Stroll the pathways of the Narrows Botanical Gardens, and you can’t help but sense the beauty of the greenery and the water surrounding you with a meditative calm. Look more closely, and you are amazed by the precision and care so evident in the design and maintenance of the hillsides, groves, gardens and pathways, each transporting you to a different realm of the natural. Inquire further, and you will be amazed to find that, just a few short years ago, the Narrows Botanical Gardens was a weed-strewn no-man’s land, transformed through the vision, dedication, and sweat of a growing community of volunteers, residents of Bay Ridge and beyond.
Sometime in 1995, landscape designer Jimmy Johnson, and park lover Joan Regan, both life-long residents of Bay Ridge, their dogs in tow,Jimmy Johnson leads a tour of the Native Plant Garden. met in the park by chance as each were getting their own hands dirty trying to reclaim a small plot of dirt here, a neglected tree pit there, and to forge bonds with other residents and neighborhood groups who were making their own efforts to bring this strip of green back to life.

While Joan was recruiting neighbors from throughout the community to weed, turn and plant tree pits throughout the park, Jimmy Joan Regan guides many of the wonderful events at the Narrows Botanical Gardens. had his eye on an acre of neglected, overgrown land at the northern end of the park, where he envisioned a Native Plant Garden, a place of sanctuary for threatened plants and wildlife native to our city. And so they began mobilizing the community - with generous donations of trees, shrubs and other materials by area nurseries, occasional help from the city, and a trickling in of grants, the Narrows Botanical Gardens began to take shape.Helen Bruno coordinates the Educational Programs at Narrows Botanical Gardens.

As word of this Herculean effort spread, the community of volunteers began to grow. One of those volunteers was Bay Ridge native and schoolteacher Helen Bruno, of Manhattan's Calhoun School. Although she arrived at the gardens digging in the dirt and pulling weeds, Helen soon put her educator's skills to writing the garden's Mission Statement. And, of course, Helen was instrumental in developing a lively and exciting teaching curriculum for the gardens. In this third year of its free educational outreach programs, the Narrows Botanical Gardens welcomes school and camp groups to participate in programs that foster appreciation for and awareness of nature's fragile beauty.Rich Hoagland often greets visitors at the Narrows Botanical Gardens.

Soon Richard Haugland, a resident of the neighborhood who is also the head gardener for the famed City Hall Park in Manhattan, join the effort. Today, Jimmy and Rich are the only two professional gardeners among the community of volunteers that keeps the Narrows Botanical Gardens thriving.

As the Narrows Botanical Gardens has grown more beautiful, it is still a 100% volunteer effort - an effort you are welcome to join! Click here to find out more about volunteering at, and about becoming a member of, Narrows Botanical Gardens.

A green frog enjoys the Native Plant Garden.From April through October, the Narrows Botanical Gardens offers a free educational program for elementary and middle school aged children. Through classes conducted in the Native Plant Garden’s outdoor classroom, the Story Circle, students learn about nature's role in science, social studies, and art, fostering a greater awareness of and appreciation for native plant and wildlife.

During their visit, each student will:

  • become familiarized with the concept of a native, natural environment.
  • learn about the many uses of native plants by the Native Americans and colonists of our region.
  • study the native plant and animal life that can be found in and around our ponds.
  • The turtle pond attracts many kind of wildlife, including this dragonfly.listen to nature inspired poetry in a reflective setting.
To accommodate the Native Plant Garden’s small size, fifteen students at a time participate in this one hour and fifteen minute program, but two consecutive programs can accommodate a total of thirty students. While one group is at the Story Circle, the other group plays and picnics on the Great Lawn.

Please provide at least one teacher for every ten students. While Narrows Botanical Gardens has no restroom facilities, restrooms are available at Owls Head Park, just two blocks away.

To find out more about educational programs at Narrows Botanical Gardens, or to arrange for your school or camp group to participate, use our Contact page, or call Helen Bruno at (718) 238-1692.

Entrances to Narrows Botanical Gardens are on Shore Road between Bay Ridge Avenue and 72nd Street.
Subway: R train to Bay Ridge Avenue, walk or connect with the B1 bus to Shore Road
Bus: B1, B9, B27, B37 buses to Shore Road.
Car: Belt Parkway to Exit 1 - 67th Street, right at light onto Ridge Boulevard, right onto Bay Ridge Avenue. Bay Ridge Avenue to Shore Parkway, turn left.
Narrows Botanical Gardens
Shore Road between Bay Ridge Avenue and 72nd Street
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, USA
©2008 Narrows Botanical Gardens