Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in the News - 2019 and Earlier
(09/16/2019) Interns Plant Homage to Untermyer's Garden Legacy. Rivertowns Enterprise. Jackie Lupo.
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""I've always liked nature, ever since I was little," [Carmen] Barragan said, "When I heard about this, I said, 'Let me apply.' Just being outside now makes me feel like I can take over the world. That's what nature makes me feel like."" |
(09/2019) Lost in Yonkers. Elle Decor. Margaret Roach.
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Back it is coming, though. “It is extreme what we are trying to pull off,” Byrns says. He enlisted the founding director of horticulture from nearby public garden Wave Hill, Marco Polo Stufano, as volunteer adviser, and hired Timothy Tilghman, who had previously worked for Stufano, as head gardener. |
(07/31/2019) Summer Interns Help Create New Attraction at Untermyer Gardens. Yonkers Rising.
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"The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy is midway through a major summer project called the Rhododendron Walk. [...] Working under the leadership of Liz Dreeben, a conservancy gardener, a crew of seven Yonkers public high school students has been transforming this area. |
(06/23/2019) Greeting the Solstice. New York Times.
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(05/22/2019) Untermyer Gardens to Restore Rock Gardens. Ernie Garcia.
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""When we started working seven years ago it was a total jungle, so there was nothing visible at all," Byrns said Friday. "It was a process of excavation over a winter." |
(11/18) Persian Fest.
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Earlier this month, traditional Persian music filled the air as late-afternoon cocktails in the garden culminated in a performance by the Vancouver Pars National Ballet in the outdoor amphitheater beneath the twin sphinxes sculpted by Paul Manship. Guests enjoyed lavish Persian cuisine in an open tent with spectacular views of sunset on the Hudson River. |
(9/21/18) Prelude to Fall
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The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers celebrated the Persian fall festival of Mehregan on Sept. 16. |
A rock garden at Untermyer Gardens lost for decades to overgrowth will begin reconstruction in October. |
"Imagine stepping through a doorway set into high crenellated brick walls into a magical garden. |
"In answer to a call for suggestions for topics for future columns, several of my readers independently recommended Untermyer Park (945 N. Broadway, Yonkers) in the most glowing terms. With the excuse of needing to entertain an overseas guest, we visited last week. I am rarely speechless, but we were both totally overwhelmed by the grandeur of the restoration."
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"The canals are the signature feature of a Persian garden, symbolizing the four rivers of Paradise, and have been in disrepair for decades. Water leakage was severe. Century old pipes and cracked concrete were replaced, with new accessible bridges installed. A state-of-the-art membrane will prevent further water leaks. The project took 9 months to complete." |
"The centerpiece of Untermyer Gardens is its walled Persian Garden, which has been restored over the past seven years so that it rivals ancient gardens in Europe, India, and the Middle East." |
CBS2's Cindy Hsu has the details on a hidden gem in Westchester: the Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers. |
(7/16/18) Untermyer Gardens rehab 'sensational'
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"It's sensational. It really sparkles. The crowning touch will be the return of the fish," said Stephen Byrns, president of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy. "A Persian garden is supposed to overwhelm you with the beauty of nature." |
"Stephen Byrns, President of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, was recently honored by the Garden Club of America, GCA, for his restoration efforts at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers. Byrns, joined other notable honorees, including former First Lady Laura Bush, to celebrate their honor from GCA, a national leader that works to promote horticulture, environmental protection, and community improvement." |
(July/August 2018) American Fine Art Magazine: Make Your Garden Grow
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"Stephen Byrns, a New York architect with a substantial practice came upon the site and was mesmerized. The important remaining feature, in addition to the “Temple of Love,” was a walled Persian garden. The water feature had gone dry, the pools and surrounding mosaics were crumbling, the vistas were overgrown. As with Betsy Rogers a generation earlier, Byrns created a public/private partnership, rolled up his sleeves, engaged horticulturalist Timothy Tilghman and began the process of recovery. The results after a few years, are magical. Within the armature of the structure, with Marco’s advice, the garden has become something of a magic carpet. While not reproducing the original planting schemes it enhances the character of the space, creating a world apart, a landscape of imagination and, yes, reverie." |
