Visit the Edible Garden at New York Botanical Garden

Here’s a neat one. From now through September 13, the New York Botanical Garden is combining agriculture and education with every red-blooded American’s favorite pastime: eating. They call it The Edible Garden. If you live in New York or even New Jersey, or if you’re traveling in sometime over the summer, don’t miss this one-of-a-kind attraction.

Quick background: the New York Botanical Garden is located in the Bronx and is acclaimed for the quality and variety of its grounds, programs and facilities. Guests explore up to 50 gardens, collections and exhibits depending on the season. Perennial favorites (pun intended) include the Rock Garden, the Forest (dense with 100+ year old trees) and when the time is right, the fall foliage. At 250 acres, there’s a lot to see.

There’s also a diverse schedule of special exhibits, and right now we’re all about The Edible Garden. Nothing short of mouthwatering, this unique exhibit aims to inspire the amateur gardener in you. You learn basic gardening techniques, how to the get the most out of a home garden, lessons on sustainability and what/when to plant, and of course, what to do with your bounty.

One thing we love about The Edible Garden is how well it uses this awesome setting. Trust me, we’re not sending you to stew in some uncomfortable seminar. Exhibits are located throughout the gardens. You can even take a tour of the entire grounds focused on the edible inhabitants, whether fruits and vegetables or even flowers and tree bark.

There are dozens of events within the event as well. The Haupte Conservatory will host several cooking demonstrations over the summer. For something even more special, plan to drop in Thursdays for “Edible Evenings”, a series of special demonstrations hosted by celebrity chefs and local restaurateurs. The first event is tonight, but I’d wait until July 30 for a class on fresh summer desserts hosted by Sara Moulton.

These seminars are joined by daily and one-time events spread out over the course of the program, so be sure to check the schedule before you go.

The only downside of The Edible Garden is that ticketing is a bit complicated. There are several options, but basically it’s $20 for general admission, $35 for VIP admission which earns you select seating at some events. The details of what you get, as well as event hours, differ from weekdays to weekends as well, but only slightly. You can also visit just the grounds at the standard admission price of $6.

Learn more about The Edible Garden here.
Learn more about the New York Botanical Garden here.

We’re doing something a little different this time and staying across the river in Englewood, New Jersey. Why? Affordability is one good reason. Not only are the rates much better than you’d find in a Manhattan or Bronx hotel of comparable quality, you usually enjoy additional perks like free parking and a laidback atmosphere. Besides, from Englewood it’s just a few miles to the Gardens.

We like the Crowne Plaza Englewood Hotel. Check out there “Stimulus Package” for even more savings.

Have fun, and be healthy!

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