copyright © Paul Glattstein 2009
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Kiku in the Japanese Autumn Garden at the New York Botanical Garden
A dreary day. Rain, again. Overcast skies with alternating water droplets and spitting mist. This evening is the private viewing of this year's Japanese Autumn Garden festival at the New York Botanical Garden. Kiku, chrysanthemums, trained for nearly a year in the Imperial Japanese style. Japanese maples, Acer palmatum, in their blazing autumn colors. Bonsai, outdoors in the conservatory courtyard and on display in the exhibition gallery. I want to go, just on tenterhooks about an outdoor event in soggy weather. An additional inducement - this is the third and last year for this event. Renovation are planned for the conservatory, which has been in constant use since the last refurbishment in the 1990s. That's it. I'm going.
Off we go at 3:00 p.m. That will get us there about an hour ahead of most people, with a chance for photographs before the 6:00 p.m. opening.
copyright © Paul Glattstein 2009
The conservatory dome, water lily pool, and the uwaya of cascade style chrysanthemums.
The cool weather has brought out intense color of momi-ji, Japanese maples.
Wind and rain have taken some leaves off their branches and sent them tumbling down.
Embellishing a pot of golden kiku.
Simple in appearance, the pillar chrysanthemums have long flexible shoots wound around
a columnar form that not only creates the shape but supports them against the wind.
Cascading like a peacocks tail, kengai-giku style chrysanthemums display in showers of flowers.
Always impressive, ozikuri, thousand blossom style. Each - pink, white, and yellow - are just a single plant.
Someone must have counted. There's a note by the pink one: 186 flowers.
As Paul and I stroll around the water lily pool my attention is drawn
to rain droplets, shimmering like moonstones on water lily leaves.
Indoors, for some refreshments. There are several stations with sushi and vegetables,
various dips and crisp crackers. I used one as a plate to hold sushi, one at a time.
Music. A flautist or maybe her instrument is a Japanese recorder, lost in her music and the plants.
There's another, playing in amid the bonsai in the gallery, and two koto players in the Palm Court.
Warmed and refreshed, Paul and I venture outdoors to view more kiku, unique flowers and styles.
Shino-tsukuri, driving rain style, is created with old fashioned Edo chrysanthemums
which have three kinds of petals: some are flat, others rounded and quill-like, others
open at the tip, like a little spoon. The flat center petals swirl, curl inward as the flower ages.
Colors change. "Season of Kerria" shifts from tawny orange, to yellow, to pinkish buff
while aptly named "Snow on Distant Mountain" is as pristine as newly fallen snowflakes.
Exotic spider chrysanthemums extend their ribbon-like petals in a firework display.
What sunlight there was, hidden behind clouds, is gone with the night. Time to head homeward.
Very glad we came. There's still time for another visit, for me and for you. Japanese Autumn Garden
is open through November 15. The displays will be refurbished with other chrysanthemums in the wings
awaiting their turn on display, such as this uwaya of ogiku with one super-size flower to each plant.
Come before November 15, or your only option will be a trip to Japan in chrysanthemum season.
Back to October 2009