PASSION FOR GARDENING and LOFTY ROOF ART(c) By Polly Guerin

Go no further than the New York Bronx Botanical Garden and step into Monet’s world right here in the Bronx, no need to go to Giverny, France; take a lofty visit to the MET roof for a breathtaking panoramic view of the city, then dig into art and culture in a myriad of choices this week. Here’s the scoop?
MONET'S GARDEN Ah to be in Giverny again!!! I remember well as one of the most picturesque spots in the South of France. I took my students there a few years ago and we were all inspired by the lush colors and the bright sunny yellow dining room of the house. All you need do is to take a breather and go on the Metro North train to the Botanical Garden station. The multifaceted exhibition examines the life and work of the Impressionist master Claude Monet by highlighting his passion for gardening and the inspiration he drew from his living masterpiece, the garden on the grounds of his home in Giverny, France. Opens to the general public May 19 through Oct. 21. Events and Program: Chamber Music by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy the music of Monet's contemporaries Claude Debussy, Albert Roussel, and Gabriel Faure on Sundays May 20, Oct. 7 and Oct.21 at 4 pm. For Families: Observe and Create, let your inner Monet run wild and be inspired by nature to create art in all different forms. May 19-Sept. 30, Weekdays, 10 am-5:30pm and weekdays, 10am-5:30pm. Take a poetry walk or indulge your passion for gardens by taking a course in watercolor basics. http://www.nybg.org/. Adult all-garden pass tickets start at $20. Monet's Garden on Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram and Pinterest.
CLOUD CITY A galactic sphere has landed on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. Artist, Tomas Saraceno's installation is a 'must see' spectacle of ingenuity. Adventurous visitors can walk through the interconnected modules made with transparent and reflective mirror-like materials. The lines will be long for this one so check the website for the schedule, weather permitting, http://www.metmuseum.org/. Get into orbit and go to the roof!!!
AARON BURR RETURNS TO NEW YORK An exhibition on Burr and His Contemporaries marks the 200th anniversary of Burr's return to New York, ending a self-imposed exile to Europe following his trial for treason and the tragic duel with Alexander Hamilton. At the Grolier Club, 47 E. 60th St. opening May 16 through July 28, FREE for the general public. Included in the exhibition are rare books, pamphlets, newspapers, autograph letters and relics relating to Burr and his contemporaries including Benedict Arnold, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. A careful attention to documents reveals a far more complex persona, one whose support for women's rights, the arts and the nascent anti-slavery movement were among the most progressive of his time.
Ta Ta darlings!!! I went to Giverny via the NYBG and the Monet garden presentation is breathtaking. So get out and get some sunshine and head for the Bronx. Fan mail welcome: pollytalk@verizon.net and to view Polly's Blogs go to http://www.pollytalk.com/ and in the left hand column click on the link to poetry, fashion, amazing women determined to succeed or visionary men.