No need to fly to Tokyo to witness the annual autumn flowering of the regal chrysanthemum. A swipe of your MetroCard and a ride on the D train to the Bronx will transport you to a traditional yet innovative display of fall’s favorite fleeting flower at the New York Botanical Garden.
Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden, returns to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory from October 8 through 30, 2016, with magnificent displays of chrysanthemums in awe-inspiring shapes, styles and colors. The chrysanthemum is the most celebrated of all Japanese fall-flowering plants. The New York Botanical Garden’s unforgettable presentation of these flowers, painstakingly trained to grow in a mesmerizing variety of forms and sizes, pays homage to hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the ephemeral beauty of flowers.
To compliment the exhibit, special weekend programs shine a spotlight Japanese culture. You will find taiko drumming, ikebana flower-arranging demonstrations, meditation walks, haiku workshops and much more, all included in the price of admission ($20 weekdays, $25 weekends and holiday Mondays). These intriguing floral installations are works of art as creative as anything you will see in a fine art gallery, but they are fleeting, so get there while these magnificent live flowers last.
Get Here:
B, D or 4 train to Bedford Park Blvd. Station. Walk eight blocks down the hill on Bedford Park Blvd. to the Mosholu Gate entrance. An alternative is Metro-North to Botanical Garden Station.
Photo credit: New York Botanical Garden
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram