Home » More About BBG » Pressroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 18, 2008

CONTACT

Leeann Lavin: 718-623-7289, leeannlavin@bbg.org
Kate Blumm: 718-623-7241, kateblumm@bbg.org

Sensational Seasonal Selections

Gifts for All Ages from Brooklyn Botanic Garden

BBG's Gifts to All Are

FREE Weekday Admission and FREE Weekend Garden Tours

Hi-res Photos Available

Brooklyn, New York—November 18, 2008—This holiday season, being a "locavore" means more than just eating locally! Shoppers in the metro area only have to look to Brooklyn's biggest backyard to find a gift that will delight everyone on their list. And in fact, buying a beautiful gift for a loved one from BBG is a reward for the shopper too, as each purchase supports BBG's education, science, and community programs, in addition to the Garden's world-class plant collections. Many of BBG's gift items are hand-crafted and possess a unique provenance—often with a meaningful artist's story about the creation.

Gift givers across the globe can shop BBG's gift collection using the convenience of the internet via shop.bbg.org—and benefit from FREE shipping until December 12 on orders of $100 or more. Plus, current BBG members will be thrilled by the Garden's Double Discount Days (from November 28 through December 7), when they receive 20% off of all regular prices both in the shops and online.

BBG has hand-picked a selection of gifts for everyone's budget—from Scrooge to Daddy Warbucks—so shoppers can choose a gift with confidence. And in the event shoppers want to give friends and family the gift of selecting their own treat from the BBG Garden Shop or Gift Shop, the Garden offers a gift card that allows nature lovers of all ages to choose from hundreds of items for the home and garden, including stationery, personal accessories, books, children's items, and plants.

  1. A Gift That Keeps on Growing: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gift Membership
    Give 52 acres of botanical joy (that's over 10,000 plants)! With a Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gift Membership, the lucky recipient gets a year's worth of breathtaking beauty, invitations to members-only events, discounts, gardening information, world-renowned publications, and more. For those who live out of town, a gift Subscriber Membership provides a year of valuable gardening publications. Purchase online at bbg.org/mem/gift.html or by calling 718-623-7210.
  2. Winter Woodland Critters
    Bring a bit of the forest into your holiday household! Each of these charming animal ornaments is handmade from wood and natural fibers and includes a twine loop for hanging. Choose from a fox, hedgehog, skunk, squirrel, raccoon, and chipmunk, or get all six! $8.95 each; available at shop.bbg.org or at the Gift Shop, 718-623-7280.
  3. Miniature Garden Tools
    The perfect gift for pint-size gardeners! A colorful trowel, rake, and shovel will encourage even the littlest nature lovers to help out with houseplants or in the backyard. The tools are constructed of high-quality painted hardwood handles and have durable heavy-duty steel heads. For ages three and up. $7.95; available at shop.bbg.org or at the Gift Shop, 718-623-7280.
  4. Rice Hull Garden
    Want to go green? Grow an herb garden in an environmentally friendly pot! Made from renewable grain husks (primarily rice hulls) and organic pigments, these 100% biodegradable containers are suitable for indoor or outdoor use and come with soil, seeds, and growing instructions for even the most novice gardeners to grow their own small crop of basil, mint, or lavender. Each mini-garden is tied with grosgrain ribbon, as gift-ready as it gets! $17.95; available at shop.bbg.org or at the Garden Shop, 718-623-7280.
  5. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2009 Calendar—a BBG Exclusive
    Savor BBG's beauty month by month—it's truly a four-season sensation! In January, the Garden is a winter wonderland that transforms in spring to a profusion of blooms. As the months go by, the lush cool shade of summer gives way to a glorious kaleidoscope of fall hues. In stunning full color, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 2009 calendar captures the continuous beauty of the seasons at BBG. $11.95; available at shop.bbg.org or at the Gift Shop, 718-623-7280.
  6. BBG's One-of-a-Kind Holiday Card
    Each year, BBG selects an illustration by one of its esteemed Florilegium Society artists to grace a holiday greeting card with elegance and botanical beauty. This year's holiday card features the evergreen shrub leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei), from a watercolor by Rose Pellicano, a longtime instructor in the Continuing Education department at BBG. Inside message: Season's Greetings or blank. Box of 10 Cards. $9.95; available at shop.bbg.org or at the Gift Shop, 718-623-7280.
  7. Holiday Houseplants
    BBG's seasonal display in the Steinhardt Conservatory—the holiday season through a tropical Victorian lens—inspires visitors with its walk-through exhibit of plants with winter interest, including classic ‘Freedom Red' poinsettias, lush kentia and coconut palms, and a variety of amaryllis in full bloom. Visitors can take home this unique aesthetic with the BBG Garden Shop's wide selection of houseplants inspired by this year's display—including bromeliads, staghorn ferns, and amaryllis—all for under $30 each. $6.95 to $30; available at the Garden Shop, 718-623-7280.
  8. A World of Exploration: BBG Continuing Education Gift Cards
    Recipients of a BBG Continuing Education Gift Card can explore the natural world through fascinating topics taught by experts from across the region! Encourage family and friends to unleash their inner locavores with Eating Local in the Big Apple (January 11) or the highly popular Urban Backyard Vintner series (March 1). Got a relative or friend who can't seem to keep indoor plants healthy? Give the gift of Houseplants 101 (March 14). Or invite them to repurpose plant material to make beautiful wearable art in Jewelry from the Underground, create the green space of their dreams in an Urban Garden Design class, and much more! Any BBG Adult Education class can be offered as gift; call 718-623-7220 for more information.
  9. Snowflake Wine Caddy
    A good bottle of wine is always a welcome gift for friends or family at the holidays; make it even more special by encasing it in these elegant caddies. Made of poplar wood and emblazoned with an intricate dark red snowflake image, these wine caddies add seasonal magic to a great gift—and can be used over and over by the recipient. Choice of two snowflake prints. $18, available at shop.bbg.org or at the Gift Shop, 718-623-7280.
  10. Little Bird Coin Purse
    The perfect stocking stuffer for just about anyone! These petite candy-colored birds are created from recycled scraps of napa leather, affixed with a key chain, and given a zip closure to ensure they're as functional as they are delightful to look at. No two are alike! $12; available at shop.bbg.org or at the Gift Shop, 718-623-7280.

