Photo Wednesday 061213 : Rose Night Edition

The Brooklyn Botanic(al) Gardens held its "Rose Night" members event this past June 5th with picnicking, pageantry and music provided by the period appropriate musicians of the "Dew Drop Society"(pictured above). They were awesomely fun, I half expected F. Scott Fitzgerald to be tapping his toe behind a tree whilst taking notes.




I took more than a few photos that night. The lighting and fashions of some really made for some throwback imagery and that's a little of the point of the event.



Rose Night (if you haven't checked the link above) is a celebration not only of the beauty of June blooming roses of all shapes, sizes and colors, but it's also a call back to the era the Rose Garden was dedicate, back in 1927.

In addition to music and roses the annual event consisted of kids events, beverages, (including a rose-like florally fragrant vodka martini which was a fave) and a hat contest. Attendees were encouraged to wear period clothing and at least go all out with the hats. I spotted and spoke with a few Easter Parade alums who came bespoke in their bonnets.
 
(Winner of the Hat Contest pictured above. Congrats!)

I didn't quite understand the mechaniations of the hat contest, but it was won, fun was had, and there was enough Flappers, Charleston steppers and kids in what seemed to devolve into a conga line to bring smiles to everyone's faces.

There's so many photos, and I really got into adjusting them to push the period look further) that I couldn't decide which to show so below's a slideshow of the best views I saw that night, Enjoy:


Can't wait till next year. And if you're a fan of Brooklyn Botanic Garden events in general, you don't have to wait for one. Their calendar is full of nearly daily happenings so check em out.

Photo Wednesday 060513 | Memorial & Rose Night Edition

As a kid I noticed these one day when I decided to read them instead of passing them as I had hundreds of times previously. It was shocking to me that they had been laid decades ago, and in brought up a cheesy yet civic-prideful sense of happiness in my elementary school self. So today's Photo(s) for Wednesday come from Eastern Parkway.

The plaques were created and dedicated for Brooklyn residents who perished in "The War to End All Wars". Many of America's WWI soldiers were laid to rest overseas and so memorials like these were dedicated across the nation. Down the western end near the Museum new benches, widened sidewalks and a bike-lane have been added. Parking signs were reposted today. Included and repositioned are the World War I memorial placards. 

Over the years tree root growth, erosion and occasional vandalism have disturbed the placards and I'm happy to see there refurbishing was part of the Eastern Parkway makeover. Each placard is aligned next to a tree as they were originally. A subtle memorial as was originally intended.

Eastern Parkway the nation's 1st parkway built in 1866 expressly for "pleasure-riding and scenic driving" by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux has been undergoing successful remodeling and refurbishing for years now and it's looking great. 

From wikipedia's Eastern Parkway Entry:

The world's first parkway was conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1866. The term parkway was coined by these designers as a landscaped road built expressly for 'pleasure-riding and driving' or scenic access to Prospect Park (also designed by Olmsted and Vaux). To these ends, commerce was restricted. The parkway was constructed from Grand Army Plaza to Ralph Avenue (the boundary of the City of Brooklyn) between 1870 and 1874. Olmsted and Vaux intended Eastern Parkway to be the Brooklyn nucleus of an interconnected park and parkway system for the New York area. The plan was never completed but their idea of bringing the countryside into the city influenced the construction of major parks and parkways in cities throughout the United States.^[4]

Speaking of trees and thoughts of days past in the vicinity of Eastern Parkway; Tonight is the Brooklyn Botanic(al) Garden's Member's Rose Night, were attending members will be treated to music in celebration of the era in which the Cranford Rose Garden opened in 1927.

From the Garden's website:

Enjoy live ragtime and jazz with Dewdrop Society. Don your best bonnet to participate in our second annual hat contest—kids can make their own at our specially equipped craft table. Picnicking is permitted and a cash bar will be available.

I'll be the one in the top-hat. Be a member enjoy the Garden. Cheers! 

Photo Wednesday 5/8/13 : CosPlay Edition

Creative CosPlay @ BBG Sakura Matsuri 2013, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

It's fun that CosPlay has found an annual home in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri Festival.

I have so many great pics from that day I can fill a year of Wednesdays with them.

Costumed escapism can be so much fun.

How are YOU not like yourself?

Via Flickr:
BBG Sakura Matsuri 2013

Photo Wednesday 05/01/13: Plant Sale Edition!

May 1st and April's showers, delivered!

Today's Photo Wednesday comes courtesy of the very photogenic Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I couldn't stop taking pics of the tulips, they're amazing!


The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is also having a PLANT SALE TODAY & TOMORROW 5/2 so don't delay get on down and get some of the best most beautiful flora from the experts.




  

There's also a LOT of cherry blossoms and early roses in bloom too. Enjoy!

