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"To inaugurate the summer season, a friend and I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and discovered lavender bearded irises, snowy white viburnum, pink columbine that looked like moon landers, and deep red peonies with yellow filaments waving in the middle of their softball-size blossoms. Best of all was the rose garden, laid out in symmetric rows that led to a decorative pergola and containing over 5,000 bushes in 1,000 varieties; the fragrance there was overpowering. We relaxed on the lawn among the cherry trees and also visited the glassed-in cactus conservatory, enjoying the variety of plantings and the garden’s seasonal display." - Robert Sietsema