Even an Urban Spring is Pretty Impressive: Check Out the Botanical Garden

Even in New York City, it’s possible to appreciate spring, in the parks, window boxes, and even small areas on streets where trees are in bloom.
But if you really want to appreciate it, a trip to the New York Botanical Garden may be in order.
For starters, you can catch the Orchid show before it closes on Sunday (“The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower.”) It looks at the exotic tropical flowers of Old Havana.
Also there through Sunday: “The Presence of Trees: An Exhibition of Photography” by Larry Lederman. The images on display were taken mainly at the Botanical Garden as well as in Westchester; it’s in the Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery.
Opening on April 16, check out the 4th Annual Auricula Theater of Primroses, where primroses galore will be ablaze in the Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden. The Auricula is a type of primrose with amazing flowers—presenting them is a tradition that goes back to 17th Century England. The show closes May 9, 2010.
Coming up at the end of the month: “Emily Dickinson’s Garden: the Poetry of Flowers” (April 30-June 13, 2010.) Spread across 250 acres, the exhibition offers a look at Dickinson’s love for nature, as well as her life story.
All this, of course, is in addition to ongoing permanent collections and programs, from the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden to a Home Gardening Center and displays of flowering cherry trees (catch them before they’re gone!)
The New York Botanical Garden is at the Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road. Call (718) 817-8700 for more information, or log onto their website at nybg.org.

Spring is in the Air--And Especially, at Macy's

Spring has officially been around for a week now, but even though you may not be able to tell by the temperature outside, all you have to do is wander by Macy's on Herald Square (151 West 34th Street; 212 695-4400) for the annual flower show, which runs through April 11.
Kicking off today, the main branch of the famous department store will play host to 30,000 varieties of trees, flowers and plants from around the globe.
Although not quite as famous as the store's Thanksgiving Day Parade, it’s a traditional harbinger of spring in the city, and a must-see for garden fans.
The theme, “Spring is in the Air,” honors both city gardens as well as tropical locales, and free 20-minutes guided tours will be offered every half hour between 11 am and 4 pm for those who wish more of an up-close experience.
Keep your eyes on the skies (or at least the ceiling) when you’re at the show—hot air balloons holding floral displays, biplanes (a traditional sign of spring?), and kites will waft through the air. The show features 10 different garden areas, including topiary and palm sections. You can also check out designer areas inspired by gardens and flowers, such as “tablescapes" (the rest of us may know them as place settings), and even the Colonial Williamsburg Pleasure Garden in The Cellar, which features gardening tools and herbs used in the 18th century.
Storytelling, seminars, and lectures are among the events offered in conjunction with the show, such as today’s floral arrangement presentation at 1 pm.
Flower shows are also taking place at other Macy’s around the country, including ones in Philadelphia, Minneapolis (face it: they need it even more than we do) Chicago, and San Francisco.