This past weekend I went on a tour of the Cornell Botanical Gardens. At this time of year, they are especially beautiful and the walk was a nice break during the beginning of prelim season. We had a very knowledgable guide who pointed out and explained so many interesting things about the history of the gardens. One of the places she mentioned was Barbara McClintock’s field and field house where the first jumping genes were identified. It was really cool to see a place where research was done that ultimately lead to a Nobel Prize. McClintock’s work at a time when women were not allowed to do that kind of research was inspiring, that with persistence, women can continue to made strides in science in the face of stereotypes and resistance. It was also a reminder of how diverse and talented the Cornell community can be and that the work we do here can have a real and meaningful impact on the world.

This past weekend I went on the Cornell Botanic Gardens tour and even though it’s a decent walk to get there, it was worth it. I had been a few times in the past but, not being a plant expert, didn’t really know what I was looking at. Having a tour guide there was a fantastic experience to get a sense of what these plants were used for in the past. For example, yarrow is a herb that was named for Achilles, who reportedly used it to promote the clotting of blood in the wounds of his soldiers. It has been known as a medicinal herb for a long time, and is still occasionally used today.

She also had a deep knowledge of the history of the gardens. One story in particular that I wasn’t aware of was the story of Barbara McClintock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_McClintock), who was a graduate of Cornell and won the Noble Prize in Medicine (one of only two women to do so solo) for her work on mobile genetic elements: what are colloquially called “jumping genes”. She was a role model for women interested in pursuing scientific research: at the time, her family thought it was more important for her to marry than to pursue research. And today, the original shed where she kept her gardening tools still stands in the gardens.

Last Saturday, I was completely charmed by the tour of Cornell’s Botanical Gardens. I was truly impressed with the variety of flowers, herbs, and trees that were displayed there. I had heard that the gardens were a nice place to visit, but I had no idea that they were so close to campus. I can certainly see myself walking over in the future to relax and admire the flowers.

I especially liked hearing facts and stories about the gardens from our tour guide. For example, I learned that beyond the paths that we visited, they actually manage over 3,400 acres of natural areas, including the area around Beebe Lake. I also enjoyed hearing about the history of the language of flowers. The symbolism has carried on for so long, and it seems incredible that a message can be sent with such detail. Each flower and each color can have powerful implications.

I assumed that the Botanical Gardens closed during the winter, so I was surprised to discover that, although most of the gardens are covered, the “Winter Garden” remains open. The Winter Garden includes an array of plants, bushes, and trees that look cheerful during the cold season. Some of the trees have branches that twist and curl to form fascinating shapes, and the bushes offer bright red berries.  I look forward to stopping by later this year and seeing exactly what the greenery looks like when dusted with snow.

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to go to the Botanic Gardens. Although it was my second time there, I had not yet had a guided tour of the gardens. So there was a lot that I learned. For instance, I had not even realized that there were banana plants right next to the welcome center until they were pointed out to me. I also learned about, and got to see, a unique evergreen–the only species like it–that has leaves instead of needles. When I had gone to the gardens before, I walked right past that tree, never realizing that there was anything special about it. Another facet that stood out to me was the lightning rods. In order to prevent the tall trees in the area from being struck by lightning–and potentially killed as a result–lightning rods had been installed at the tops of them. As I could not see the tops of these trees, I did not realize that these lightning rods were there until someone pointed out that there was a metal wire–to ground the lightning that hits the rod–running down the side of one of these trees. I found that to be such an intriguing idea.

I found the winter garden to be really interesting. When I had first gone to the Botanic Gardens, I had noticed that there was an area called the “Winter Garden,” and I was a little confused by the concept. It just looked like a bunch of trees to me. However these trees, being evergreens, along with the red berries on the trees, add color to the generally colorless winter environment. After learning more about it, I actually think that it is a pretty cool concept. I would like to visit during the winter to see what it looks like during the time it is designed to be viewed.

The visit to the Botanic Gardens was on a surprisingly warm day. Nevetheless, it didn’t matter, as this was my first time visiting in the two years that I had been at Cornell. The tour started off as expected, with our guide Betty showing us certain plants, flowers and aspects of the Botanic Gardens. Although we saw a lot of interesting features, I found the Robison York State Herb Garden to be the most unique. The air in that area was suffused with smells of different leaves and flowers.

