PJ's Studio: Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Brooklyn Botanic Garden – 4/17/26

Thanks to some unseasonably warm temperatures in mid-April, NYC had a blink and you missed it spring.

The Kazan cherry trees – which are the stars of the season, bloomed in only two days!

So, I did what any rational New Yorker would do – I raced over to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before it was too late.

Since I have so many photos of the Cherry Esplanade that I’ll never be able to top,

my true goal was to catch the tulips,

which typically bloom simultaneously with the Kazans and change every year

In addition to the area near the conservatories, they are now planted in the Shakespeare Garden, and the Osborne Garden near the Eastern Parkway entrance.

Sadly, the Osborne Garden was severely damaged by this winter’s storms and the trellises are now heavily scaffolded while they do repairs.

This unusual breed of tulip actually has multiple flowers blooming from the top of a single stem. It’s the first time I have seen one like that.

Much to my surprise, I was greeted with a lovely scent when I arrived, because the lilacs were blooming early. I rarely get a good shot of them – they just aren’t that photogenic – but I always shoot them anyway, just so I can enjoy the smell. 😉