My husband and I took a ride to the New York City borough of the Bronx this weekend to visit the New York Botanical Garden. Like the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the New York Botanic Garden has beautiful aquatic waterlilies and lotuses. The Waterlily and Lotuses Pool in the courtyard of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a serene and magical place in summer. The colors and lingering aromas of these wonderful exotic flowers are a feast for the senses.
The lilies and lotuses were at their peak.
Their colors and shapes were exquisite!
As I walked around the lily pond pool I had a wonderful time photographing all the beautiful flowers.
They were all delightful....
...and a wonderful array of colors.
Dominating the tropical pool is the Victoria amazonica, the world's largest waterlily, whose leaves can span seven feet across!
.
The tropical pond also had a large array of the lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, which symbolize eternal life in Buddhism, and are called "sacred lotus" for that reason.
They shimmered in the sunlight.....
....and their buds and pods were so exotic to see.
Both of the botanical gardens in New York City are gems waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. Come back next post and I will show you the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden.
May I ask a favor? Flowers have been on my mind quite a bit lately, as I'm in the middle of planning my daughter's spring time wedding, and I have also been visiting local florists to look at table centerpieces and floral decorations. My daughter loves the color purple and wants it to be the predominate color of her arrangements. If you have some suggestions for beautiful purple flowers, websites that have floral arrangements, or even general wedding websites, I'd be thrilled if you place them in your comments. Thanks!
I'm linking to "Mosaic Monday" with Mary of The Little Red House blog, and My World Tuesday with Klaus and all the My World contributors. Please visit their blogs and enjoy their special blog events!
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59 comments:
Beautiful to look at on this steamy day Pat! The lotus blossoms and water lilies are so exotic.
I love water gardens. My list of places to visit in NY keep growing and its all your fault!!!!! My god-daughter is getting married in November. I'm sure *we* have some links somewhere ... just have to find them! I'll keep looking!
Pat
Thank you once again for taking me along on your tour.
I never knew water lilies could grow so....large. The water flowers are all knock your eyes out
beautiful!
I love lilac, as you probably know :) but once cut it doesn't last long, it might hold up as a centerpiece if the room is not too warm but there are sterling silver roses that are a beautiful shade of lavender/light purple, mixed with white stephanotis (sp?), babies' breath, love it! Even white flowers with violets accenting it would be pretty. I adore peonies but I don't think they come in purple, but I believe they can be dyed any color. Off on a 'purple flower tangent', back to your post, these flowers and photos are gawgeous, as always, and the weather has been not too bad for a stroll thru these fab gardens. xo,
Pat- exquisite photography of exquisite flowers. How strange that waterlily blossoms look so much like cactus flowers ! As for purple flowers. Dahlias, Zinnias come in purple as do gomphrenas and verbena, particularly Verbena bonariensis. Heliotrope, asters, and some celosias. Some garden phlox is purple, but I do not think it would have the staying power for a bouquet.
What a beautiful spot, Pat! We have tried, over the years, to start lilies in our ponds, but the ducks eat them every time. I'm not ready to give up my ducks, so I guess I'll have to wait for lilies.
For a spring wedding, small purple irises in a bouquet would be lovely. Violets, purple and white, would be exceptionally delicate. I think that lilacs could be a bit messy, but a florist would have access to hydrangeas early, and they'd be gorgeous, died purple. I'll email you if anything else comes to me.
PS Our local newspaper had a big spread on Brooklyn last week - what a place!
Pretty..I Love Waterlilies...I haven't been to the Botanical Gardens in a really Long time...
Those water lillies are amazing. My Mom had a pond and it was surrounded with them. What a great Botanical garden.
The colors of the waterlilies are gorgeous!!! And I'm guessing with the recent heat wave that we've all be experiencing, visiting water gardens helped cool you down!
Have a wonderful week.
Your photos are stunning!!! They are so big, and so perfect that they look artificial!! And is that one really blue, or is it just the light on a white one?