For me, the word ‘herb’ usually brings food and cooking to mind. I expected to see a lot of thyme, rosemary and other common aromatic herbs but the garden was so much more diverse. It had 17 beds, each with a specific theme. The most interesting ones were the medicinal herbs and the herbs of the ancients.

The medicinal bed had a lot of unfamiliar herbs. Most are still very widely used as ingredients in the manufacture of medicines. Arnica was one such example, used to treat bruising and as pain relief.The herb I remember from the ‘herbs of the ancients’ bed was wormwood. It had a strong, pungent smell, which makes sense since it was used to protect wooden furniture against insects like ants.

The garden was a curiosity. I was only able to see a fraction of the plants there, which was unfortunate. I’ll probably visit the Botanic Gardens again in the near future, to explore the herb garden in its entirety.

To be completely frank, I didn’t expect much from the Cornell Botanic Gardens when I got there. It was hot, I was thirsty, and we had just trekked what felt like five miles across Central and North Campuses – featuring a surprise encounter with a squirmy garden snake along the way. I had chosen the event because I wanted a break from the stuffy libraries and poorly-ventilated classrooms I was used to. To me, plant science was a field I had always dismissed as “not for me.”  But as soon as we arrived, I was enveloped in every variety of the color green known to man, eye-to-eye with taro and banana plants that should not have existed in Ithaca but did. Suddenly, plant science didn’t seem so boring.

“You might wonder why we’re growing these here,” our tour guide, Shirley, said as she gestured to the tangle of tropical leaves and stems behind her. “Well, it’s because we can.”

And with that sentiment in our heads, we were off to explore the wild wonders of the Botanic Gardens. Although I hadn’t had much interest in any of the gardens when I’d briefly looked through the website, everything became much more impressive in person. In particular, the Robison York Herb Garden caught my interest, with its assortment of everything from sage to stevia to foxglove. In my anthropology class – Health and Disease in the Ancient World – we had just read a journal article on the medicinal practices of ancient Mesopotamia, in which the author noted that due to translational issues and inadequate plant remains, there was no way for modern humans to ever identify the many plants used in ancient medicinal remedies. Standing in front of herbs both all-too-familiar and completely unknown to me, I couldn’t help but wonder if any of those plants were the long-lost relatives of an ancient Mesopotamian cure-all.

The Young Flower Garden also held a surprise for me. On the far side of the garden from the entrance stood a collection of flowers commonly used for dyes, their vivid hues somehow managing to stand out in an already over-saturated environment of color. Surveying the various growths, a memory my mother once shared with me came to mind. Growing up in a rural village in China in the ’60s and ’70s, without many of the luxuries already common to every household in America, she and her friends would pick the bright orange flowers off a certain bush and wrap them around their fingernails as a natural alternative to nail polish. I wondered if any of the many bushes arranged along the fence was the very plant so integral to my mother’s childhood, and jotted down their names to translate into Chinese later. Unfortunately, my mother only knew the local slang name for the flower – and so another mystery faded away, unsolved.

As I’m writing this in the sleek, coldly modern Clark Atrium after my anthropology class, the thought I’d had going into the Botanic Gardens – that it would be a nice break from learning – seems incredibly naive to me. In fact, I’m now hyperaware of the long legacy of plant life on this planet, and the fact that certain plants – which existed thousands of miles away, tens and hundreds and thousands of years ago – could have made it all the way to Ithaca thanks to the gentle hands of Cornell plant biologists and botanists and various others.  Even more frustrating, the questions that come with that awareness have answers that have yet to be discovered, despite the great progress made by people around the world – and at Cornell – working to unlock the mysteries of plant genetics and evolution, hoping to uncover exactly how Mesopotamians treated skin rashes, or how certain crops affect the economies of rural villages. I’m still hopeful, though. Maybe someday, I’ll have the answer to one of my questions.

But alas, plants don’t tell their secrets that easily.

This past Saturday I attended the tour of the Botanic Gardens with Rose House. As someone who has a fascination with plant ecology, particularly wildflowers, I have explored the gardens by myself in the past. They truly are beautiful, and I would recommend anyone and everyone—even if it isn’t typically their sort of thing—check them out as soon as possible, especially while the weather is still so incredible. Touring the gardens with a guide, however, was an entirely new experience. Suffice to say, I hope I get the chance to do it again!

