Very carefully.
This huge, mature Ginkgo biloba tree is being relocated to make room for construction of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s new Visitor’s Center. The new building will open onto Washington Avenue and the parking lot BBG shares with the Brooklyn Museum, the building in the background in the photo above.
The muddy mess in the foreground used to be the Herb Garden, which is being revisioned as a “21st Century potager” which will be located along Flatbush Avenue, south of the rock garden. This shot shows more of the ground, including one of the old paths in the Herb Garden in the foreground.
Here’s a view from a different perspective, looking back toward the entrance from the parking lot. Here you can see the other three Ginkgos which must also be dealt with before construction can begin. These are going to be converted to lumber and other materials which will be incorporated into the new, green building.
It looked like this when I visited with the Brooklyn Blogade back in October. The Ginkgos are leafy and green in the background.
Here’s a closer view of the gigantic root ball. I first estimated it to be at least 12 feet across. Now I think it’s at least 20 feet across. Compare the width of the root ball to the four foot width of the 4×8 sheet of plywood lying on top of it.
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Aw, I liked the herb garden.
There are several different projects underway or scheduled to begin shortly. Creating a new herb garden is one of them, but it will be of a different design.
I wonder what they did with all the plants and shrubs from the old Herb Garden? (she thought hungrily)