<![CDATA[Untermyer Gardens Conservancy

<![CDATA[Untermyer Gardens Conservancy - Newsletters]]>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:48:58 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Recognition for Excellence]]>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/recognition-for-excellenceJune 5, 2026

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

With great pride I announce that Untermyer Gardens is the recipient of the Jean and John Greene Prize for Excellence in American Gardening. It is the most prestigious award given by the Garden Conservancy, the nation’s preeminent organization dedicated to the preservation of significant American gardens. The $45,000 grant will support the development of the Color Gardens, the last of Samuel Untermyer’s gardens to be restored. We are delighted to join an elite group of four other gardens that have been awarded the annual Greene Prize. Below is a rendering created by Patrick Suarez of Ferguson & Shamamian of what the restored gardens will look like.

Untermyer has quite a fine collection of Japanese maples, which are now beginning to develop a more mature and elegant shape. In the spring, their color can assume an especially delicate blush or hue, and they merit close observation. Wander around the Temple of Love and the Rock and Stream Garden and feast your eyes. The rocky landscape provides an especially picturesque setting for these special trees.

Out of the blue, we got wind of a fine article online about our developing Stumpery written by a neighbor in Hastings, Jim Nolan.Independently, he seemed to really appreciate what we are trying to accomplish. We are about halfway through the development of this garden, with masses of herbaceous plants to be placed in the ground during the next two years, but this gives an excellent sense of where we are headed. Here is a picture of Timothy Tilghman with Kevin Cotter, who is helping to construct the “wet cairns” at the Stumpery.

The Ornamental Vegetable Garden has just experienced the peak of its first crop, which consisted mainly of leafy vegetables: lettuce, cabbage, Swiss chard, kale, and kohlrabi. Our first cohort of Yonkers public high school students has now completed its session, which culminated in the harvest of these vegetables and their distribution to local food banks. The second rotation of interns began this week and will start the cycle with another planting.

The next concert in our Minnie Untermyer series will take place on Saturday, June 20. Returning for their sixth consecutive year, Tom Gold Dance will perform “Mad About the Boy,” which was inspired by Robert Altman’s satirical masterpiece, Gosford Park. The dancers will be accompanied by a vocalist and a pianist performing sophisticated songs by Ivor Novello, Cole Porter, and Noel Coward. It’s a perfect summer delight!

Kind regards,
SFB

]]><![CDATA[Pin Cushions]]>Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/pin-cushionsDear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

I encourage you to take a close look at the ziggurat beds that flank the Persian Pool in the Walled Garden. Samuel Untermyer changed these beds throughout his 25 years of active gardening, but I think that we have come up with a superior solution. Timothy Tilghman suggested working with grasses of different colors, and I thought we should emphasize the stepped shape of the pool. Voilà, a zigzag geometric form, which (if you blur your eyes a bit) brings to mind a fragment of a Persian carpet.

Mother’s Day is always our biggest day at the garden, as it takes place when so much of it is in flower. So it was no surprise that we had more than 5,000 visitors last Sunday, even though the weather was less than ideal.

The gardeners continue to haul in truckloads of plants, gradually filling out various areas. Such was the case at the north pool in the Walled Garden, where many pots of aquatics were brought out of hibernation to put on a colorful show this year. You can be sure that the dragonflies will be paying attention!

The next time you come for a visit, you will see construction taking place outside the Cola Community Center. A tired and inadequate concrete slab was replaced by a larger and more shapely one that carefully curves around the existing trees. A seasonal canopy will be erected, which should provide a shady spot for visitors and a potential location for a future café. Thanks to the City of Yonkers for making this possible.

This is one of the best times to visit the Rock and Stream Garden, which is north of the Temple of Love and its cascades. The lower part features an array of rock garden plants, some of them alpine. Many resemble pincushions and give small bursts of color. Featured against the burbling stream and the artfully placed rocks, the whole setting is quite picturesque.

One of our most popular performances of the year is the Persian music concert, which is accompanied by delicious Persian treats at intermission. Taking place on Saturday, May 30, it’s a great way to kick off the Minnie Untermyer Concert Series.

