Border Patrol July 17-22 2009
of The Seasonal Walk Saga
By Tovah Martin
Time to Savor
No one rushes through the Seasonal Walk right now. Instead, they savor it. New Yorkers of all strokes – from plant aficionados to casual strollers with toddlers in tow – meander slowly, fishing out cameras from pockets or backpacks, pointing, admiring. They’re taking photos of the flowers, to be sure, but the wildlife also holds them transfixed. Abuzz with bumblebees and swallowtails, the Seasonal Walk is alive with industry. Heaven knows, the Big Apple is accustomed to witnessing the bustle and hum of hard work, but they’re not so familiar with business of the flying kind. They are entranced. And the Seasonal Walk is filled with fodder for pollinators and plant-people alike.
But first, visitors to the New York Botanical Garden have to take a scenic detour. They’ve got to deviate away from the main pathway that sends them to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, gift shop, cafes, etc. And it’s the Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Jewel’ that pulls them off the main concourse like a magnet right now. Of the most uncommon color, ‘Green Jewel’ lights up the scene with a luminescent electricity. It’s green, it’s yellow, it’s chartreuse, it’s a combination of all of the above. It’s like no flower that you’ve ever encountered. It calls attention to itself, to be sure, but it also complements its compatriots. And sprinkled throughout the long border, it’s particularly effective as a punctuation mark. Piet Oudolf proves again that throwing in a wild card periodically is the way to go. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it shock appeal, but ‘Green Jewel’ definitely gives the garden an edge.
