Monet in the Bronx

Claude Monet's Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies

Sandy Grimwade

Some of the most famous and beloved paintings of gardens are by artist Claude Monet. As well as being a great painter he designed a wonderful garden at Giverny, about 50 miles from Paris. He particularly loved water lilies and he bought some of the first hybrid water lilies for his ponds at Giverny, where he painted massive Impressionist paintings of his water gardens.

This year, the New York Botanic Garden in the Bronx is featuring a special exhibition recreating some aspects of Monet’s garden, with a long, beautifully chaotic flower border, a recreation of his famous green bridge and two huge ponds of water lilies, lotus and other aquatic plants. There are even direct descendents of the original lily hybrids from Monet's garden.

The New York Botanic Garden is worth a visit at any time, and this exhibition adds extra interest for anyone interested in water gardens, water lilies and Impressionist painting.

The "Monet Bridge" in the New York Botanic Garden