinary herbs, vegetables, berries, fruit trees, and flowers.


 I visited the garden in May when it was in it's early stages.


I visited it again this past weekend to see that all within it was flourishing!


In a month it went from this....



....to this!


This decorative portion of the garden was mulched with buckwheat hulls which help retain moisture, enrich the soil and control weeds.


Other gardening tips are written on chalkboards along the garden path. There is even an occasional nature quote or haiku to ponder!


Set up as a living classroom,  there are also many informative placards throughout the Herb Garden which highlight the origins and uses of particular food plants.  (Each photo can be enlarged for easier reading by clicking on it once and then again when it opens as a new page.)



I found all the placards very interesting!











Fruit trees rimmed the garden in Espalier formation, which is an excellent way to grow trees in a city garden with limited amount of space.


These placards explain the benefits and traditions of Espalier.


Most grape vines are also maintained this way.


It was truly enjoyable to stroll along the lanes of the garden to see all its bounty! The herbs, fruits and vegetables in the garden are grown primarily for display and demonstration purposes, but extra produce is donated to charity.


The Herb Garden is truly an educational place for both adults and children as it gives city dwellers the opportunity to see and appreciate the way fruits and vegetables grow, and perhaps encourage them to plan such a garden for themselves.   I hope you learned something new about what you are growing in your garden this summer by reading this post.

Linking to the "Outdoor Wednesday" event on Susan's blog "A Southern Daydreamer" and Jenny Matlock's "Alphabe Thursday" for the letter "K" for all the fruits, herbs and vegetable that begin with the letter k such as kiwi, key limes, kale, kava, kelp, kohlrabi, kumquat ..can you think of any more?

I would also be so happy if you would please visit this link to visit my review blog to see the shopping spree I went on for my bride-to-be daughter and  for a chance to win a $100 HomeGoods gift card by leaving a comment there between June 20 and 30th, 2011! (click here for official rules)
Also, until June 30th, 2011, BlogHer is giving a chance to win one of ten $25 gift cards to HomeGoods on the BlogHer Prizes and Promotions Page that I know you'll want to enter, so you can have another chance to have your own mini HomeGoods shopping spree! Click here to enter that promotion! (Here are the official rules to enter)


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48 comments:

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Pat, this is a wonderful place and how lucky that you can stop by and see the progress. I think that is why I take pictures at our community garden so often...the progress is magical. I like the pergolas that are set up around the different areas. Not only must they be useful, but they add architectural interest.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

What a wonderful garden. I love Espalier. Someday, if I know I am going to stay in one place, I would love to have a few. They take a long time to grow if you start out small. If you go larger they are quite costly.

Thank for for taking me on a tour of this lovely garden.

Barbara F. said...

I'd love an herb garden like that, too, Pat,especially if it came with the young man tending it :). I have to stick with my pots for now :( xo,

Carol said...

What a garden! It's fantastic, and I love the progress pics, it's amazing what a prolific garden they have, love that they give the excess to charity! Always a great tour :) Thanks!

From the Kitchen said...

Pat: Thanks for sharing your visit to the garden. I am so envious of all those lovely herbs!! We have a small herb area in the back--most in pots--that brings us deliciousness from late spring to late fall. I'd love a kitchen garden.

Best,
Bonnie

Willow said...

The botanic garden is wonderful! I'm wondering who is EATING all that food. Because urban children don't know where their food comes from, this is a great resource to teach them. Interestingly, we are on a quest to visit several gardens on 'the other coast' this summer. If I ever make it to Brooklyn, I'll be sure to put the botanic garden on my must see list.

Lynn said...

What a neat garden and a great cause! Love the Espalier fruit trees, they look so cool:@)

Old Kitty said...

I love the "scoop on fruit"! How interesting!! I think having these placards around with all the science and the green tips as well as poetry is just brilliant!!! What a wonderful botanical garden!! Your before and after pics are just amazing! Show how a little tlc can do to a garden! Fantastic! Thank you Pat for such a brilliant tour! I can smell the herbs and taste the fruit! And I learned a new word today. Espalier!!

Take care
x

Sarah said...

Such a lovely garden. One day I'd like to have an espalier or perhaps two. A friend planted an apple espalier a few years ago. It thrives and produces apples too! ~ Sarah

Anonymous said...

We planted "stepover" apple trees in our Community garden, instead of making permanent fences. They bear loads of fruit every year.

Snap said...

What a wonderful garden! I love herbs and culinary history. It's so much fun to know where plants originated. Great post. It has my fingers itching to go farming in my postage stamp backyard (if it wasn't so darn hot)!!!!

Kathy Walker said...

A beautiful botanical garden! I would love to visit.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I'm thinking it must smell wonderful! And so many things here that I never even knew existed, I could probably spend all day there!

Betty said...

What a beautiful place. You show us so many beautiful and interesting things around New York that most of us don't even realize exist. The Chamber of Commerece should hire you!

nanny said...

Lots of good reading there...very informative and so interesting.
I would love to have a big garden!!

GailO said...

What a fantastic garden! I visited the BBG every time I visited my daughter when she lived in Brooklyn...she lived about a block away...but the herb garden wasn't there at the time...Wouldn't I love that in my back yard!

