Queens Botanic Garden has signs against drinking toilet water

From DNA Info:

Signs put up in the restroom cubicles of the Queens Botanical Garden take the prize for stating the obvious: "Toilet water is not safe for drinking."

The messages hang over toilet bowls full of water that is often colored blue.

Because it's not potable and has not been treated by facilities operated by the city's Department of Environmental Protection, the garden said it was required to install the signs.

Queens Botanical Garden to be renovated

From the Queens Courier:

It’s been a long road to get the Queens Botanical Garden pathways repaved, but the revitalization is finally underway.

The garden is undergoing a $4 million infrastructure transformation that will add an irrigation system and redo walkways on the 39-acre campus, which have not seen a full repaving in half a century.

“It’s been 50 years,” said Susan Lacerte, execute director of the garden. “These pathways have done a really good job and the city is making an investment.”

The project, which is broken into three phases, will install brand new pathways throughout the garden. In previous years, the walkways, which are loaded with cracks and sinking areas, have only been patched up when certain spots needed serious attention and only a few were paved when the parking area was being constructed.

After construction, the garden will also have a sprinkler system. Currently, workers have to carry hoses across the garden to water plants and grass.

The first phase, which will be completed soon, already has most of the pathways around the water fountain complete.

In the second phase, the College Point Boulevard entrance will be repaved, and a stepped ramp will be added on the bridge that connects the garden to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, creating easier access to the Brooklyn-Queens Greenway. The third phase will complete the pathways around the meadow and in the middle of the garden.

The bulk of the funding was provided by the borough president’s office, the city council and the mayor’s office.

Shady shuttle buses parking at Queens Botanical Garden

You may recall that a few months ago, the Flushing Phantom sent in a photo series depicting Downtown Flushing that showed the buses lining up there illegally to shuttle patrons out of the BID and off to Woodbury Commons and Tanger Outlets.

Quite accidentally, I stumbled upon their parking area...at the Queens Botanical Gardens.

The 45 degree view from Google Maps shows that this has been going on for quite some time.

Interestingly, the Queens Botanical Garden says that it charges the following:

"From November 1 to March 31, the Parking Garden is open for special events only. Fee: $5 per vehicle."

Is the Garden renting out parking spaces to these buses in a special arrangement?

Botanic Garden kicks seniors to the curb

From the Queens Tribune:

Seniors who enjoy the use of Queens Botanical Garden for planting vegetables and flowers believe they are being “financially extorted,” after being told they will now have to pay $150 for plots that were always free.

In January, QBG notified Senior Garden members of the introduction of the annual fee to use plots which were free to them for 45 years.

In addition to the new fee, seniors will also have to pay a membership fee which increased from $30 to $45 as well as $1 for parking each time they use the garden’s lot.

Although the Senior Garden will be phased out over the next year, QBG Deputy Director Patty Kleinberg said seniors are more than welcome to join the Family Garden, which will debut in 2012.

Ultimately, the Garden is not trying to get rid of seniors, added Kleinberg, but rather is trying to expand the use of the garden to a broader range of people in the community.

Kleinberg also asserted that once QBG transitions the Senior Garden into the Family Garden, the non-profit group will be eligible for various additional federal grants that will help it develop programs for more members of the community.

Sounds like the Flushing elders are being kicked out in order to benefit a more vibrantly diverse clientele.

Queens Botanical Garden now charging admission

From the Queens Chronicle:

In a move that has taken the public by surprise, the Queens Botanical Garden started charging admission to enter the Flushing grounds earlier this month, with special rates for Flushing residents.

“We are practically the last public institution to charge admission,” said QBG Executive Director Susan Lacerte. “If people care about the garden, they need to help take care of it.”

The botanical garden in Brooklyn charges $8 and the one in the Bronx costs $20 to enter.

In Flushing, the garden at 43-50 Main St. is now asking $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for students with ID and children over 3 years old. Flushing residents living in the 11354 and 11355 ZIP codes are allowed to buy a community access pass for $20 that will provide free admission through Oct. 31.

From November through March, it will be open free to all. In addition, the garden will be free to enter every Wedneday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. As a polling place, it will also be open free on all election days.

A Spring walk in the park

From 10,000 Birds:

seeing as forecasters were unanimous in calling for sunny skies and warm weather I planned, once again, to take what has become my favorite walk in Queens. It really is great to have such a well-connected set of parks as Flushing Meadows Park, Queens Botanical Garden, Kissena Corridor Park and Kissena Park within walking distance, and even greater when it is warm enough to do most of the walk in a T-shirt. Like my last post about this walk I’ll not bore you with the details but just share some of my favorite pictures from my stroll.

Queens Botanical Garden almost out of hibernation

From the Times Ledger:

The Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing has made it halfway through a short winter hibernation instituted for the first time in 2009 aimed at cutting costs in the face of declining funding.

The renowned cultural institution has suffered since the economic downturn from decreased government support, halved corporate donations and decreased foundation and public contributions, Executive Director Susan Lacerte said.

As such, the garden has closed for two weeks ending Jan. 5. The winter months bring the fewest people to the gardens and school is not in session during the two-week period, so class visits do not have to be canceled.

Botanical Garden faces more cuts

From NY1:

The Queens Botanical Garden was closed to visitors for two weeks during the winter season due to funding reductions, but is now considering closing its gates yet again.