Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Listed under Gardens in New York City, United States.
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.
Other expert and press reviews
“Brooklyn Botanical Gardens”
'Just down the street from the Brooklyn Museum of Art is the most popular botanic garden in the city. This peaceful 52-acre sanctuary is at its most spectacular in May, when thousands of deep pink blossoms of cherry trees are abloom.' Read more...
Written by press. Frommers
“Brooklyn Botanic Garden”
Big city parks feel even more like ports of calm in the storm of the rat race and this is one of the best ports around. Perfectly in tune and changeable with the seasons, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are a constant but timely display of nature‘s colour… Read more...
Written by 
Ted Harper.
Comments, reviews and questions by other travellers
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Japanese Tea House
This garden offers vistas all year round and having visited it in the height of summer and late autumn it gave enormous pleasure both times. The Japanese GardenTea House the highlight for me, beautifully constructed and the view out over the lake was restful on a very hot day. In summer the sacred lilies were out in the ponds, whilst in the gloom of a November day the glass houses gave warmth and a range of plants. Whilst outside the vivid yellow leaves carpeted the lawns.