Daily Archives: March 19, 2024

Explore Munstead Wood, Online

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Take a video tour on YouTube of garden designer Gertrude Jekyll’s former home in Surrey with Head Gardener Annabell Watts.

Munstead Wood was acquired by the National Trust in April 2023. Its garden was originally created by Jekyll in the 1880s with vibrant flowers, intricate footpaths and Victorian greenhouses. The design of this garden was ahead of its time due to the meticulously chosen architectural plants and color schemes. 

Jekyll also worked with architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to build a house that could also be her workplace. Designed to look as if it rose from the ground, the house was completed with a dark room, workshop and flower shop to support Jekyll’s work. 

(Note: Munstead Wood is not open to the public currently.) 

WATCH NOW

Tuesday, April 9, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Eastern – The Museum of Scent, Online

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Enter the enchanting world of the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents—the first museum of natural fragrance in the United States. Artisan perfumer, educator, author, and founder Mandy Aftel will reveal her latest publication, The Museum of Scent, which is a richly illustrated dedication to her museum’s rare collection of natural essences.

Aftel, one of the world’s preeminent natural perfumers, will guide you through the different families of botanical fragrances—including flowers, woods, leaves and grasses, and resins. Her book depicts each plant with a hand-colored antique woodcut and reveals its olfactory notes and uses. She’ll also share excerpts from chapters devoted to the most rare and precious fragrances—such as ambergris, botanical treasure boxes, Books of Secrets, and other evocative artifacts from her collection.

Through this captivating presentation, full of fascinating stories and lore, you’ll explore the natural and cultural history of scent. Q&A to follow. The New York Botanical Garden online class on April 9 is $35 for NYBG members, $39 for nonmembers.

To purchase a copy of Aftel’s The Museum of Scent, please visit the NYBG Shop