family fun
OUTDOORS
Now That April’s Showers Have Passed, May’s Flowers Are Ready For Your Little Ones To Spot By Emanuelle Block Spring has sprung, bringing the first glimpse of colorful blooms after a long, grey winter. Grab the kids and head outdoors to one of the many idyllic places to see beautiful springtime sproutings right in the five boroughs— and don’t forget your camera, because you’ll have the perfect backdrop for family photos!
Manhattan: The High Line Gansevoort Street to West 30th Street thehighline.org Where to spot flowers: The High Line was built on an historic rail line elevated above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. The entire length of the High Line has landscaped seasonal plantings. Must-see May flowers: Allium (a family of blooming ornamental onions) and shooting star (dodecatheon meadia). All blooming plants are listed on the free monthly online High Line Bloom List which can be downloaded at thehighline.org/design/ planting. Family fun: Summer family activities include stargazing (Tuesdays at dusk), lawn-time for little ones (Thursday mornings in
16
New York Family | May 2014
10GREATEVENTS_0514.indd 16
Photo by Antonio M. Rosario; Courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic Garden
FlowerGazing For Fams
Children’s Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
July and August), and Arty Hours (Saturdays in July and August), which are drop-in hands-on kids art workshops at the 23rd Street lawn. Hidden treasure: The water feature on the Diller-von Furstenberg Sundeck on the High Line between West 14th and West 15th Streets is a great place to dip your toes to cool off during the hot summer months, and the 23rd Street Lawn (between West 22nd and West 23rd Streets) is the perfect place for a family picnic. Both open in late May.
BROOKLYN: Brooklyn Botanic Garden 150 Eastern Parkway bbg.org Where to spot flowers: The 52-acre gardens are in the heart of Brooklyn. Bluebell Wood (centrally located near the Plant Family Collection), Osborne Garden, Native Flora Garden, and Cranford Rose Garden (all on the garden’s north end) have the best May blooms. Must-see May flowers: Bluebells (in Bluebell Wood), pink azaleas (in Osborne Garden), lilacs (surrounding the Cranford Rose Garden), wisteria (throughout the gardens), peonies (along Cherry Walk on the Cherry Esplanade at the south end of
the Cranford Rose Garden), wildflowers (in the Native Flora Garden and the Children’s Garden), roses (in the Cranford Rose Garden). Family fun: The Children’s Garden is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Expect family nature adventure walks (Saturdays in May), kids discovery stations (daily), and midsummer magical plant walks (Wednesdays in July and August). The family “Sproutfest” will be held on June 7 (12-4pm) at the Cherry Esplanade. With live music and games, Sproutfest is the 100th year celebration for BBG’s Children’s Garden, and is free with garden admission. Hidden treasure: See the historic Children’s Garden on a special “insider” behind-the-scenes tour (at Sproutfest on June 7, and various times May-October).
BRONX: New York Botanical Garden 2900 Southern Blvd nybg.org Where to spot flowers: With waves of flowers across its 250 historic acres, NYBG is one of the nation’s premier urban gardens. Near the Thain Family Forest (NYC’s largest continued on page 18
www.newyorkfamily.com
4/18/14 12:10 PM