Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main Street, Flushing, New York 11355
Tel.718-886-3800 Fax 718-463-0263
FACT SHEET
1996-97
The Queens Botanical Garden serves over 300,000 visitors every year. It
is one of the 33 cultural institutions of the City of New York, located
on 39 acres of City-owned land at the northeast corner of Flushing Meadows-Corona
Park. The Garden had its origin in the 1939 World's Fair, and opened at
its current location in 1963. The mission is to provide an oasis of beauty
and calm for all to enjoy and to educate people about the importance of
plants in the environment and in our everyday lives. Five teaching collections
include bee, bird, and woodland gardens, an herb garden and a pinetum; features
include a new Home Compost Demonstration Site, six backyard demonstration
gardens, a Victorian Wedding Garden, an arboretum and seasonal displays
of tulips, roses, annuals and chrysanthemums.
Interpretive labeling giving botanical and common names and place of origin
were installed on seventy-five percent of the Garden's tree collection,
adding educational value. Interpretive labels also accompanied annual displays
and the Cutting Garden, designed and planted by the Crafts Group. The Queens
Rose Society adopted an area of the Garden, planting Old English roses known
for fragrance. A small-scale model composting facility opened in the Arboretum
in spring 1996 to educate landscapers and residents alike about the value
of turning brush and leaves into rich compost.
Meeting Today's Needs through Education
QBG is an interpreter of the natual world instilling a sense of wonder in
people of all ages.
Science Education for Children
Programs for Adults: Lifelong Learners, Teachers, and Professionals
Environmental Education for Residents and Professionals
The Queens Greening Compost Project, funded through the NYC Department of
Sanitation, teaches people to recycle organic waste and about other related
environmentally conscious topics.
Providing Service to the Community
QBG is open six days per week, and holiday Mondays, year round, free of
charge.
Public Programs attracted over 10,000 people for concerts, cultural celebrations,
family programs, garden tours, tai chi, and other events. Highlights included
a Korean Cultural Day, concerts by Queens Symphony Orchestra and Queens
String Society, Marketplace Mosaic, a Halloween program, Ecuadorian Teacher's
Day, the Four Seasons Chinese Tea Ceremony, and a series of how-to workshops
in the Plant Shop. Outreach: QBG participated in Community Awareness Day,
Queens Clean Air Day, EcoFest, NYC Parks & Recreation Clean-up Day and
provided workshops to senior citizen centers, clubs, and others. The Victorian
Wedding Garden and grounds served as the photographic backdrop for nearly
12,000 people for one of life's most joyous occasions.
Plant Information available by telephone or in person on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Central Meeting Place: QBG serves as home base for twelve clubs and as a
polling place. The Arboretum is used for cultural celebrations and educational
events.