I have been here only once: in October as the Autumn began to bite. It was altogether fascinating. Americans garden differently to the British. They are very keen on great platters of colour that would send many tweedier British gardeners guffawing towards the hills. I love a bit of brazenly joyful vulgarity: we only seldom get to see such displays in this country (the one that stands out is the municipal bedding in Moffat; an otherwise indistinguished town in the Scottish borders).

When I was there great clipped plates of gaudily coloured chrysanthemums were displayed in large pots, borders of blonde grasses and late perennials overlooked by tall maples whose leaves were turning every shade of flame. The centrepiece is the huge Steinhardt Conservatory which houses aquatic, desert (including those wonderful big round spiny cacti - occasionally known as Mother-in-Law’s Pouffes), orchid, palm and tropical collections. Particularly attractive in the biting cold of a New York winter.

Outside there is stuff for every season: cherry walks for spring, a Shakespeare garden for summer romance and the aforementioned trees for Autumn colour. www.bbg.org

Written by  James Alexander-Sinclair.

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