When cherry blossoms bloom, my thoughts turn to the last weekend in April and an event I cannot miss – the New York Botanical Garden’s annual “Antique Garden Furniture Fair: Antiques for the Garden and the Garden Room” (Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1).
This national show, which has also featured such superb local companies as Fleur in Mount Kisco and Barbara Israel Garden Antiques in Katonah, is a gorgeous opportunity to spot the latest trends and gather ideas (and ornaments) for your own garden. I love to wander around and network, culling material for WAG’s Watch and Wit sections and future garden issues of the magazine. This year, the buzz is all about the fair’s playful bee-inspired designs by interior and event designer Ken Fulk. I can’t wait to see what he’s done.
The fair opens with a Benefit Preview Party and Collectors’ Plant Sale tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. All proceeds benefit NYBG’s Fund for Horticulture, directly supporting the work of the curators and gardeners who are responsible for making the garden one of the most important horticultural showcases in the world. For Preview Party tickets and information, call 718-817-8773 or e-mail cbalkonis@nybg.org.
Otherwise, the fair is open this Friday and weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. I’ll be out there Friday morning and hope to see you then. For more, visit nybg.org. And for more on the garden’s 125th anniversary plans, check out WAG’s May “Celebrating Spring” issue. – Georgette Gouveia
