Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Brooklyn

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The gardens are a wonderful place to find yourself in. Although not as big as the New York Botanical Gardens, they still deserve a visit. As a child I would visit the gardens on special occasions, usually Easter or for Mother’s Day. The gardens weren’t of special interest to us children (who wanted to see plants anyway, what fun was that?), but my mother loved the roses and made it a point to drag us there yearly.

When I became a mother I made a trek here to take my daughter to give her the same experiences I had, and she felt the same way I did, it’s a place you learn to appreciate as you get older.

Recently I made a special trip to my old neighborhood and paid a visit to the gardens. I love flowers and gardens. Thank you MOM!! And paying a visit to a place that brought back childhood memories was very exciting.

I smells of the flowers showered me with so many thoughts, mostly of my mother and our visits to the gardens with her. I enjoyed being at the gardens with Ferni, especially on a beautiful day where you can just walk around and soak in all the beauty.

The gardens are romantic and its a wonderful place to spend a rare peaceful few hours with Ferni without work interruptions. We wandered around for a bit...enjoying a little picnic, taking a little nap on the grass and spending time together.

There are also many different gardens to explore here, but one of my favorites is the Japanese Garden with its pond full of Kois and turtles and the beatiful bridges.

Admisssion Fees:

$8 for adults, $4 for seniors over 65 and students with ID and children under 12 are free. Seniors are free on Fridays and free for the public on Tuesday and before noon on Saturdays.

Operating hours:

March 9–October 31 - Tuesday–Friday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends and holidays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Closed Monday (open holiday Mondays, except Labor Day)

November 1–March 8 - Tuesday–Friday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weekends and holidays: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day (open holiday Mondays)

The gardens are quite large, over 50 acres so give yourself a few hours to soak everything in. There is a large rose garden, apple blossoms, rock garden, children's garden, and a huge japanese garden to name a few of the areas to visit. There are also 3 large greenhouses that have different "climates" to showcase other species.

Do not forget your CAMERA! There are hundreds of elements to capture here, so many types of plants I couldn't imagine.

The hours vary by season, so make sure to check the website. We were there in September which had barely anyone there. I felt like we had the whole place to ourselves for frolicking :)

This is a beautiful garden with many different types of plants. I went there to take pictures for my friends wedding, and they all came out stunning. You can wander around the many different areas, including the Japanese Tea Gardens, and enjoy the nature around you.

The Garden is free to the public on Saturdays 10:00–12:00, and on Tuesdays, all day.
Closed Mondays. Combined tickets available for for the Gardens and the Brooklyn Museum of Art!

Make sure to check out the Shakespeare Garden. Lines from different plays and sonnets are cited and corresponding herbs and plants are pointed out. Typical British plants abound, with some additions. A must for Bard Buffs!

See my travelogue for amazing photos of the blue bells and other areas. They smell so sweet!

Every spring in the Brooklyn Botanical garden theres a festival marking the blossoming of the Cherry trees. You can sit under the pink canopy drinking beers and snacking on crappy Japanese snacks. Performances of traditional Japanese dance and music lays down a soundtrack. It usually happens in late April to early May lasting throughout one week end. Get here early if your coming for the festival, the lines get real beefy by noon. In Japan as the Cherry Blossom wave sweeps across the islands everyone hits their favorite viewing spot and does much the same.

The best time to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is May- September. Just imagine this huge place full of flowers, bushes, and trees. A walk through the garden is so romantic and relaxing. In some areas of the BBG you can lay on the grass, to read a book, chat with friends, and even get some tan on the sunny days.
Believe it not, taking pictures I finished a set of batteries which is usually enough for many many days. Make sure you don’t make this mistake.
To see every single corner of this big place will take you about 2-3 hours, worth every minute!!!!!
Free guided tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays at 1p.m.
For groups you can schedule a guided tour by calling 718-623-7270
I wouldn’t suggest you to visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden during the Winter time, all this colorful beauty won’t be there for you, all you’ll see is trees covered with snow.
Admissions:
Adults $5
Students $3
Free- Tuesdays and 10am to noon on Saturdays.
See more information about the places to visit in the travelogue.
Open hours:
April-September
Tuesday-Friday: 8 am to 6 pm
Weekends and holidays: 10 am to 6 pm
Closed Monday (open holiday Mondays, except for Labor Day)
October-March
Tuesday-Friday: 8 am to 4:30 pm
Weekends and holidays: 10 am to 4:30 pm
Closed Monday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day (open holiday Mondays)

Beautiful gardens with much to stroll through. Great way to spend a sunny afternoon. The Cherry Blossoms blooming in the spring are one of the best times to visit(see pic). Though if you visit in May, the Lilac Gardens are beyond beautiful and smell fantastic.