"As a brilliant sunset splashed colors across the cloud streaked sky, music swelled and filled the gardens. Everyone came together to dance at the open-air amphitheater till the end of the event." |
J.P. Morgan defends Wall Street |
"City officials are discussing a land swap between Untermyer Gardens and St. John's Riverside Hospital that would return the historic Color Gardens to the park's footprint." |
(11/19/2017) Samuel Untermyer: The Superlawyer Who Took on Hitler
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"Untermyer embodied the American dream—with the Rockefeller-Carnegie corollary of giving back grandly once you’ve made it big..." |
(11/19/2017) Grading Gardens
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"Perhaps the most astonishing thing about this garden was the free admission and operation…this would be the secret spot I would insist on taking any visitor from out of town!" |
(10/2017) Persian Thanksgiving
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"Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers was the site of a gala to celebrate Mehregan, the ancient Persian festival of thanksgiving for the harvest." |
(10/10/2017) 5 Hudson Valley
Fall Adventures |
"The Walled Garden, Temple of Love and the Vista are now brilliantly restored with sophisticated horticulture. The Walled Garden is the finest Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere. At the base of the Vista are two ancient Roman monolithic columns." |
(9/20/2017) Untermyer’s Garden of Eden
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"Untermyer Gardens is the perfect Manhattan getaway, off the beaten path, whether on a sunny day, for a free summer evening concert, or at Christmas when Untermyer becomes a twinkling garden of fairy lights." |
"Restoration of the Rock Garden will complete the missing piece of the puzzle between the Walled Garden and the Temple of Love," |
(9/15/2017) Mayer Secures $125K Grant for Untermyer Gardens
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“I am glad to be able to secure this grant for the Untermyer Gardens’ restoration efforts,” said Assemblymember Shelley Mayer. “These gardens are a true treasure that we have here in the City of Yonkers, appreciated throughout the world. |
(9/14/2017) No Mayflowers at this Thanksgiving
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For the second year Mehregan, the ancient Persian festival of thanksgiving was celebrated at the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy on Sunday, September 12. The Untermyer Gardens, once considered the “Most Spectacular Garden in America,” has been recently restored, and contains perhaps the finest Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere. |
Greeted by a castle-like structure called the Walled Garden, we were amazed by the gorgeous collection of flowers and ponds that adorned the area. As one of the finest Perisan gardens in the Western Hemisphere, we were equally amazed by the Grecian open amphitheater area with its tall marble columns that overlooks the Hudson. |
"What a spectacular next part of the restoration of this park. When you stand at the top of those stairs, and you look down and you look out, the view.. leaves you speechless." |
(7/21/2017) Vista at Untermyer Gardens Restored.
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Vista at Untermyer Gardens Restored. Assemblymember Shelley Mayer, City Council Minority Leader Michael Sabatino and Mayor Mike Spano celebrate the completion of the vista at Untermyer Gardens with Stephen Byrns, president of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy. |
Celebrating a Century. The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy held its annual Summer Solstice Sunset Soiree on Wednesday, June 21. The event celebrated the 100th anniversary of Untermyer Gardens, a 43-acre public park on North Broadway in Yonkers. |
(6/30/2017) The Spirit of Summer. Rebecca Smeyne.
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Summer Solstice Sunset Soiree. The Conservancy sponsored its annual soiree with its customary theatrical and humorous flair amidst a brilliantly flowering landscape overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades on June 21. |
Stewardship Honor. Untermyer Gardens Conservancy founder and president Stephen Byrns was honored on May 1 with the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) Arthur Ross Award for Excellence in the Classical Tradition, in the category of Stewardship. |
(4/21/2017) Love Among the Ruins. Jana Seitz.
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It’s hard to fully describe the thrill of finding the Garden of Eden right smack in the middle of Yonkers, you just have to trust me and go find it yourself. The man-made miracle of Samuel Untermyer awaits you, a classic Indo-Persian garden as soothing as a balm in Gilead. |
(02/2017) The 15 Most Romantic Places in New York!