The biggest thing the tour provided me that exploring the gardens by myself didn’t was historical context. There is so much more culture surrounding the Botanical Gardens than I had realized, and even in the brief hour we spent there I feel as though I learned so much. For example, I learned that the house with all the ivy growing over it used to be a schoolhouse for children in the Ithaca community, and that frequently people will come back to visit and see the place they spent so much time in as a kid. I also learned that the first woman to be independently awarded the nobel prize in medicine was a Barbara McClintock, an instructor noted for her research in “jumping genes.” Also, I learned that two of the central garden beds were dedicated to women who, in life, were very close friends. In a sense, they are still together even in death, which I find charmingly poetic.

I really enjoyed the experience, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to attend this tour. I would also love to tour the wildflower garden at some point in the future—the Botanical Gardens are so much bigger than people realize, and there is still so much left to explore.

One of the first places I explored on campus was the botanic gardens. On move-in day my family decided they wanted to take a nice stroll around the garden. Going on a tour the second time around this past weekend, was a different experience than my first. I actually learned about the specific properties of the plants and flowers and took the time to stop and appreciate the variety of plants the garden has to offer. I was very fascinated by the scented plants, one of them being the lemon scented one. The most interesting information I learned about however, was the architecture of the welcome center. It is a gold rated LEEDs building meaning that it is built to be environment friendly. I was particularly impressed with how the building is kept cool without AC!

This trip to the botanical gardens served as a calming break from the busyness of school and work. I enjoyed taking the time to appreciate the nature we have here right on campus. I plan to go back to the garden in the winter time to see the winter garden portion with the various different pine trees.

Going on the tour of the Botanic Gardens was a great stress reliever for me and made me realize that I should make it a priority to spend more time in nature while at college. Back at home I visit my grandpa at his house in the country every weekend and go on hikes through the park almost every day. Nature is a big part of how I stay happy and calm and it acts as a break from the hectic nature of living in a city. Although I walk through nature as I go to class, I think it’s important for me to take a break every once in a while and dedicate time solely to focusing on and enjoying the environment around me. Going on a hike to the gardens and looking at the plants would be a great way excursion!

The tour of the botanical gardens was so informative. I have been running through the gardens to get to the trails in the arboretum, but I never realized that the field I’ve been running through was where Barbara McClintock grew the corn that helped her discover transposons. I also never knew that Cornell owned a quarry that a lot of the stone in not only the botanical garden but also in buildings like the Gothics came from. It was great to learn more about both the plants and Cornell history while enjoying the beautiful gardens and weather.

This Saturday we visited Cornell’s Botanic Gardens, which I vaguely knew existed, but had never visited. Though the walk there worked up a sweat, it was worth it once we arrived. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the gardens, and told us about how one of the buildings was sustainably designed so as to reach the “gold” level. I think the classification system was “Kerr’s”. As we continued through the gardens, we were shown Cornell’s “winter garden”, which is a nice green all throughout our long winters. About this time, I became aware of just how many bugs the garden attracted. Although I’m not exactly a huge bug fan, I was happy to see that lots of bees were getting use out of the herbs and flowers in the area.

Our guide showed us some of the herbs that used to be used in “cottage medicine”, and I was amazed to find out that a lot of the herbs are still used today. It makes me wonder how they discovered which herbs worked for what kinds of ailments in the past. As we passed through the herb garden, a really nice girl who was Plant Bio major showed us some of the more fragrant herbs. I was really impressed that she knew so much practical knowledge about the herbs, and even pointed out a couple of flowers that were actually comprised of many many tiny flowers. Overall, I’m really glad I visited and will be sure to go and enjoy a good book there once the weather cools down.

I had been meaning to go to the garden, but never got the push to walk all the way there (I am unfortunately incredibly lazy). It was a great time with the other scholars, just like last time! I haven’t been to the in house events yet, but these nature outings have been great so far. If possible, I’d love to go to a state park with other scholars.

Betty was a wonderful guide and had so much information to share with our big group. I learned a lot about plants and I am actually considering picking up a plant biology minor now!! Basically, plants are really cool and I want to learn more about them. My favorite part of the tour was the herb garden; it was intriguing to learn that the elevated beds aren’t for show, it’s to provide the suitable for the plants within. After the tour with Betty, I stayed behind to give the garden a closer look and also bought some plant kits at the store. This morning, I saw the first sprouts!! I will definitely visit the garden again (especially in the winter to see the winter garden). 

