New York Botanical Garden & Frida Kahlo

After days of towering structures concealing the horizon, my eyes rest in the expanse of blue sky. All at once the tension of crowds, sirens, and concrete, slips into the vapor of disappearing clouds. Space and expansion quiet the mind. Before me lay a garden of 250 acres with over one million living plants obscured by an ivy-covered wall in New York City's most northern borough, The Bronx. The New York Botanical Garden was founded in 1891 and is a registered National Historic Landmark. While visiting dazzling New York, take a day trip by train from Grand Central Station to visit verdant groves and gardens that will surely soothe the senses amidst a bustling metropolis. Plenty of space to lounge.

Late summer perennial garden in full bloom.

Calming reflection in the lotus pond.

The grounds are open year round Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. -6 p.m. Check the website for special events and winter hours, www.nybg.org. Throughout the year, a fantastic array of buds, bulbs, flowers, and fall color occupy the landscape heralding the change of seasons. Unique exhibitions are curated from fine art housed in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Gallery to garden expositions in the world famous Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. On display until November 1 is Art, Garden, Life containing 14 still life paintings by Frida Kahlo and a recreation of the artist's studio garden, Casa Azul, in the conservatory.

The Frida Kahlo exhibition on a  New York City bus.

Folk Dancing in honor of the artist's Mexican heritage.

Inside the conservatory, a replica of the artist's studio garden.

Inspiring images from the Casa Azul studio garden.

Frida Kahlo's famous cactus fence recreated outside the conservatory. (Houston's own Cactus King provided the cacti.)

An All Gardens Pass including entrance to the exhibition varies from weekday rates of $20 for adults to $25 on weekends with discounts for seniors, students, and members. As a classical botanical garden, the admission fee supports the study, science, exhibition, and teaching about plants.