Drew Schuyler, our assistant head gardener, is here to discuss the cool seasonal annuals that which line the canals in the Walled Garden.

Kind regards,
SFB

]]><![CDATA[Water Features]]>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/water-featuresApril 22, 2026

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

Spring is roaring ahead, thanks to the burst of warm weather last week. At the top of my must-see list is the Lilac Border, which is now at its peak. We have selected “own root” lilacs that are grown from cuttings, not grafted. Many are from older cultivars, which are exceptionally fragrant and will remain true to type, not reverting to an inferior variety. They are also more disease resistant and long-lived. All good!

The first thing that currently greets you on a visit to Untermyer Gardens is our disheveled Crescent Garden, right near the inner parking lot. It is studded with native and deer-resistant plants, as it is outside the deer fence. It is deliberately left messy as long as possible to support overwintering insects and birds. Don’t worry, it will be tidied up soon.

Timothy Tilghman thinks that the longstanding blanket of snow that persisted here last winter was beneficial to many perennial plants. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I strolled along the Rhododendron Walk. The hellebores collection there is truly sumptuous, with gorgeously subtle colors and patterns and varied petal configurations. I have never seen such a display before, and the erect flowers show good posture, unlike the drooping ones more commonly seen.

Seven water features are now operating: the Four Rivers of Life, the North Pool, and the Persian Pool in the Walled Garden, the grotto behind the Ruin Garden, the Temple of Love waterfall and cascades, the Rock and Stream Garden, and the Stumpery fountain. It’s a lot of work to get them up and running. An eighth will soon be activated in the Stumpery once the cairns are completed.

And bear in mind that four more water features are planned: two fountains at the future Color Gardens and a pond at the future Quiet Garden. To make it an even dozen when our restoration is fully realized, one can add a natural water feature that is currently hidden. Just below the Stumpery we diverted an underground spring to spill gently over a distinctive rock that we call the Beached Whale.

This is the time of year when we announce our Minnie Untermyer Concert Series, which will take place during the summer in our amphitheater overlooking the Walled Garden, starting with our annual Persian concert on Saturday, May 30, at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are now available, and I encourage you to mix music and horticulture in a delightful way.

Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President

]]><![CDATA[Spring Projects]]>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/spring-projectsApril 1, 2026

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

Several projects that were to have taken place in the winter were postponed because of the lingering snow, so now the gardeners are burning the candle at both ends. All hands are on deck to lay out the future accessible path through the woodlands that will connect the meadow with the Temple of Love cascades. The slope cannot exceed 1:20, so there will be judicious cutting and filling to achieve the proper grade.

A highlight along the path will be the future Sun Dial garden, an evocation of the one created by Samuel Untermyer in the 1930s but with a twist—it will be constructed from various architectural remnants (more on that later). To give you a sense of its location, take a look at this bramble. Behind it is a substantial rock outcrop, which will give the garden a strong sense of place.

It's that time of year again, or so say the daffodils which are coming into bloom. Check them out on the slopes around the Temple of Love and the Rock and Stream Gardens, and on Daffodill Hill below.

We at last have achieved a long-held goal to expand our office space. For fifteen years, we have occupied a single room in the Cola Center with three desks and no closets. It required creative schedule juggling and inventive space management to accommodate four full-time and three part-time staff. With a second room, staff can actually work together in person face to face. And we can store supplies on shelves where we can easily find them. Imagine that!

One of the earliest harbingers of spring at Untermyer Gardens is witch hazel. A beautiful specimen on the lower terrace of the Walled Garden near the gate, now in full bloom, has golden ribbon-like petals in an elegant branching form. They are also fragrant. I planted a similar one at my house, but it doesn’t look nearly as nice. I wonder why that is.

More digging is in progress at the switchback area of the meadow, where a power rake is loosening the soil in preparation for seeding the whole area with a blend of native plants. The initial planting in 2024 farther up the hill was done with potted plants, so this is a different strategy, and it will be interesting to compare the results.

Our volunteers provide crucial support for our operations – greeting visitors, leading tours and classes, and assisting at special events. If you are interested in joining this group, please attend our Volunteer Kickoff meeting on Saturday, April 11, at 1:00 p.m.

Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns, President

]]><![CDATA[Palpable Sense of Energy]]>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/palpable-sense-of-energyDear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

When I go outside in the morning these days, I try to listen for a little more bird activity. Any additional chirps are most welcome at this time of year, especially given our unending winter. This reminds me of a most interesting observation by Timothy Tilghman last year. His phone is equipped with the Merlin Bird ID app, which identifies bird calls. Leaving his phone on for ten minutes or so in various parts of the garden, he has discovered that birds are most diverse near the Ruin Garden, which is surrounded by many towering native trees: red oaks, tulips, black birch, hickories, cherries, and sassafras. Which goes to show that native plant advocates have the right idea—we would do well to keep planting more natives.

A juvenile yellow-bellied sapsucker

Untermyer Gardens is pleased to welcome a stellar addition to our staff, Laurel Rimmer. As Garden Programs Coordinator, Laurel will manage our classes, workshops, concerts, tours, special events, and the like. After holding a similar position at Wave Hill for 28 years, she became the Program and Marketing Director at Stonecrop Gardens, a part-time position. To our great good fortune, Laurel will devote the rest of her work week to Untermyer Gardens. She takes over from Trish Lindemann, who brought our programming to new heights. Luckily for us, Trish will continue to lead our weekly garden class.

Our first cohort of high school interns has reported for duty. Working on Saturdays and supervised by Liz Dreeben and John Jacono, they are at the very beginning of their horticultural experience. Their current focus is on starting seeds indoors for plants that will ultimately populate the vegetable garden once they’ve matured: cabbage, fennel, kale, and more. Participating in our Youth Horticultural Training Initiative has been a life-altering experience for 80 interns over the years, and we hope our new recruits will be similarly inspired.

Spring is coming and with it a great need for volunteers. It goes without saying that we could not achieve as much as we do without the help of so many people who love Untermyer Gardens. Our volunteers help greet people on weekends, act as docents for tours and school groups, and check in ticket buyers at concerts and other special events. We have scheduled a Volunteer Kickoff for interested volunteers on Saturday, April 11, at 1:00 p.m. Please join us! Click the link to RSVP, or email Volunteer Coordinator Maura May.

Just as we get cranked up for spring, I am reminded that our Untermyer project is built on passion. Visitors often comment on the palpable sense of energy they see in our workers, in both the garden and the office. Yes, there are challenges at times, but I am reminded of a thoughtful mentor who told me, “We do not struggle in our mission.” Now fifteen years in the running, the Conservancy is still forging new ground, making new discoveries, and figuring out how we can do better. Onward!

Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President

]]><![CDATA[Family Legend]]>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/family-legendDear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

Not in many years has the snow lingered on the ground for so long. Thankfully, the gardeners have cut a path that winds through it. What a fun way to wander around the garden, as you are led along the way. One path was recently studded with the shadow of the crenellated wall nearby, creating an interesting effect.

This is the season when the gardeners engage in their biggest recycling effort of the year, that of washing many thousands of plastic pots. It is quite an effort and enables them to plant thousands of seedlings in re-used pots and care for them in our greenhouses.

With temperatures going down to zero and below a few times this winter, I have been concerned about some of our trees that are marginally hardy in our plant zone. I am delighted to report that the Monkey Puzzle tree on the east side of the Walled Garden is looking quite healthy and robust, its vivid spiky leaves contrasting boldly with the snow. At the Vista, it’s interesting to see the warm brown color developed by the rows of evergreen Cryptomeria.

Here is a funny historical tidbit. An extensive piece in The New Yorker (May 18, 1940) about Samuel Untermyer after his death notes that Minnie Untermyer had purchased two Italian Renaissance ceilings from the estate of Stanford White that were never installed but stored in a barn on the property. According to family legend, there’s more to the story. While at the auction, Minnie wondered if she could buy them and sent a telegram to her husband, who replied, “No price too high.” He thought he had instructed her not to buy them, but Minnie thought he had approved, so buy them she did! Punctuation makes all the difference.

