The Beautiful Sights at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is one of New York City's largest and most beautiful parks. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located in Brooklyn adjacent to Prospect Park and near Grand Army Plaza. Along with the Bronx Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden makes up a beautiful part of New York's extensive parks department. The gardens are 52 acres and contain several permanent exhibits.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden was founded in 1910. The Cranford Rose Garden is one of the oldest exhibits, created in 1928. The Garden features thousands of different varieties of roses, many of which descend from the original 650 parent bushes. When the flowers are in bloom, the garden is a fragrant and ethereal attraction. Bushes line the flag stone paths and vines climb the lattice work and arches giving the garden a cultivated yet somewhat wild aspect. In addition, to its considerable visual appeal the garden is a wonderful display for learning all about the horticultural development of the most famous of all flowers.

The Cranford Rose Garden may be a vibrant intaglio of red, white and pink flowers but the bluebell wood is dedicated to another color, blue. The bluebell wood is a vast field of bluish-lavender bluebell flowers that are planted in the shade of mature oak, beech and birch trees. In May, when the bluebells flower the garden, it is a breath taking display of azure petals.

When you think of spring time, the first thing that probably comes to mind are the white, red and pink blossoms on fruit trees. The Cherry Esplanade at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a riot of color in the spring time. The trees were a gift from the Japanese government following World War I. The Cherry Esplanade is a wide glade of Oriental Cherry trees, which typically live less than 30 years. Leading away from the esplanade is the Cherry Walk, a tree lined path that leads to the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Walking through the glade of trees brings about a peaceful and contemplative feeling ideal for meditation.

The Japanese Garden is a must see in any tour of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Japanese Garden was built according to the design of famed Japanese landscaper Takeo Shiota and is one of the largest Japanese gardens outside of Japan. The garden contains many of the elements typical to Japanese landscape architecture, such as wooden step bridges, stone lanterns and meticulously manicured trees, bushes and rock gardens. A walk through the Japanese garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens can feel like something out of a Monet painting. The blending elements of land, water and growing plants is a wondrous mosaic of design and nature.

Another fascinating attraction of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is the Shakespeare Garden. Created by an endowment from Henry C. Folger-founder of the Folger Shakespeare Library-the Shakespeare Garden is an array of plants that are mentioned in William Shakespeare's plays. Many of these plants are beautiful wild or cultivated flowers while other plants are more prosaic in appearance but are known for their medicinal properties. The Shakespeare Garden is in the cottage garden style, which is a free form style of gardening that was common in English gardens. This style of gardening gives the Shakespeare garden a particularly quaint aspect. During summer time the benches of the Shakespeare garden are a great place to sit and look at the flowers swaying in the breeze of listen to the hum of insects.

The Herb Garden offers an alternative to the opulent displays of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's other exhibits. The herb garden contains thousands of varieties of herbs that have been used historically in medicines and cooking. The fragrances that emanate from this garden are almost intoxicating. The herb garden is an excellent complement to the Shakespeare Garden as Shakespeare frequently discussed the properties of various herbs in the formulation of potions and poisons such as in the famous speech of Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. The herb garden has many important lessons to teach about the pharmacological and culinary aspects of various plants.

In addition, to these fascinating and beautiful exhibits, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden often has temporary exhibits such as exhibitions of rare orchids or imported exotic plants. The garden also has walking tours and classes designed to teach people about plants. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a relaxing alternative to visiting a crowded museum or zoo in America's largest city. The hours are seasonal and admission is $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for seniors and children over 12. Kids under 12 are free.