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

Hi Pat, thank you for taking us to the herb garden! I have long admired espalied trees, but I did not know that there were actual espalier designs as shown on that sign! have a nice day--now I'm off to visit the link. Congratulations on your daughter's upcoming wedding! i need to go back and catch up on the news after being out of touch for too long! Linda

Vagabonde said...

How wonderful to be close to such a lovely garden.

Judy said...

A living classroom...is right! What a lot of growth happened in one month.

I have an espalier apple tree in my back yard...with five kinds of apples grafted onto one trunk. It's not that we are short on space...but I rather liked it!

Lovella ♥ said...

Pat. .this is the most amazing garden. I love how well planned it all is. The signs were so interesting and I felt quite at home with a few of them ..the perennial veggies and the berries.

OH my . ..so many amazing sites to see. If I were to have one day in New York city . .which site would I pick? :)

Pondside said...

I love this sort of place. We have The Horticultural Centre of the Pacific and I really enjoy visiting to see what's new or what I might like to plant at Pondside,

My name is Riet said...

What a wonderful herb garden. We have them here and there too and you know, it always smells so nice. I love how you showed all the chalkboards and the idea of a living classroom. Great idea. Have a good day Pat.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

What a lovely herb garden. Who would have thought you would find this in a city. How nice that it is near you Pat.
Sam

Tanna said...

AMAZING place!! I would love to have regular access to pick and choose from all those beauties! blessings ~ tanna

Michelle said...

Wow! What a beautiful garden and one that really interests me. I would love to pay them a visit.

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Great to have a place with instruction and information! Wonderful pictures! Cathy

podso said...

What a beautiful herb garden. You always post such interesting things! I also love that "bean" in Chicago which I've never seen before. Very cool and I'd think you might like to stay awhile there for all the views you would see. We found an old mantle out of on old house we will restore and use --but the interesting thing is we bought it from a family moved here recently from Brooklyn!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Wow, that is one amazing garden. It makes my teeny plot look pitiful. What a wonderful educational opportunity for city folks.

Coralie Cederna Johnson said...

What a fabulous garden and watching it grow is remarkable!
Have a great K Day!
Coralie

Esther Joy said...

What beautiful landscaping artistry! My little garden hardly stacks up!

Anonymous said...

O' Pat, my mouth is watering,I am a nut about fresh fruits and veggies.I would love to be able to grow a garden like that, my thumb is brown, I can kill just about any kind of tree,bush,flower and for sure a lovely garden doesn't have a snowball chance in h*#@.
I want to visit here too, thanks for sharing, if I forget(teehehe) to tell you I love NYC and all her great surroundings.And your wonderful blog.
~Jo
LazyonLoblolly

EG CameraGirl said...

Wish my garden looked this good!

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

I'm green with envy over this garden! It makes my 5 garden boxes look pathetic!!!! But I did just pick my 1st radishes tonight!

Thank you for sharing this beautiful location with us. Your photos and descriptions made me feel like I was walking along through the garden!

Have a lovely 4th!

Mary

Anonymous said...

That is quite the wonderful garden! Thanks for taking us on the tour.

Teresa

Lisa@GrandmasBriefs said...

Hmmm...buckwheat hulls? Will have to check into that. What an awesome spot for learning about what we put into our bodies. Great photos, as always!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful place to explore! I would be afraid to take JDaniel there. He is such a hunter gatherer.

Skoots1moM said...

such a beautiful garden...

Maude Lynn said...

What a neat place to visit!

Judie said...

This is a terrific post! The herbs I planted several years ago have taken over my little yard, and although I love them, I need to take control!

Jenny said...

I love gardens like this. I've always wanted to try espaliering something. I think it's probably too hot on our walls here!

Gracie said...

You know what? Yesterday I came home from work and my daughter told me she bought a NY guide and map! Next year, hopefully, in december she will graduate from the university, and as a grad gift she has planned a two weeks trip to NY. After dinner she displayed the map on the kitchen table and started to look at places she dreamed for so long to see. I know she has plenty of time, but she's so excited to actually have the opportunity to go there that she couldn't resist! I suggested her to take a look at your blog too, much better than any guide!

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

LOVE seeing this wonderful garden....

happy 4th of july to you too, Pat

sending love,
kary and l'il teddy

xx

Beth said...

Pretty gardens, Pat! Perhaps I will have the chance to visit when I travel to NYC in July! I am getting so very excited.
Hugs and blessings, Beth

GardenOfDaisies said...

What an amazing garden. So much to see and learn. I enjoyed reading some of the signs... a knotted herb garden really appeals to me.

Heidi said...

I just came across your blog and I love it. Will stop by here on a regular basis. Your pics are beautiful. Wishing you a happy 4th of July...Greetings from Indiana...Heidi

Elettra said...

you live in a very extraordinary country that considers the value of the freedom, happy anniversary, greetings from Italy Elettra

Unknown said...

What a wonderful garden! It's really amazing how they have so many different types of herbs growing there, not to mention all the educational information they provide. It's a pretty neat place to visit :) I wish we had something like this here too!

Claudia said...

I keep an herb garden and it is a huge smile. The scope of this is just grand. Maybe I should forego flowers and just enjoy the herbs!