Spring Has Sprung at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Wisteria is most often found out in the garden, climbing up walls or curling between latices– but it can also be a lovely addition to bouquets. Its draping lantern shape adds volume to larger arrangements, filling them out and imbuing them with scent.

Unfortunately, wisteria’s place is mostly in the garden– cut wisteria doesn’t survive very long, which is why you’re unlikely to see it at your local flower shop. Your best bet is to simply take a few clippings from the yard– read more tips on how to care for this lovely bloom in our Ask Ella series, here.

Catch BBG’s burgeoning blossoms at their best and other highlights of the season in this free Garden-wide guided walk. The next Seasonal Highlights Tour takes place on Friday, May 5th from 1 to 2 PM– but check the garden’s website for an update on the latest and greatest events and programming.

Cherry Blossoms are not only the national flower of Japan, but an enduring symbol of diplomatic relations between Japan and the united states (the iconic cherry blossom esplanade in Washington, D.C., for example, were donated to the U.S. government by Japanese diplomats). The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual Sakura Matsuri festival is just one of several cherry blossom festivals that occur all over the world, but each celebration is unique to the community and country where it takes place.

If last weekend’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival proved anything, it’s that people love cherry blossoms. Head over to the garden’s Cherry Blossom Esplanade sometime in the next two weeks to catch the blooms–an enduring symbol of spring– before they disappear for the season. The lilacs and peonies are also worth taking a gander (and a sniff).

Peonies might just be everyone’s favorite flower– and the tree peonies at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden are miraculous when in bloom (be sure to head over sometime in the next two weeks or you’ll miss them!)

This gorgeous, widely-blooming pink flower is native to Asia and is named after Paeon, a student of Ascelpius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Today, peonies are a favorite among hobbyists and florists alike, and they are relatively easy to maintain when cut.

A bouquet of peonies like this one is best preserved by taking care of the plant from the stage of purchase onward. It’s best to buy peonies when they are still in bud stage, and they should be placed in a vase with room temperature (not warm) water. Cut about an inch off the end of the stem before placing in a vase, and remove any foliage that would fall beneath the water line (which should be below the half-way mark of the stem, about 4″ tall). Thereafter, be sure to clean and re-fill the vase with water at least every other day in order to extend the “shelf life” and enjoy the entire cycle of blooming that this gorgeous flower has to offer. Find more peony tips in our Ask Ella series.

Blue flowers represent serenity and have a calming effect on the recipient. Early spring blooms of this hue often function beautifully in spring bouquets– whether as a gift to a friend, mother, or lover. (Think about that the next time you buy flowers for a stressed-out friend!)

Originating in Persia, lilac is a well-loved flower, long cherished for both its soft appearance and its potent perfume. Puritans brought lilacs to America from Europe, and both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew the fragrant plant in their personal gardens, which has subsequently made it’s beautiful purple blooms synonymous with mid-Atlantic gardens in the spring.

In addition to its beauty in a bouquet, French Lilac (a cultivar of lilac) has been revered as a powerful healing plant and has shown promise for use in the treatment of diabetes in commercial medicines today. Lilac is also used less formally in aromatherapy to relieve anxiety and stress, and can of course be eaten in a number of ways (we love dusting a few blossoms over cakes).

Unfortunately, lilacs are also infamous for being a short-lived plant when cut. To keep them looking fresh, Ella recommends recutting and opening up the base of the lilac’s stems before placing them in an arrangement. While you can scratch the bottoms using a knife as you do with hydrangeas, Ella advises upgrading to a hammer, as lilacs tend to have a woodier stem that is more difficult to open up (smash about an inch of stem). Ella also suggests starting the lilac off with a shock therapy treatment as soon as you arrive home, rather than waiting until it begins to wilt. Read more tips on caring for cut lilacs here.