Spectacular photos Pat, looks like another great day trip in NY! I can't help with the wedding ideas but wanted to say "have fun":@)
Pat, your photos are simply exquisite - perfect exposure and beautiful composition. When I was in Italy this time, I visited gardens on Lago Maggiore and the lotuses were also in full bloom - I went crazy taking photos too. Re: daughter's wedding - purple flowers are easy enough to find - everything from hydrangeas and lilacs to lisianthus and many others. I'm sure an expert florist (and there must be a lot in Brooklyn) can help you come up with something wonderful. Have fun with the planning.
What a beautiful place to wander.
Simply gorgeous, Pat. I remember something from a movie - long ago -a baby floating on one of those very large water lily leaves. They're large enough.
I could float Rocky (my chihuahua) on one too. :)
Thanks again for being such a splendid chronicler of NYC's charms.
Oh Pat, these are all so delightful! So pretty.
Oh Pat!! These are such beautiful shots of water lillies! I love them! You pics of the blooms are just amazing - so so so vivid and perfectly shot! Thank you for sharing them here! Oh the lotus bloom is truly sacred!
Purple flowers? I keep thinking purple orchids and roses! :-)
Good luck finding gorgeous purple themed flowers!! take care
x
Pat, this was one of my favorite destinations. Such beauty and your lens captures it exquisitely.
Thanks for sharing once again.
the close ups of the buds & pods look surreal!
Beautiful photos Pat. Thanks for taking us there with you!
How gorgeous, Pat... Strange thing though is that we saw almost the same thing at the Italian Gardens at Biltmore on Friday... I'll share those pictures sometime...
Thanks so much for sharing the beauty there.
Hugs,
Betsy
WOW, I love all the gorgeous and colorful waterlilies. What a beautiful place to visit, the water gardens are a great attraction and very beautiful.
Ohhh, what a beautiful mosaic. I don't know how you limited yourself to just one! These waterlilies are incredible!
Your daughter wants purple flowers...hmmm...if I see anything exciting, I'll try to remember to pass it along. Irises of course come to mind immediately so if it's a spring wedding...
Hi Pat!
Your photos of these beautiful exotic flowers are magnificent.
I'm sorry I don't have any great tips for you.
Beautiful photos, Pat! I hope you find some pretty purple flowers, too! We went to the Arboretum today and it does seem like there are a lot of purple flowers that grown in the late summer and Fall. I always think of purple mums and hydrangeas! Don't forget to enter the contest tomorrow for our 'team'! Hugs! ♥
What a wonderful place to visit! I have never had a water garden, where I live it isn't a good idea because of the mosquito population that would only increase in my yard if I had one. But i can admire them!
I can't help you with your request, sorry, wish I could.
Hugs, Cindy
Beautiful flowers in the pond and I noticed how clear the water was. I would have have a great time with my camera there too.
Purple/lavender flowers for spring - lilacs come to mind first, then tulips and there's always dried lavender. I know I can get purple moms at the grocery store anytime too. If you go to a florist, they can order in all sorts of things.
Judith
Your talent with photography is amazing! Love the flowers.
Hydrangeas?
Your photos are fabulous!
Good luck choosing the flowers for your daughter's wedding. Have you thought of using Dutch Iris? They almost look like orchids.
This summer and your photographs are so sweet and beautiful. The best example of nature favourite colour. It seems edited photograph but it is not. I am fully agree with which you shared here. My description also same as your words for this image.
hediye
All they look very nice and I must admit I have never seen them in blue! white, yellow and pink - yes, they are popular but blue-very unusual!
I haven`t seen a water lily in years. So vibrant and refreshing. Lots different than my dusty desert!
I do love waterlilies and this year after all the cold winter only one survived!!! Thank you for these pics!!! Cathy
It's like having a mini vacation when I stop by here!
WOW...wow...wow! I love waterlilies, and am always amazed by the range of sizes the flowers & leaves grow to. Just LOVING all these photos... I feel like I've been on some "exotic" trip! Thanks, Pat... Happy new week, my friend :o) ((HUGS))
I hope you will be happy to know that lots of your flowers photos are now in my folder for a very summer-ish screensaver!
