Photo Jessica Gordon Ryan and The Entertaining House

We've been members for a few years now. I grew up in Manhattan and have lived in and around the New York City area all of my life. It was not until recently that I took my first trip with my children, hand in hand. We love it there. And while some children, boys especially, may balk at the mere mention of the word "flower" (thank goodness mine do not) there's so much more to the gardens. I give my children cameras to bring with them. They can use their own iPhones/iPods, a small point and shoot or a DSLR. With thanks to social media, children love photography. My youngest, 9 took spectacular pictures with his iPod and posted them on Instagram. Photography is a perfect art medium for children - it helps them (adults as well) to see things in a different light and to slow down. More often than not, they're quite pleased with their pictures, whereas with paper and pen, or brush and pen, children are often frustrated with their efforts and their results. Ordinarily children rush through things - exhibits, gardens, and the like; this is quite common. Yesterday, armed with their photo-taking devices, the children each took their time to slowly wander, to appreciate, to soak in each detail, the colors, and the sheer beauty of it all.

My 9 year old captured this image with my Canon DSLR fitted with a 75-300 zoom. As we made our way back to our car we ran into this little guy who was completely unimpressed with our cameras practically poking him in the face! He was happy as can be munching away at our feet!

Before we left we made a quick stop at the Haunted Pumpkin Garden. These two characters greeted us as we entered. Don't they remind you a little of Bert and Ernie?!

The property of the New York Botanical Gardens is enormous. We walked for hours and hours yesterday, seeing parts we'd never seen before, including the spectacular Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden. What a treat... what a find! So if you're looking for something to do today, and you're in the NY area and you're looking for something to do other than apple and pumpkin picking, this should be at the top of your list!

What to do in New York :: The New York Botanical Gardens