I just now discovered that there is a Queens Botanical Garden. I’ve lived in New York City for more than eight years and I didn’t know this! I actually found out on Twitter; this morning I started following @NewYorkology and they had re-tweeted (re-twatted?) a post from @queensbotanicl about being closed today due to the snow.

The QBG comprises 39 acres of land in Flushing, about an eight block walk from the last stop on the 7 train. That neighborhood is quite a hike to get to if you don’t live in Queens (I just made a trek out that way earlier this week to go to Spa Castle) but if you jump on a 7 express you’ll get there a whole lot faster.

Admission is free until March 31, 2010; they’re going to start charging adults $4 on April 3. Seniors will pay $3 and students with a valid I.D. will pay $2. Four dollars is really cheap for admission to any attraction in the NYC area, so I wouldn’t mind paying a bit to check it out – especially when plants will be starting to bloom!

Greenies will be excited to hear that the garden has a composting project that offers information and education about the process. The garden doesn’t appear to have an orchid collection, but that’s not going to stop me from visiting. Once the weather warms up I’m going to check the QBG out and will report back here.