Description of the attraction
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens are over a hundred years old - it was founded in 1910. Then a park appeared on the former swampy wastelands, which has now become one of the most beautiful in New York.
It owes its appearance to the landscape designer Harold Kaparn, who began working on the local landscape in 1912 and continued to do so for over 32 years, adding some sections and remodeling others.
Now it is better for a tourist to take a free card at the entrance in order to plan a walk and not get lost on 21 hectares of various flower beds and pavilions (there are thirteen gardens, five greenhouses). You can't take food with you (only water and baby food), you can only eat in a cafe, so you can't have a picnic - besides, you can't sit on the grass either.
However, in one place you can: on the Cherry Esplanade. Here, on a lawn of eight types of grasses, visitors can enjoy the spring cherry blossoms. More than two hundred trees of forty-two species of Asian cherry blossom from late March - early April to mid-May. This is one of the most prominent hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots outside of Japan.
The oriental theme continues in the Japanese garden created in 1915. This acclaimed masterpiece by Japanese landscape designer Takeo Shiota contains hills, a waterfall, a pond with islands - everything is artificial, but looks, as it should be, graceful and elegant. Among the architectural elements of the garden are humpbacked wooden bridges, stone lanterns, an observation pavilion and a Shinto shrine.
Another popular attraction here is the rose garden. In his collection, one of the largest in North America, over a thousand species of roses are cultivated. In June, when they are in full bloom, tens of thousands of flowers not only delight the eye in ordinary flower beds, but also cascade down from arches, twine around trellises, and climb pavilions. The aroma here at this time is delicious.
Smell and touch are especially important for visitors to the so-called scent garden. Of course, anyone can enter, but basically the garden is intended for the blind and visually impaired. All information signs are made in Braille, guests are invited to smell the fragrant leaves and flowers, touch and even rub them between their fingers. All the plants are planted at such a height that a person in a wheelchair can easily reach them, and in the peacefully babbling fountain, you can wash your hands.
Among the many other sections containing more than 12 thousand plants from all over the world (lotuses, orchids, cacti, bonsai, magnolias, palms - just not to list), there is one especially interesting. This is Shakespeare's garden. The charming English cottage-style garden is home to over 80 plants mentioned by Shakespeare in poetry and plays. The tablets contain the corresponding quotes: you can simultaneously admire the flowers and remember the great poet.
