Flower Power!

January 23, 2013 1:03 PM

It's winter! And I need spring, summer, fall....heck, any other season than winter! I want to spend some time with flowers. I am looking for places, specifically in the NYC metro area where I can sit with a group of flowers: maybe an indoor garden/nursery, or a flower show....or some crazy field that has flowers growing in the dead of winter (I know!) I do not want to buy flowers and watch them die in my apartment. Do you know of anywhere that I can sit and commune with flowers? Thanks!
posted by Hydrofiend to Society & Culture (10 answers total)

The New York Botanical garden has a glass-house Conservatory, and also seems to be running something called "Tropical Paradise" right now that should be full of Flowers.
posted by brainmouse at 1:07 PM on January 23, 2013 [2 favorites]

You want the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
posted by chowflap at 1:07 PM on January 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

If you can wait and watch for 3-4 weeks, you can grow your own very easily and cheaply. Paperwhites will fragrance your whole room, too. The shoots grow so fast you can practically watch them. It's much more uplifting than, like you said, buying flowers and watching them die.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:08 PM on January 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone so far! I live literally walking distance to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens...duh!
@fiercecupcake: Although I get daylight in my apartment, I do not get a lot of sunlight. Do paperwhites need direct sunlight?
posted by Hydrofiend at 1:37 PM on January 23, 2013

You might want to also check out museums -- I know the Metropolitan Museum has an entire department tasked with the job of creating flower arrangements for their various galleries. The period rooms might be just what you're after. There's also a Japanese teahouse in the Asian Wing with an indoor garden, if memory serves.
posted by Sara C. at 1:53 PM on January 23, 2013

There's also a Japanese teahouse in the Asian Wing with an indoor garden, if memory serves.
There's Astor Court. Has a water fountain- it's lovely. Also lovely (has a water feature, but not flowers or plants that I remember) is Nur Al-Din Room in the Islamic Art area, although you can't go into it in quite the same way as Astor Court. Still worth a peek if you're at the Met, though.
posted by lyra4 at 2:57 PM on January 23, 2013

It's not for a while (and only in the NYC area in a very wide sense), but the most amazing flower show EVER is the Philadelphia Flower Show. It's the first weekend in March, and it is *HUGE*. And so full of flowers! I think you would love it (more flowers than one could ever need!), if it's doable for you to get down there.
posted by lysimache at 3:56 PM on January 23, 2013

You can go to the Butterfly Conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History. In addition to the live butterflies, there are plants, and it is warm.

Also seconding growing something like paperwhite bulbs indoors (my mother-in-law always had them in New England in the winter, growing in bowls with pebbles.) If the light in your place is not great you can supplement with artificial light.

Finally, really seconding the Philadelphia Flower Show. It is fantastic. Some photos of the 2012 show here.
posted by gudrun at 6:30 PM on January 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

My paperwhites never get direct light; they're in a south window in a shallow bowl full of dollar-store river rocks. They're fairly entertaining; they root really quickly and once the tops get going you can practically watch them grow. I love how they smell (which is funny, because my mom always grows them and when I was little I thought they stunk).
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:59 PM on January 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Paid a visit to the BK Botanic Gardens today and as an extra bonus, they had paperwhite bulbs! They're going in water right now....
posted by Hydrofiend at 9:44 AM on January 29, 2013 [1 favorite]