THIS WEEKEND - Cherry Blossom Festival/Sakura Matsui @ Bklyn Botanic Garden

 
Spring brings blossoms and none more cherry that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's.

Sakura Matsuri translates to Cherry Blossom Festival (but you knew that all ready) and the weekend event features all day events. You can witness and participate in everything from Japanese Tea Services, a custom of the Cherry Blossom festivals, to music and botanical presentations.

Sakura Matsuri at BBG is a great melange of nature lovers taking in the spring blossoms, expat spouses uplifting their traditional culture for their kids while adorable to over the top Costplayers ignore the tea and go straight for living out their Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleached, Little Monstered fantasies.

 

The Cherry Trees have been in bloom for little more than a week now (as you'll see in the slide show below) and right on time for this weekends mega Sakura Matsuri Festival.

It's also a great opportunity to see all the additions the BBG has made in the past few years like the new, beautifully designed modern entrance and visitor's center pictured above.

One of three entrances is at 200 Washington Avenue, accessible by the Prospect Park Q,B,S station and from the Eastern Parkway 2,3 (The Franklin ave 2,3,4,5 will also get you to the Botanic Garden but it adds an extra block of walking)

がんばって！
 

Photo Wednesday 04/7/10 : Spring Blossoming Edition

Do yourself a favor and find some flora!



Spring is blooming as we speak, and today's forecast of 85° is only going to bring blossoms faster(and make the 50° weather this weekend a real downer).

Between flower boxes on Franklin, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Borough Hall Park and all the rest of the borough the time for nature local color is here. As I mentioned in my last "Missed it Mondays" feature, I meet up with spring at the Botanic Gardens and here's more of what it looked like:






Just another reminder while people are currently enjoying a casual 花見 or "Hanami" which means "cherry blossom viewing", the big BBG festival "Sakura Matsuri" which features music, crafts, snacks (is specific areas) and in the last few years Japanophile teens in costume, is scheduled for May 1-2nd. For specific deets, click here.

Photo Wednesday 03/17/10 : Missed it by that much Edition

Well I made a commitment to have a new photo up every week and I just watched as a 404error allowed the last grains of this Wednesday pass through the hour glass. Brings me back to last week's thought about deadlines.

But speaking of things missed, spring is on the march as evidenced by today's Bonny Bright St. Patrick's Day and all the bonny suburban lasses I saw in midtown...

So I guess in keeping with the thought of "missing" here's somethings we may not see again for some time...



...like this frozen lake scene from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Japanese pond.

Renewal Friday

Ugh. It's Friday and I wanted to lead off on a less ugh note, yet there it is. My bad, I shouldn't have read the news before posting. Btw today's ugh and yesterday's rant it's time to purge I think. A few years back I started surrounding myself as much as possible with images of spring more and more as winter approached and during the winter itself. So for your pleasure and mine here's an example:



I like the contrast between this video from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and the Fall Photo Series I've been putting up. Maybe that should be my Friday feature, chase the grey away Fridays. I've been meaning to express a little more about the Fall Photos, more on that later.

And of course the weekend is starting and I'll be posting happ'nings later today.

Peace out.

May starts with triple P's

Whas up. This weekend's gonna be a busy one, what with the three p's all happening tomorrow:


protest: concerned citizens rally a protest to the Atlantic Yards "bait and switch"


posies: cherry blossom festival at Botanic gardens

painting: the Murakami retrospective exhibit as well as traditional woodprints by The Utagawa School at the Brooklyn Museum thru July

Get out there Brooklyn, see and hear, be seen and heard, later.

Enjoy はなみ"HANAMI" @ the Brooklyn Botanic Gardensit's a good look

A classic Brooklyn treasure, the flowers are coming into bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Strolling through the gardens at this time of year is so chill words don't do justice, matter of fact unless you're at work you shouldn't be reading this go check out the gardens asap!
Going on now through Sunday May 11th "はなみ"(or Hanami)
the Japanese Cherry Blossom festival going on.

What is Hanami? The Botanic Garden's site describes it as:

"Hanami is the Japanese cultural tradition of viewing and cherishing each moment of the cherry blossom season. At Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Hanami is a New York City "rite of spring.""

During this time the pink blossoms will come into view and over the course of these weeks there are some really nice events going on that are great for sharing with your friends, your lives or just your inner self.

There's also music events for kids and lots of cultural happenings. It's also a great way to introduce people to Brooklyn.

here's a quick list of whats coming up:

HANAMI:はなみCherry Blossom Viewing Season
April 5th - May 11th

SAKURA MATSURI:さくらまつり　A weekend of events too packed to detail, check the BBG link for details!
Sat May 3rd & Sun May 4th

Annual Plant Sale (Wed May 7th - Thur May 8th) This is a great chance to buy plants and seeds while getting gardening tips from experts! Don't miss it!