TND West

It’s April and the magnolias are in bloom in Brooklyn and I’m fortunate enough to be staying at a New York USA Hotel at the moment, so off I go to Brooklyn’s Botanical Garden. All I had to do is follow my nose once I arrived on street level from the subway. Magnolia’s are sweetly scented and the Garden boasts of a Magnolia Plaza with 17 different varieties.

I found Magnolia Plaza to be a very elegant and formal garden. There where magnificent trees spread in front of the beaux arts Administration Building. The flowery aroma and the beautifully display of blossoms is a good sign that’s it’s spring. March, the magnolia bloom and cover the trees in a lacy white flower, but in April the Magnolia Plaza is loaded with splashes of yellow, ivory, pink and purple. They had another collection called the sweet-bay magnolia which releases it’s fragrant and flowers in June.

I was really in heaven strolling along Magnolia Plaza and getting to see a new hybrid called the Elizabeth. It was developed to be a vigorous tree that produces a yellow flower and easy to grow and handle with home gardeners. I also got to go on a guided tour and learned the history of the Magnolia Plaza. It was first planted in 1932, which included 80 magnolias, and was designed by Harold Caparn, landscape architect from 1912 to 1945. In 1933, an armillary sphere and a compass were added to Magnolia Plaza. The sphere is made completely of bronze and represents the celestial circles and constellations. Then a bronze gnomon goes through the center of the sphere which points north and casts a shadow inside the sphere which is used to tell time. It was also decided during this time that only trees and shrubs from the Magnolia family will be planted at the plaza.

I wish I could build my home here and have the Magnolia Plaza as my emulate backyard, but, in reality I only get this one day to enjoy a true treasure for magnolia enthusiast such as me.

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