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"This 40-acre walled Persian garden is a popular engagement spot in Yonkers. It’s a lovingly restored early 20th Century masterpiece, with stunning landscaping, architecture, and views of the Hudson River." |
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At the very bottom of the hill at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY there are a series of gateposts, walls and gates comprising an impressive entranceway. In the past most visitors haven't made the long trek down to see this part of the garden but recently new direct pathways have been opened up and have drawn our attention to this area. Set into the walls are two puzzling statuary reliefs that are of particular interest in terms of their meaning and origin. |
(12/16/2016) Untermyer Brightens Annual Holiday Landscape. Jackie Lupo
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The fans of Untermyer Park and Gardens keep multiplying as its meticulous restoration, now in its sixth year, moves forward. |
Whoever coined the phase "a labor of love" could have been describing Untermyer Gardens, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary. |
The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy hosted its annual Summer Solstice Sunset Soiree on the evening of Thursday, June 16. |
(2016) Sexy infrastructure and other notable developments in 2016. Charles Birnbaum
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After years of decline, the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, operating out of a one-room office, in partnership with the Yonkers Parks Department, has engineered a Lazarus-like resurrection of this great site by restoring major features, including the Temple of Love, the Walled Garden and numerous other significant components. |
(2016) Photosynthesis: Walled Garden at Untermyer Park and Gardens Restored. Stephen Byrns.
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(10/28/2016) Two Yonkersites Play Key Role at Untermyer Gardens.
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The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy is proud of these two Yonkers citizens and has benefitted greatly from their skilled work. Indeed, all of Yonkers is indebted to them for the magnificent transformation that is ongoing at Untermyer Gardens. |
(10/07/2016) Persepolis on Hudson. Tim Lamorte
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The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy hosted a celebration of Mehregan, the Persian harvest festival inside the Persian Garden at Untermyer on Monday, September 26. |
(09/29/2016) Fall Brings Operas, Harvest Festivals and a Bounty of Galas. Amy Lombard
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On Sept. 26, the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy celebrated Mehregan, the ancient Persian harvest festival, with cocktails and dinner at Untermyer Park and Gardens in Yonkers, which overlooks the Hudson River and the Palisades. |
(09/10/2016) Garden Variety. Marisa Nobs and Nick Brandi
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Thanks to the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, a major initiative was launched in 2011 to restore the gardens to their erstwhile glory. Today, Untermyer Gardens enchant guests of all ages, with 50,000 people visiting them in the past year alone. For the low, low price of practically nothing, you can take a stroll down the Vista stairs to stare out at the Hudson River and Palisades, wax wistful by the Walled Garden’s reflective pools or maybe even propose to your significant other at the Temple of Love. |
(09/2016) Untermyer. Maggie Tran
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Untermyer is one of the most exciting restoration of a historic garden I have seen for awhile. Once the garden and and namesake of a very successful corporate Jewish lawyer and his Christian wife Minnie in the early 1900s, the garden has been left for years as this mystical grand ruin. Its story and appearance is almost one of fables. There is something haunting seeing this unusual and stunning Indo-Persian styled architecture in these times with it's strong symbolic fortress walled garden and towers in each corner, it's criss cross axis of canals and paths, one of them flanked by two tall columns alighted each with a sphinx on top and a round open top Greek style temple looking out onto the dramatic view of the Hudson River and the steep cliffs of the Palisades, representing cross overs of different religion and culture and an interpretation of Eden. |
(09/25/2016) Garden Party. Christina.
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Had the pleasure of attending the first annual End of Summer Garden Party at Untermyer Gardens a few weeks ago, and had such an amazing time. If you're not familiar with Untermyer Gardens, its a lovingly restored public garden tucked away in Yonkers, and it's seriously one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been in metro NY area. Such a hidden gem! |
(07/21/2016) Untermyer Park, a Bit of Eden in Westchester. Joseph P. Griffith.
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The group began renovating the park about five years ago and the result is a spectacular, elegant showpiece. “We’ve been working steadily but we’re by no means done,” Byrns said, adding that a complete restoration could take another 15 to 20 years. “By comparison, Central Park took probably 30 years to restore. |
(06/2016) PureWow's 92 Days of Summer in NYC.
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(06/24/2016) Supermodel Kate Upton Visits Untermyer Gardens.
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(06/10/2016) Untermyer Park and Gardens Continues Restoration.
