Did you hear? Global warming's a hoax! The first cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden have bloomed! Thanks to their handy CherryWatch map, we can see that the first bloom has arrived. You're welcome, people who were looking for wholesome first date ideas. more ›

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's web manager Dave Allen has taken to timelapsing different areas of the space. Today he's released a new one of the Lily Pool Terrace (in the past he's given the same treatment to the cherry blossoms and the Cranford Rose Garden). He writes: more ›

Usually we don't see cherry blossoms until April or May in these parts... but today the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is reporting that some of their cherry trees are in bloom right now. Yes, in December! more ›

According to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is lookin' pretty good right about now. They write: "Right now the Native Flora Garden is at the apex of its autumnal display. The maples are just starting to turn in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, and at the start of Cherry Walk, the air is perfumed with the delicious caramel scent of Cercidiphyllum japonicum, or katsura tree. Even the Garden’s deciduous bonsai are showing their colors—in miniature." Get there before we settle into a winter of bare branches... and if you spot any colorful leaves in any of the five boroughs, send us your photos or tag them "Gothamist" on Flickr! more ›

This just in (therefore it didn't make it into our newsletter): tonight the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is going to school New Yorkers on how to manage the city's ratdemic! They say, "for centuries, humans and rats have contentiously shared our city, competing for prime real estate in subways, apartment buildings and green spaces. From traps to toxins, New Yorkers are known to use extreme measures to banish these unwanted rodents." more ›

Well, you can't really buy these houses, or rent them for that matter, but you can visit them! And that will just have to fulfill your fort-living fantasy. Environmental artist Patrick Dougherty has been at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden constructing these "branchwork sculpture," and he's been tracking the progress here. The final, site-specific sculpture will be finished by August 21st and will stand over the next year... as long as the material it's made from—all collected in Staten Island's Ocean Breeze Park—doesn't fully decay throughout the seasons. more ›

The winners have been announced for the 16th annual Greenest Block contest run by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Drum roll please: the Greenest Blocks in Brooklyn this year are in Flatbush and Boerum Hill! The residential first-place winner went to Vanderveer Place between Flatbush Avenue and East 23rd Street in Flatbush; the 2010 commercial first-place winner was declared Hoyt Street between State Street and Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill. The winners were announced at a press conference this morning held at Vanderveer Place, where those who received top place in the other categories were also on hand. more ›

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is readying for their Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival this weekend, but their star has already faded. The cherry blossom trees are now past peak, thanks to a burst of warm weather that prematurely pushed them to peak early on in the season. more ›

As we've already mentioned, the cherry blossoms have already been blooming around the city—but will their early arrival put a damper on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's annual Sakura Matsuri festival? The fest isn't until May 1st, but their map is showing that all of the trees are currently in peak bloom! After that, it's post peak doom, with petals only covering the ground. more ›

Signs of spring are showing up in our forecast, but check out what's showing up at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. They took the above photo of their Crocus Field today and Twittered: "Wow. Amazing what some sunshine can do to a once snow covered field near the Rock Garden." While crocuses typically thrive in late winter and early spring, it's still nice to see some flowers on the ground in place of snow. The Garden just suffered through a tough winter, even losing their century-old Cedar of Lebanon tree. more ›

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and recently the Bowery Boys took a look back at its history — which begins with an ash dump. They recall: "the Garden was created out of an ash dump, landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers (later of Fort Tryon fame), 'for the advancement and diffusion of a knowledge and love for plants.' The garden's patron saint is most certainly Alfred Tredway White... an enlightened Brooklyn tenement owner and philanthropist who lobbied for and later helped fund the garden's creation and maintenance." more ›

Congratulations to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for housing not one, but two champion trees. 1010 Wins reports that "The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has named two trees at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden state champions — meaning they are the largest of their species on record in the state." The Kansas hawthorn is 31' tall, and the Carolina holly is a whopping 35' tall. Together they are the first two trees in New York City to receive the honor, and they were presented their awards today. more ›

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden announced the Greenest Block in Brooklyn today! The contest has inspired locals since 1995 to get creative with their greens and clean up their blocks. Marty Markowitz was on hand at the ceremony this morning, declaring, "Brooklyn’s gardens—and stoops, planters, window boxes, and tree beds—are the greenest!" (And those stoops sure are nice to drink a nice glass of wine on.) more ›

It seems like the Cherry Blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden just started blooming, but now their map is showing the trees at peak bloom. Brownstoner points to the Garden's Twitter and notes "the recent heat wave has brought out the cherry blossoms slightly ahead of schedule." Last year we talked to the folks at BBG, who told us about the progression of the short viewing season, noting that "different cherries bloom at different times and the timing is all up to Mother Nature." more ›

Today Brooklyn Based has some tips on growing the perfect garden...on your fire escape. The site eases cases of outdoor space envy by saying, "If you’ve got window sills, a fire escape or a stoop, you’re two months away from homegrown tomatoes and morning glory vines." One commenter quickly sounded his safety whistle with warnings of such an urban escape being illegal—but it's certainly been done before. In fact, earlier this month SustainBlog had a list of vegetables one could grow on their fire escape. more ›

As well reported by now, New York's botanical gardens are facing massive budget cutbacks as part of Gov. Paterson's proposal, and the NY Times reports today that both the Queens and Bronx gardens have already been canceling programs. But now you've got a chance to help bail out the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. more ›

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has picked through the weeds for the 14th time, to find The Greenest Blocks in Brooklyn, and they announced the winners of the annual contest this morning. more ›

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has released another timelapse video; back in April the cherry blossoms took center stage, and now the roses are under the sped-up spotlight. more ›

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is holding its annual benefit Plant Sale, starting today and running through tomorrow. The sale is the largest of its kind in the Northeast and takes place on Cherry Esplanade (currently covered with pink petals). more ›