Growing comes with the territory for the Horticultural Society of New York, fondly known as The Hort. This summer is proving to be no exception as The Hort settles into the new greenhouse and kitchen garden in Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park in Hamilton Heights, cooking up a host of nutrition education programs and opportunities for New Yorkers to learn about plants.
Think of it as an urban oasis meets schoolyard.
Since 1902, the nonprofit organization has been providing New Yorkers with a connection to plants, serving as a resource for urban gardens but until its greenhouse and kitchen garden opened last fall, the organization did not have a physical location.
“The garden is the original place of learning,” said George Ball, Burpee Chairman and CEO and a funder of The Hort.
Read more: New York City Parks Were Once Teaching Farms
The 2,160-square-foot space greenhouse includes a classroom with a demonstration kitchen along with outdoor gardens. This summer and throughout the year, The Hort will host classes and events on growing fresh vegetables and herbs and how to cook that produce. For instance, on June 29, Woke Foods will teach a hands-on, vegan cooking class including how to prepare watermelon, cucumber and tomato gazpacho. And this July and August there will be a farm stand at the public greenhouse where park visitors can come and purchase some of the produce grown in the garden. A full list of a programming is available on The Hort’s website.
The greenhouse is open five days a week for anyone that wants to escape the bustle of the city with a quiet walk, has a plant question to ask the staff, or even wants to help water the vegetable seedlings growing in the greenhouse.
Photos courtesy of The Horticultural Society of New York.
