Summary: Adjacent to the Brooklyn Museum, this garden is considerably smaller than its cousin, the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, but many people (including us) believe it is the best of the major gardens in New York City. Be sure to see the peaceful (and recently renovated) Japanese Garden, the tropical Conservatory, and the Shakespeare Garden (planted with flora mentioned in the playwright's plays and poems).

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden describes itself as "one of the loveliest sites in New York City." We agree. The Garden is located in the center of Brooklyn and is next to Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum. It was founded in 1910 on a reclaimed waste dump. Today, its 52 acres boasts over 12,000 kinds of plants in beautifully manicured lawns and gardens.

Making Your Way Through The Gardens
We suggest that you take a few minutes when you arrive, take your map of the Garden in hand and see what it has to offer. Are you an avid gardener? Maybe you want to check out the Fragrance Garden. If you combine your gardening skills with cooking, you may want to spend some more time in the Herb Garden. If you like roses, the Garden has over 3,000 for you to see. Are you into botany? You may then want to budget out more time to check out the Steinhardt Conservatory.

The High Points
Although the Brooklyn Botanic Garden encompasses too much for us to describe adequately here, there are a few places on our "don't miss" list:

• The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden -- If there were an award for the best maintained garden, this garden would win it. From its dock on the pond, to its water falls, to the bridges and beautiful Japanese plants and lanterns, you will feel like you are in the middle of a Japanese painting. Admire the turtles and fish in the pond and travel the marvelous twisting paths that show off the flora.
• The Overlook -- After you have walked through the Garden a bit, we suggest you spend at least a little time sitting on the benches at the overlook, which is named for its view of the Cherry Esplanade (which has magnificent cherry blossoms in the Spring) and the Rose Garden. The vistas are spectacular and there is a mixture of sun and shade. This is a great place to relax.
• Osborne Garden -- Another great place to "take a load off." Although the only area of grass you are supposed to sit on is the Cherry Esplanade, there are more than enough benches around the garden and plenty of shade. On the same side of the garden as the Fawcett Terrace, you can see the top of the Brooklyn Museum, the stone figures standing on its ledges, and the name "Cicero" engraved on the side. Oh, the culture!

Noteworthy And Missable
A few more hits and misses:

Young children will probably like the Discovery Garden. We thought that the Rose Garden was pretty good, too. The names of some the hybrids found in the Rose Garden include Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers, and Elizabeth Taylor. The Shakespeare Garden seems to draw a crowd. It features plants referred to in the Bard's plays and poems, with labels that identify the plant and the name of the work in which the plant is mentioned.

On the other hand, we doubt that it will be a terrible loss if you miss the Native Flora Garden, and unless lilacs are in season, we suggest that you move on past the Louisa Clark Spencer Lilac Collection.

Final Recommendations
We suggest you make a day of this place. Although you are supposed to wear a shirt at all time, we found a considerable number of people bending this rule and getting a sun tan on the Cherry Esplanade (but don't get too carried away -- there are security guards all over to keep things in order). This is a peaceful place where you can sit and read or write (we even saw people meditating) and where kids will have plenty of room to run around. Enjoy it.

Getting To The Garden
By subway, your best bet is to take the D or Q train to Prospect Park and enter the Garden through the Flatbush Avenue & Empire Boulevard entrance.

You can also take the S train to Prospect Park, but we do not recommend it. Although your subway map may say that the D train is connected to the A and C, the truth is that you must get off of the A at Franklin Avenue and pay once again to get on to the S. Note that if you must take the S, it is quicker to take the Prospect Park exit than the Botanic Garden exit.

The 2 and 3 trains will also bring you to the area. Get off stop at the Franklin Street exit near the Brooklyn Museum.

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