Although our summer concert series is months away, I am pleased to report that Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dancers will return to our amphitheater this year. The company danced here in the 1920s and 30s during Samuel Untermyer’s lifetime. Here is a charming video of a performance in 1932.

Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President

]]><![CDATA[Arctic Winter]]>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/arctic-winterJanuary 28, 2026

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
I for one do not mind an old-time arctic winter, especially the magical transformation that snow brings. Think of it as an adventure to be savored—though for some, ideally from the inside looking out! And don’t forget that you can get a suntan from the reflected snow while outside.

But with cold weather, we need to take special measures to keep the water from freezing in the Persian Pool. It’s critical to protect its beautifully restored mosaics, which can be damaged when freezing water causes the tesserae to buckle. The water in the pool is heated to some extent, but the other solution is to install temporary sump pumps, which activate and bubble the surface of the water. Though a bit unsightly, they are low-tech, inexpensive, and do the trick.

We are mindful of the fragile state of the retaining wall that supports the lower carriage trail immediately above the Old Croton Aqueduct, a New York State park. Its poor condition threatens both the carriage trail and the aqueduct below, so we have been deliberately setting aside funds to enable a replacement, hopefully in 2027. These efforts have taken a great leap forward with two recent grants from our devoted public officials, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins ($500,000) and State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh ($125,000). This is a critical, complex project, and their support is pivotal and deeply appreciated. Please give them your hearty thanks when you next see them.

I confess to being a bit of a Luddite when it comes to technological bells and whistles. This newsletter may be digital, but it is written by me with the help of others. Old-fashioned low-tech suits me just fine. However, my tech-savvier readers might like to download a digital wallpaper for their mobile and desktop devices, featuring pictures taken by our peerless gardener-photographer John Jacono.

Our Winter Lecture is fast approaching on Tuesday, February 10, at 6:00 p.m. at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Drew Schuyler, our excellent Assistant Head Gardener, is a brilliant horticulturist and a compelling speaker. Inspired by his in-depth five-week exposure to the gardens of Japan last fall, he will offer a rare look at these beautiful landscapes from a gardener’s point of view. Tickets are available here.

Timothy Tilghman is here with a video to discuss unusual tools that aid in accuracy and also save labor.

Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns, President

]]><![CDATA[Ring in the New]]>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 21:18:27 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/ring-in-the-newJanuary 7, 2026

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

As we ring in the New Year, I’m especially pleased to welcome Michele Rossetti to join us as Executive Director. While I will remain as President, working part time, Michele will manage our operations and our partnership with the City of Yonkers. (You can read more about Michele here.)

A few weeks ago, we inaugurated a new tradition: the first alumni reunion of our high school interns. Since launching our Youth Horticultural Initiative in 2019, we have provided paid internships to a total of 80 Yonkers public high school students who worked in teams alongside our gardeners, supervised by Liz Dreeben and John Jacono. It was a life-changing experience for them, and many have maintained close bonds. Look at this group of smiling gardeners-in-training!

This year’s Illumination was our most spectacular ever, but the weather was very cold, which made the hot chocolate even more appreciated. The snow on the ground was a classic wintry touch, but it forced the gardeners to do massive shoveling and plowing not once but three times! The new Grand March delighted all, young and old, and helped to keep our blood flowing during the arctic temperatures.

We are so grateful to our Illumination sponsors: Yonkers Economic Development Corporation, ArtsWestchester, AVR Realty Company, ENT & Allergy Associates, Macquesten Development, Montefiore Einstein, Schildwachter Oil, Sound Associates, St. John’s Riverside Hospital, and Orange Bank & Trust Company.

In addition, our hearty thanks go to all the community groups who generously volunteered to greet visitors and serve the hot chocolate at the Illumination, which ran for thirty nights this year, a record. They were expertly coordinated by Maura May, our devoted Education and Volunteer Coordinator.

The snow in the garden is one of winter’s most magical treats. Its juxtaposition with our strong architecture is an added highlight, which you can savor when walking around. And the barren trees have opened up views of the river and the Palisades. Bundle up and come for a visit, but please check our website first to be sure the garden is open. At times, we may need to close temporarily to allow the gardeners to remove ice and snow.

