Hundreds of gardeners from across Brooklyn gather at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to kick off spring at this daylong conference. For the 31st year, horticultural professionals and home gardeners alike come to learn new gardening techniques.
This year’s Making Brooklyn Bloom—Think Global, Grow Local: What’s Next for Urban Gardeners?—focuses on the many ways to cultivate sustainable innovation in the face of environmental degradation, climate change, and making do with less—from growing food on roofs and windowsills to reducing a garden’s carbon footprint.
Fourteen workshops—covering a wide range of topics, from small-scale aquaponics to improving the yield of windowsill gardens—will be presented by community leaders in urban greening, members of BBG’s Horticulture staff, and experts from other environmental organizations in New York City. Making Brooklyn Bloom also features exhibits, networking opportunities, and a program of short films that explore gardening and the natural world.
Find out what's happening in Prospect Heights-Crown Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
No preregistration is required but it is suggested that visitors register by 10 a.m. on Saturday at BBG’s Palm House to secure their first choice of workshops and a seat for the keynote address.
Admission to BBG is free before noon or with a Making Brooklyn Bloom flyer (available at bbg.org/greenbridge). For more details about the event, please call 718-623-7250 or visit bbg.org/visit/event/mbb_2012.
Find out what's happening in Prospect Heights-Crown Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
MAKING BROOKLYN BLOOM 2012
Films
Every Third Bite (9 minutes, 2008)
Dirt! The Movie (40 minutes, 2009)
Workshops (11 a.m.–Noon and 3–4 p.m.)
Show Me the Honey: Urban Beekeeping 101
Sara Katz, Bronx Green-Up, New York Botanical Garden; Roger Repohl, Genesis Park Community Garden
Reducing Your Garden’s Carbon Footprint
Dr. Susan Pell, Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Amanda Knaul
Go Fish…Grow Veggies: Small-Scale Aquaponics
Dr. Martin P. Schreibman, Aquatic Research and Environmental Assessment Center, Brooklyn College; Rev. Robert Jackson, Brooklyn Rescue Mission
Message in a Barrel: The Basics of Rainwater Harvesting
Lenny Librizzi, GrowNYC
Getting Started Up on the Roof
Rebecca Bullene, Greenery NYC
The Farmer on the Sill: High Yields at Your Window
Pirapha Thongtavee and Destiny Pierce, Windowfarms
Testing Soil for Toxins: Now What?
Dr. Joshua Cheng, Environmental Sciences Analytical Center, Brooklyn College
Where’s the Land?
Paula Segal, 596 Acres; Shatia Jackson and Kristen Bonardi Rapp, 462 Halsey Street Community Garden; Eric Michael Rodriguez, Weeksville Heritage Center
Fruit for All: Pruning and Harvesting the Best
Anne O’Neill, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Greenest Trees in Brooklyn
Pauline Green, East 25th Street Block Association; Sarah Dougherty, GreenBridge-MillionTreesNYC
School Garden Success Stories!
Barbara Kurland, Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Sarah Welch, Expeditionary Learning School for Community Leaders; Jennifer Mikolajek, IS 318; Susan Weseen, PS295
Lasagna Gardening: The Lazy Composter’s Best Friend
Luke Halligan, NYC Compost Project in Brooklyn; Marilyn Johnson, Floyd Bennett Gardens
Getting a Jump on Spring: Seed Starting Indoors and Out
Charley Robinson, Brooklyn Botanic Garden BUG volunteer; Nick Gershberg
Looking Up: Exploring Soil and Nutrition in Rooftop Agriculture
Alec Baxt, Farming Up
Networking Brown Bag Lunches
Bring a bag lunch and take part in these conversations:
• Community Composting
• Therapeutic Horticulture
• Street Tree Stewardship
Visitors to Making Brooklyn Bloom will also have an opportunity to take a free Seasonal Highlights tour at 1 p.m.; check out BBG’s Gardener’s Resource Center for texts, tips, and tricks; and view exhibits by New York greening organizations. Plus, each visitor gets a spring gift bag to take home!