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Who knew the Gates of Paradise and the Garden of Eden were just a few miles north of Manhattan in Yonkers? These grand-sounding biblical names describe features at Untermyer Park and Gardens called, “America’s most spectacular garden,” in the 1920s. |
(06/01/2016) Artist Repairing Untermyer Park Temple, Mosaics. Ernie Garcia.
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For Bint-Kadi, the director of community engagement through the arts at Groundwork Hudson Valley, repairing the Medusa mosaic is personal because she often brought her daughters to the gardens. Repairing an old mosaic is also personal because of all the mosaics she's created locally. |
(05/27/2016) Lohud's Summer Bucket List. Kevin Phelan.
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Untermyer Park in Yonkers is a don't-miss destination, but what's new this summer is the newly renovated Temple of Love. The popular Hudson River overlook underwent a six-month facelift and expansion and is scheduled to debut on June 1. The temple's waterworks, which haven't functioned for 75 years, will be back in working condition and electrical, plumbing and masonry upgrades have also been made. |
(05/02/2016) Mother's Day: Alternatives to Brunch. Karen Croke.
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Take a public tour of Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers. Once a lavish 150-acre estate, today, you can take in its walled Persian Gardens, fountains, follies, and Hudson River vistas. |
(04/2016) Clem Labine's Traditional Building. The Challenges of Preserving Historic Gardens. Martha McDonald.
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An example of a garden making a comeback is Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY. It consisted of 150 acres on the Hudson River when Samuel Untermyer acquired it in 1899. After his death in 1940, the gardens languished and the house was razed. Its walled garden is based on Persian gardens with waterways dividing it into four quadrants and walls anchored with octagonal towers at the corners. |
(04/26/2016) NYMetro Parents. Untermyer Gardens: America's Greatest Forgotten Garden. Estée Pouleris.
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These grounds are a real gem for lovers of gardens and history. For someone who loves exploring, especially when it feels like a discovery, this park really captured my heart. These gardens are truly a relic of another time. |
(04/05/2016) Jakarta Post. Taking a stroll in New York's 'Garden of Eden' Indah Nuria Savitri.
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Beautifully situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, the park is a hidden gem. Open to the public for free, it immediately steals the hearts of garden lovers. It is a dazzling place to visit when you are around New York City. |
(04/12/2016) Journal News. Untermyer's Temple of Love upgraded for spring Kevin Phelan.
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One of the major highlights? The Temple of Love, which features waterworks that haven't functioned in 75 years, is in the middle of a major renovation and will be back in working order by late spring, according to Untermyer Garden Conservancy President Stephen Byrns. |
(04/2016) Fine Gardening. Untermyer Gardens Restoration.
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I think I know where I'm going for my next day trip! |
(12/18/2015) Rivertowns Enterprise. Untermyer's Persian Garden Dazzles in the Dark. Jackie Lupo.
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There's no shortage of dazzling light displays in the Rivertowns around the holidays, but this year Untermyer Gardens on Broadway in North Yonkers has upped the ante. |
(12/02/2015) New York Times. Gardens: ‘Rescuing Eden,’ ‘The High Line’ and More. Dominique Browning.
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If ever we needed another argument for garden preservation, Untermyer Park in Yonkers, N.Y., provides a stunning example. |
(2015) Sitelines. Placemaker: Stephen F. Byrns. Paula Dietz.
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In a mere five years, Stephen Byrns has reinvigorated one of America’s most enchanting gardens, and yet he is more focused on all that remains to be done – notably, replanting the meadow gardens and the floral sundial at the edge of the woodland and reestablishing the carriage drives. |
(10/20/2015) Inside Philanthropy. Behind the Effort to Restore America's Greatest Forgotten Garden. Stefanie Garden.
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The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy was founded in 2011 to facilitate the restoration of Samuel Untermyer’s gardens in Yonkers, New York. Working with local city officials, the conservancy has been slowly reviving these long-neglected grounds, transforming the ruins into a dazzling display of architectural and landscaping splendor for the public to enjoy. |
(10/05/2015) theLoop. Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers: a Must-See. Joyce Newman.
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The new restoration of the spectacular Untermyer Gardens, now more than 40 acres overlooking the Hudson River in Yonkers, is something to behold. The work to restore its centerpiece, a Walled Persian Garden, began in 2011. The results are truly awesome. |
New York Times (10/05/2015) Restoring a Temple of Love as Yonkers Eden is Revived. Lisa W. Foderaro.
