Inwood Hill Park

The Daily Plant : Friday, May 7, 2004

TREAT MOM TO A DAY IN THE PARK

This Sunday, instead of giving your mother flowers, take her out among the flowers, to one of Parks & Recreation’s many Mother’s Day events. Our parks, historic houses, and recreation centers are always a good place to spend quality time with Mom, and this weekend, they’ll be buzzing with special activities for children and mothers of all ages.

If your mother has a green thumb, a great way to kick off Mother’s Day weekend is at Parks & Recreation’s "Green Day" at the Arthur Ross Citywide Nursery, in Van Cortlandt Park, the Bronx. Usually closed to the public, the Citywide Nursery will open its doors, displaying hundreds of trees, plants, and flowers to horticulturally curious New Yorkers of all ages. Parks & Recreation’s expert gardeners and foresters will be on hand to give instruction on a variety of topics, including composting, pest management, and butterfly gardens. You and your mom can also bond by making nature crafts, learning flower pressing, and taking walking tours. "Green Day" is free and takes place on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The nursery is located at East 242^nd Street and Van Cortlandt Park East.

Two historic house museums are also hosting Mother’s Day activities. On Saturday, Brooklyn’s Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, at Clarendon Road and Ralph Avenue, will host a "Tea & Tulip Festival", from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. This free festival will include May Pole dancing, arts & crafts, live music from balladeer Linda Russell, and, of course, plenty of tea and tulips. On Sunday, the Merchant’s House Museum, at 29 East Fourth Street in Manhattan, will host a traditional "afternoon tea" in the Merchant House’s 19th-century garden. Treat your mother to a pot of English tea along with scones served with jam and clotted cream, finger sandwiches, and frosted confections. The cost is $40 per couple, with an additional $15 for each guest. Pre-payment and reservations are required for the two seatings at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Please call 212-777-1089 for more information.

The Urban Park Rangers have paid special attention to Mother’s Day this year, with a variety of Mom-centric activities in parks throughout the city. On Saturday, mothers and children can head to Inwood Hill Park’s Nature Center in Northern Manhattan to join in an afternoon of gardening and planting, beginning at 2 p.m. The Nature Center is located at 218th and Indian Road in Inwood Hill Park. Mother’s Day activities continue in Inwood Hill Park on Sunday, with a 10 a.m. hike through Overlook Meadow; the hike meets at the Inwood Hill Nature Center. You can also treat your mom to a meal at the New Leaf Café in Fort Tryon Park, watching the sun set over the Palisades. Staten Island’s High Rock Park is hosting a special Mother’s Day hike on Sunday, starting at 2 p.m., giving out-of-borough residents plenty of time to take the ferry and make their way to the island. Hikers should meet at the High Rock Ranger Station, in High Rock Park, at the end of Nevada Avenue off Rockland Avenue. Crafty kids should head to the Central Park Dairy on Sunday, where they can make a Mother’s Day gift at the Ranger’s "Eco-crafts" workshop. And for the truly adorable gift, stop by Central Park’s Mineral Springs, where dozens of lonely dogs and cats will be looking for new owners to mother them. Visit the Central Park Conservancy website, www.centralparknyc.org, for more information on events in Central Park.

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Muscota Marsh