Stocking Stuffers

BBG's award-winning All-Region Guides make perfect stocking stuffers! Give your loved ones any of this year's compelling individual titles (The Wildlife Gardener's Guide, Community Gardening, or Growing Bonsai Indoors) or a set of all three. $9.95; available at the Gift Shop or with a 10% discount at shop.bbg.org, or call 718-623-7280.

And what better gift to open under a holiday tree than BBG's just-published The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-ups! Written and illustrated by Gina Ingoglia, draws readers of all ages into the fascinating world of trees. Researched at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and featuring 33 extraordinary profiles of different trees that can be found growing in North America—from rural Georgia to neighborhoods in New York City to suburbs in California—The Tree Book offers kids and adults a thrilling introduction through stories, facts, and stunning original illustrations. $15.95; available at the Gift Shop or with 10% discount at shop.bbg.org, or call 718-623-7280.

BBG's Gifts to Visitors

Free Weekday Admission and Free Weekend Garden Tours

From Tuesday, November 18, through Friday, February 27, weekday visitors can enjoy Brooklyn Botanic Garden free of admission. Free weekend tours are also available. Visitors can take a winter stroll to ignite and invigorate the senses; make a soothing escape to another climate in the famed Steinhardt Conservatory houses and enjoy the current gallery exhibit; and use the Gardener's Resource Center.

Members' Double Discount Days

Friday, November 28, through Sunday, December 7

Members and individuals who purchase a Brooklyn Botanic Garden Membership this month will receive 20% off any gift item in the Garden Gift Shop. Or maybe this could be Santa's reward for the gift-giver! Just in time for the holidays.

Free Shipping

November 28 through December 12

Holiday shopping is even more convenient with free shipping for online orders of $100 or more!