Why Brooklyn Botanic Garden is Worth a Visit – Especially in the Spring
If you’re looking for a beautiful, leisurely way to spend an afternoon in New York City, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a great way to do it – especially in the spring. With cherry blossoms, tulips, and many other flowering trees and plants at their peak, you’ll get to see some stunning colors, that by itself, is absolutely worth a visit.
By now, you know my love of nature, any time of year, which is why we try to visit BBG at least once every season. But this spring the vibrant display of color seemed exceptional. Maybe our timing was perfect for the famous cherry blossoms and tulips, or maybe I was just in need of a spectacular spring day and some time in nature. But if you find yourself in NYC, make some time to visit. I promise you it won’t disappoint.
Where is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
BBG is located next to Prospect Park and the Grand Army Plaza and sandwiched between Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway in the center of Brooklyn. It’s right next to Brooklyn Heights.
You can get to BBG easily by subway (Prospect Park station). If you prefer, a short cab or Uber ride from Manhattan will also get you there. There are also Citibike stations nearby.
How much time do I need to spend at Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
You can plan your visit according to how much time you have. But I would plan for at least two hours. Here’s a helpful map for the BBG for planning your visit.
The many different gardens are located on 52 acres. One of my favorite things about it is that is large enough to spend an afternoon but it’s also very manageable. In comparison, the New York Botanical Garden is 250 acres and can be a bit overwhelming on your first visit.
There is a pathway that winds around the entire garden and takes you by most of the exhibits. You can stop and spend time at the ones that interest you the most. Depending on the time of year and when you’re visiting, they also have some special exhibitions that can include live performances. On the day we visited this spring there was some Japanese dancing and music in the area BBG calls Japanese Hill. It’s close to all of the cherry blossoms that were in full bloom.
What will I see in the spring?
A beautiful sunny day in spring is my favorite season for visiting BBG. Everything seems to be at some stage of coming to life. This year is the most colorful year I remember.
Early spring
Weeping Higan cherry blossoms are usually the first to bloom in early spring. Then the famous Japanese Shashino ornamental cherry blossoms come next.
Be sure to check out Magnolia Plaza and see all the varieties and colors in full bloom. Next to the plaza is Daffodil Hill, and you’ll see the many shapes, sizes, and colors of daffodils.
You’ll also see a lot of hellebores and spring flowers all throughout the gardens.
The highlight for us was the Annual Border on Lily Pool Terrace which is their annual display of spring bulbs. This year the highlight was the collection of tulips. I saw varieties and colors that I’d never seen before. And the colors were so vibrant you could hardly believe they were real. They were nothing short of stunning!
Late spring
The peony collection usually blooms in early to mid-May. Unfortunately, we didn’t see it. But we did see a lot of wisteria, bluebells, Spanish bluebells, lilacs, and more cherry blossoms.
What will I find in the other seasons of the year?
Summer
The summer months are when the Water Garden and wetlands really come to life. You’ll see a lot of dragonflies that live on the pond. You also might see frogs, ducks, herons, and other wildlife. Summer also brings the blooming of the roses so you won’t want to miss the Cranford Rose Garden. The original roses were planted way back in 1927 and many of them are still blooming today.
Fall
If you’d like to see fall foliage at its peak, there’s no better place to see it than the BBG. Starting around October you see the entire gardens start to change colors. Orange, red, and golden leaves are everywhere. You’ll also find my favorite tree, the Ginko, and see the green leaves change to yellow.
Winter
Several indoor exhibitions provide an escape from those cold New York winters like the aquatic house that features tropical plants and hundreds of tropical orchids that grow on tree trunks, the greenhouse with tropical fruits and flowers, and the conservatory featuring a desert pavilion. The best time to see these is during the day. But as the sun sets and the sky darkens, the annual Lightscape steals the show and captures the magic of the holiday season. Each year’s design is different.
Only the main path that leads around BBG is open at night for the Lightscape but there are places where people of all ages can grab a treat, a snack, or something to drink. There are lighted sculptures, color light effects on BBG’s trees and architecture, water features, and special music created for the event. It’s really something special to see.
No matter what season you decide to visit, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers a beautiful and inspiring experience. Whether you see the Lightscape for the holidays or the cherry blossom in spring, you definitely will not leave Brooklyn disappointed that you made the time to visit.
Make sure to stop by Terrain at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a Terrain store! You can even visit the shop wihtout a ticket. They have a little of everything! Lots of plants and pots in all sizes. You could even make a terrarium.
You’ll find gardening supplies, candles, dishes and linens. It’s a beautful shop and the staff is so helpful. Below are a few of my favrorites!
