Redeeming the NYC ID Memberships: Exploring the New York Botanical Garden During Fall

At the beginning of November a friend and I were still pretty adamant about redeeming our memberships for the NYC ID. We therefore made the trek up to the New York Botanical Garden, which is in the Bronx and almost right next to the Bronx Zoo (read more on redeeming our membership in October here). I had so far only been up here once and that was during a fun wine event in May 2014 (which I failed to blog about back in the days!). Coming here in November was one of the most beautiful times I could have ever imagined! While spring and summer must be pretty swell, too, nothing beats the amazing colors that presented themselves to us during the fall season.

We started off by taking the trolley throughout the entire garden in order to gain a better understanding of how big exactly the terrains were. Altogether the tour took perhaps 30 minutes, including stopping at the Mertz Library, which is the largest botanical library in the country. You can find everything you ever wanted to know on plants, horticulture, environment, botany and many more subjects. It must be quite the paradise for plant lovers…

After the trolley ride, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to see. First we walked through the Thain Family Forest and came across a day tour with an animated tour guide who was explaining to the group the different types of trees and plants seen in this part. It was also here that we found some beautiful waterfalls – even more stunning when surrounded by auburn colors, which reflected in the gushing waters. It was relatively mild outside (for November) and I was curious if the Kayak Station was still open. When we arrived, the volunteers told us that unfortunately the last kayak had been booked for the rest of the day (at 2pm already), so we never made it onto the water but it seemed like a fun thing to do and perhaps I have to go back during the spring to experience it.

From here we took a peek at the Goldman Stone Mill. It’s a unique pre-civil-war building and has been designated a New York landmark in the 1960ies. As it happened to be when we walked by, a wedding ceremony was held later-on in the day and the organizers were decorating the outsides with flower bouquets and roses. I can tell you, there is rarely a more beautiful sight when seeing roses in contrast to autumnal colors! One of the most romantic things I have seen and I will keep it in mind for future ceremonies.

We strolled back through an unnamed meadow. Grassland, plants, and trees were precious to look at. Yellow, brown, auburn, green – it was a pure joy to be surrounded by such radiant natural beauty with a soft breeze on a mild day. I think this day altogether simply did it to me. I can’t imagine a more beautiful season than fall as of now. Winter gets too cold and summer can be pretty hot, but fall simply has everything I could imagine and more. The time when nature decides to pour over a grand finale on the entire year and make everyone hold their breath in awe. I wish I could make the time stand still sometimes but pictures will do for now.

Our second-to-last stop for the day was the conservatorium. The Haupt Conservatory offers some great variety in terms of plant landscapes and temperature changes. We went from desert through fauna to jungle in less than 20 minutes. It was also pretty interesting to read up on its history and to see more stories on how the gardens evolved.

We were at the end of our excursion day. I couldn’t help it but stopped by the plant shop and purchased two foliage plants, which are now in my living room. They serve as a nice memory (especially during these frosty temperatures) of a day that was almost too good to be true.

Since it was late in the year, we didn’t bother to check out the Cherry Collection, the Magnolias and the Rose Garden. I am excited to return during the particular seasons to see these flowers and plants in full bloom!