Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Today began by meeting Maureen O'brien who was the community field manager at Brooklyn Botanics. She firstly took us to the section of the garden which has a strong emphasis on educating children about plants. The area consisted primarily of vegetables and other edible plants. 



Following this, we visited the first of two community gardens in Brooklyn. The first community garden was called 6/15 Green and was located on the corner of a block where a petrol station used to stand. Maureen herself was a member of this garden and it clearly made the area a nicer place to live. 


The second community garden named Prospect Heights had a more organised feel with communal areas at the front and a series of raised beds at the back which each belonged to a member of the garden. It also had an excellent composting facility, including an ingenious way to sieve the compost into a barrow without too much effort. 


We then headed back to the botanic garden where we were shown round by Melanie Sifton, the Deputy Director. We saw areas of the garden such as the Shakespeare Garden and the Peony Garden, all of which looked superb. 



During our tour we were lucky enough to meet Elizabeth Scholtz, the first female director of the garden. She had the first yellow flowered Magnolia named after her and has also previously received the prestigious Veitch Memorial Medal for services to horticulture. 

Brooklyn Botanic Garden was a very enjoyable experience, helped by an excellent plant collection and well maintained areas. It is a garden well worth visiting if you happen to be in the Brooklyn area and is highly recommended.

Tom King, New York, 14.05.15