Our annual Winter Lecture is approaching, and this year our assistant head gardener, Drew Schuyler, will speak about Japanese gardens. Drew received a prestigious Chanticleer Scholarship, which allowed him to immerse himself in the gardens of Japan over five weeks last fall. He will share his observations and his design insights with us. The lecture will take place on Tuesday, February 10, at 6:00 p.m. at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, followed by a wine and cheese reception. Tickets are available here.

Kind Regards,

Stephen F. Byrns, President

]]><![CDATA[Grand Holiday Illumination]]>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:52:08 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/grand-holiday-illumination6915547Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

I am pleased to share the details below for our tenth annual Grand Holiday Illumination, a joyous community celebration that is free to all. The Walled Garden will be aglow with thousands of lights as seasonal music from many cultural traditions resounds and visitors warm themselves with complimentary hot chocolate served by friendly volunteers.

This year, the Conservancy is establishing a new tradition—the Grand March—which will take place most nights at 6:30 p.m. (see schedule on website) on the lower terrace lawn, weather permitting. Lasting about ten minutes, this guided line dance is appropriate for all ages and promises to be a fun experience that adds warmth and camaraderie to the evening. The dance will be accompanied by lively march music as participants form twosomes, foursomes, a tunnel, a spiral, and a runaround.

We are grateful to the Yonkers Economic Development Corporation for their leadership support of the Illumination and to all our sponsors: ArtsWestchester, AVR Realty Company, ENT & Allergy Associates, MacQuesten Development, LLC, Montefiore Einstein, Schildwachter Fuel Oil, St. John’s Riverside Hospital, Sound Associates, Inc., and Orange Bank & Trust Company.

The Illumination opens on Saturday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m. It will then run daily December 7 through January 4 from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. Please join us.

Kind regards,

Stephen F. Byrns, President

]]><![CDATA[New Sculptures]]>Wed, 05 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.untermyergardens.org/newsletters/newsletter-11525November 5, 2025

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

Recently, we dedicated seven large bronze busts of Hudson River School painters by the noted sculptor Greg Wyatt against a stupendous backdrop of the Hudson River and Palisades in the Long Garden. Depicting Thomas Cole, Frederic E. Church, Jasper Cropsey, Thomas Moran, Asher B. Durand, Albert Bierstadt, and Sanford R. Gifford, the impressive ensemble is punctuated by our two towering ancient Roman columns at the Vista Overlook. A most generous gift of the Newington-Cropsey Foundation, they recall the artistic displays that peppered the landscape in Samuel Untermyer’s time. An engraved label on the back of each sculpture provides a detailed biography of the artist.

Earlier this week, the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy received the 2025 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award, which was presented by the Preservation League of New York State, the state’s leading preservation organization. It honored the Conservancy’s role in the metamorphosis of Untermyer Gardens over the past fifteen years and continues the regional and national recognition we have received. Samuel Untermyer’s ambition for the garden was grand, and so is ours.

With colder weather setting in, winter preparations are underway in the garden. Tropical plants are being moved indoors, annuals are being cut down, the cascades and canals will soon be drained, and our intrepid volunteer greeters are off duty until the spring. We are blessed with a huge community of volunteers who help in so many ways, and at the end of the season we celebrate them at our annual Volunteer Party. Look at all these happy faces!

Our high school interns conducted the last harvest in the Vegetable Garden, and it was quite a haul. They were the third cohort this year and did an outstanding job. The garden now looks somewhat bare, but its underlying geometry is still quite interesting.

Work on the Stumpery has picked up speed. The gardeners and garden class members have planted about 200 woody plants, and our creative masons went to town building ten whimsical stone cairns. Some of them contain bits of flotsam that have been recovered from the garden over the years. The Stumpery will be one of the most distinctive and original features of the garden, and I believe it will be the largest in the world when it’s completed.

Timothy Tilghman is here to share how he and his team go about installing the Grand Holiday Illumination – it’s quite an operation!

Kind regards,

Stephen F. Byrns, President

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