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to tour the Cornell Botanic Gardens, specifically the area around the Nevin Welcome Center. Since being at Cornell, I have not gone to any parts of the gardens, so I was excited to go. When we arrived, I was amazed by the beauty and serenity of the gardens. I felt calm being there. I enjoyed being surrounded by the plants, trees, and flowers. On the tour, I learned about the history of the gardens and the plants growing in them. One of the most interesting things that I learned about was the Flower Garden and the language of flowers. Being on the tour reminded me how much fun learning can be and that it does not have to be sitting in a lecture hall. It also reminded me how large the Cornell campus is and how much of it I have not seen yet. The tour sparked my interest in getting outside more and seeing other parts of Cornell and the Cornell Botanic Gardens. In the future, I will definitely visit the gardens more often to destress and spend more time learning about the plants, trees, and flowers there.

This past Saturday, I went on a long, hot walk to the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed walking through the colorful flowers. I learned a lot about the medicinal properties of plants, which I did not expect to learn. Our tour guide was a very enthusiastic, nice alumnus who explained things very well. One concern I had was seeing a dog just walking around the gardens without a leash! I think this is really very dangerous and I was glad when our tour guide reprimanded them. Not only are some people allergic to dog fur,  some dogs could be violent.

However, I did not let this ruin the great time I had at the gardens. The part I most enjoyed was learning about how two husbands of Cornell alumni planted two adjoining gardens as a memorial. I also enjoyed learning about how women in the Victorian times used flowers as a way to communicate their feelings. I think that this was a great opportunity for me to learn something out of my major and out of the classroom. I personally felt like I grew during this outing. It makes me appreciate Cornell’s campus more than I normally do.

I had a really good time at the tour of the Botanical Gardens last Saturday, despite the very hot weather. I went to the same event last year, but as there was a different tour guide this time, I was interested to hear a new perspective.

One thing that I really like about the plantations is how cognisant Cornell is about the environment and their carbon footprint. For example, the visitors centre is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building, designed to minimise its energy consumption. The gardens themselves are constructed for efficient and optimal watering and drainage.

Aside from the logistics of the gardens, it’s very pleasant just to take a stroll and read about different kinds of trees, flowers, and herbs. I was able to take lots of aesthetic pictures, some of which I’ve shared below.

I had been to Cornell’s botanical gardens and plantations many times, but I feel as though I get a new perspective and new appreciation each time. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back again, especially in the winter to check out their winter garden. I would also recommend a visit to anyone who has not been there before; it might just ‘blossom’ your interest in flowers, photography, and the environment!

I’ve been to the botanical gardens a few times so I thought I wouldn’t have much too learn on this tour- I was wrong.

I never knew that the first woman to receive an unshared Nobel Prize was from Cornell. Barbara McClintock broke through barriers, she was one of the first women in Cornell’s history to study plant breeding. A few feet away from the Nevin Center, at the Botanical Gardens, stands her lab where she discovered ‘jumping genes’  or genetic transposition.

I pass that lab a few times during the week, but its inspiring to know the story behind it. Another piece of Cornell has been humanized to me.

The tour of the Botanical Gardens was fantastic. Our tour guide Betty was such a cute little old lady and she reminded me so much of my grandma. So right off the bat, I knew I was going to enjoy this activity. There is a study going on in a part of the garden to test the effects of climate change. Several species of plants were planted inside a greenhouse tunnel and outdoors. Betty thought it was fascinating how some plants really didn’t flourish inside the tunnel, and her enthusiastic mannerism talking about it only grasped my interest more. One fun fact I learned on the tour that I will never forget for the rest of my life is that slugs love beer. Slugs are big pests in the gardens and eat holes in many of the plant leaves. Betty told us that in her garden she leaves a bowl of beer for the slugs and they drown in it. Even though the Botanical Gardens are too big to treat for slugs and other pests, thanks to Betty  if I ever decide to plant my own personal garden I’ll have a cheap, feasible solution to deal with these pests.

Visited the botanic gardens today! I wish I had known about the gardens last year when I was living on North and they were much closer. The walk from West to the gardens and back is a little much for regular visits.

Anyways, we got to see a lot of exotic and local plants, with our friendly guide Betty pointing out practical uses for each as well as sharing some stories. I particularly liked the edible plants area because my mother also has a vegetable/herb garden and I saw both familiar plants and plants I might suggest to her. It was also interesting to hear about the language of flowers and how the meanings of certain flowers have changed over time, sometimes drastically (as in the case of the yellow rose).

Overall, this was a great experience I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. I’ll take my parents to visit next time they’re here.

P.S. The title of this category says “gardnes” instead of “gardens” right now.