They are so exotic and spectacular and your pictures are amazing. Wow I would love to visit. It looks wonderful.
Veronica
www.tasselsandtwigs.blogspot.com
The water lily tour was fascinating Pat. You take such beautiful photos! You must be having great fun planning your daughter's wedding. I wish I could help other than to suggest purple iris.
beautiful--they recently redid the ponds and I so want to get back to see them...thanks for the wonderful post!
What a beautiful place that is Pat. That is a place where you can stay all day and take photo's. Wow, the lotusses and the lilies ,they are gorgeous. It must smell like heaven there. Thank you for taking us to another beautiful place.
Hvor er der smuk, og så alle de skønne blomster.
Vi har også Åkander, men de er slet ikke så store.
Tak for rundvisningen
How absolutely gorgeous.
What an experience seeing all that at its best.
Those water lilies are wonderful...I visited a nice botanical garden in San Diego with my sons and they had a water garden...but not as many different kinds of blooms...and those pods...wonderful! Purple tulips will be around when your daughter is getting married and violets and asters too...I wonder if they put pansies and violas in centerpieces...they have so many purple shades too...I will see if I can find a link for you!
Beautiful! They do look most exotic.
I was at a reception over the weekend with a purple colour theme ...and they used hydrangeas in shades of purple and white. Very pretty!
Stunning array of photos! Collaboration of water lilies and lotus flowers are lovely. I'm so attracted by the blue one.
Purple is a noble color and symbolizes serenity and passion at the same time as the mixed colors of blue and red. Shades of purple would create a wonderful atmosphere.
Thanks for your visit and a nice comment. Actually my last post was about wild lotuses and aqua park's water lilies. Please have a visit when you have time and feel inclined to. Have happy days ahead.
Yoko
Breathtaking photos! You are amazing how you capture life! I adore Hydrangeas, and dripping wisteria! You're going to have so much fun with all your wedding plans Pat!
You certainly are a good photographer. Beautiful and that veal sounds yummy.
yvonne
lost my bloggers list on sidebar again.
You certainly are a good photographer. Beautiful and that veal sounds yummy.
yvonne
lost my bloggers list on sidebar again.
Lovely. I adore waterlilies and it is why I built my ponds.
Wow, Pat! You have outdone yourself with these photos. They are so incredibly vibrant, crisp, clear, colorful! Unreal. And beautiful. Yet another place I need to add to the agenda for next year when I attend BlogHer in NYC!! :o)
Your posts and photos never cease to amaze me. What a huge garden!
Waterlily is the English translation of my Chinese name.
incredibly gorgeous. i enjoy all your photos. very colourful and so appealing shots.
Pat, the colors of those flowers are just stunning. One of them had the most unusual center, too. How wonderful that you got to see them in bloom like that. I adore waterlilies and lotuses. Everytime I see them, the remind me of Monet. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hugs coming at you from across the miles. I've missed YOU!
XO,
Sheila :-)
Wonderful captures of the beautiful flowers!
these are truly wonderful examples of water lilies.
WOW! Looks awesome!!
Waiting for you in Corsica... ;)
You always have the most beautiful photos! What a pretty side of New York!
Come join our Traveling
Tuesdays :-)
What fab flowers Pat! May I ask what your camera is? Mine is again on it's last legs so I'm asking santa this year for a new one.
hi Pat, I love all the photos of the amazing flowers, so beautiful. I have to say the waterlilies are my favorites. Such a lovely place to spend time. Thanks for sharing these amazing gardens.
~Emily
The French Hutch
Fabulous photos, fabulous place. Thanks for heading out in the summer heat to share it with us.
There are lots of lovely purple flowers..your daughter should have a hard time making her selection. May I suggest she also consult the meanings of various purple flowers...larkspur, delphinum, passion flower, thistle, gladiola, dahlia, coneflower, allum, even water lily!
Sorry to dig up this old post, but I really enjoyed your photos, particularly the ones of the Nelumbo nucifera.
The water lilies and lotuses will be blooming at the NYBG soon, and I would recommend you visit the exhibit, "Monet's Garden", running until October 21.
All the best!
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