Sunday, May 22, 2016

Stay on the Path

Ah, adventure! Traveling to far away lands to witness heretofore unbeknownst boundless beauty. Interesting individuals in unfamiliar situations...different languages, foods, smells, sights and sounds await. All these are crucial items that can be found crossing from one country to the next, or possibly as close as one borough to the next inside of New York City. Hailing from The Bronx and now living in Queens, going home is always an experience frought with nostalgia and wonder. Recently, there has been something of an enforced Renaissance, to follow the pattern of social and economic evolution found in the rest of the City, but the effect still has not reached every corner.

Hidden against the backdrop of the last stand of old growth forest originally covering New York City, and nestled comfortable between Fordham University and the Bronx Zoo is the respectable institution of the Bronx Botanical Gardens. This season's hearty display was an exhibit on Impressionism, and painting with flowers. The #GardensonCanvas tag saw considerable engagement, take some time to sift through the Twitter and Instagram posts, they're pretty amazing.



Diehard fans of Cake Boss will enjoy photos from one of the most amazing pieces of this exhibit. Nearly a dozen confectionnaires arrived on scene with tremendous cakes - all appropriately adorned to fit both the occasion and the location.
From Prince of Pastry, Bronx, NY
One cake showed perched atop an architecturally cantilevered layer cake, a delicately crafted red cardinal. Another showed a sculpted and foliage decorated face of Mother Nature. Still another sported a sugary replica of the Aenid Haupt Conservatory squarely atop its uppermost layer. See some of the standout examples below.

Within the Conservatory, the entire main section of the greenhouse was made to represent an Impressionist painter's canvas, complete with a mock up of an artist's retreat, and educational materials on gardens on artists' retreats.

The pictures will speak for themselves.

Once through the display, all of the confectionnaires handed out samples of their wares (not the competition cakes, but the small pieces we had were to die for!) The carrot cake was easily the finest I've had in my life. The coconut chocolate cake is something about which I am writing not only to mom, but the entire internet....it was that serious.

To cap off the impressionist era feel, some cosplayers in period garb - Steampunk, one might even say - ambled about the gardens - built around the same period - and even danced to the impromptu jazz band in the broad entry way to the conservatory.

Despite the overcast day and a spot of rain, all in all it turned out to be an afternoon full of color and sound! The exhibit goes on until the second week in September, easy transit directions on the Garden's website or via the MTA.





La Piñata Bakery
Yonkers, NY
Conti's Bakery
Bronx, NY