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The temple has been dry for decades, its intricate filigree dome now rusty, a boulder at its base toppled over. But that is about to change. The temple is the latest restoration project at Untermyer Gardens, part of a Gilded Age estate that once belonged to the spectacularly wealthy lawyer and philanthropist Samuel Untermyer. |
Garden Collage (09/29/2015) Stepping into Paradise: Untermyer's Walled Garden. Joyce Newman
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The overwhelming effect upon entering the space is tropical, sensuous, and serene, as if you are in a mythical garden of the ancient past. Late summer and fall plantings along the waterways include huge, veined and leafy elephant’s ear, deep purple alternanthera, silvery dichondra, and light green sweet potato vine. |
The Journal News (07/31/2015) Untermyer Gardens: At Their Best in Midsummer. Bill Cary
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[...] in mid-to late summer, the gardens in Untermyer Park put on a show like no other. The colorful annuals massed along the edges of the water channels are at peak bloom and the exotic, impossibly tall tropical plants are so exuberant they look like they might burst from their pots. |
New York Times (06/19/2015) Evening Hours: Summertime Sweetness. Bill Cunningham
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Bill Cunningham's photos speak for themselves. |
Yonkers Rising (06/26/2015). A Great Week for Untermyer Gardens and Scenic Hudson Grant Supports Restoration of Untermyer Gardens.
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Yonkers’ hidden treasure, Untermyer Gardens, and the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, received an outpouring of support at their fundraising gala and from a grant from Scenic Hudson. |
Time Out NY (06/29/2015) The best cycling day trips from NYC. Tolly Wright.
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While there is plenty to do here, your best bet on a bike is to avoid the complicated highway and road system by hopping on the scenic Old Croton Aqueduct Trail in the Bronx's Van Cortlandt Park, then following it up to the back entrance of the Untermyer Gardens [...]. The stone columns, detailed Grecian mosaics, reflective pools and manicured flora of the Indo-Persian inspired Walled Garden of the grounds are so idyllic you'll forget you're only a few miles from the Bronx. |
Rivertowns Enterprise. (06/17/2015) Untermyer Celebrates Four Years of Renaissance. Jackie Lupo.
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The gardens have undergone a miraculous transformation in a short time, driven by the vision [...] of the conservancy's chairman, New York architect Stephen Byrns. |
Journal News (06/16/2015). Barbara Israel Honored at Untermyer Gardens Gala. Mark Vergari
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The event honored Israel for her "significant contributions to garden ornament scholarship and preservation in New York and the nation," says Stephen F. Byrns, chairman of the conservancy. Martha Stewart, Israel's neighbor in Katonah and honorary chair of the fundraising gala, introduced the honoree. |
Scenic Hudson. (06/17/2015) Scenic Hudson Grant Supports Restoration of Nationally Significant Gardens in Yonkers. Jay Burgess.
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Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said, “Untermyer Garden is a jewel in the City of Yonkers that provides tremendous enjoyment to residents and visitors alike. We are grateful to Scenic Hudson for contributing funds for the restoration of the garden waterworks, building on the organization’s long-standing commitment to the beauty and quality of life of Yonkers.” |
Mid-Hudson News. (06/17/2015). Yonkers gardens to be refurbished with Scenic Hudson grant.
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Scarsdale10583. Untermyer Gardens Paradise on the Hudson. (06/16/2015). Joann Wallenstein.
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You don't expect to find a 43-acre garden with influences of Persia, Spain, Italy and India tucked away behind a hospital in Yonkers, but look hard and you'll locate this paradise perched above the Hudson. |
Yonkers Tribune. (06/17/2015) Scenic Hudson Grant Supports Restoration of Nationally Significant Gardens in Yonkers. Hezi Aris.
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According to Stephen F. Byrns, chairman of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, “Scenic Hudson has always been on the forefront of preservation issues in the Hudson Valley. This early and significant contribution not only validates our work, but strengthens our mission to make this garden—with its reference to the Garden of Eden--a symbol of peace and brotherly love, a shared concept of the three Abrahamic religions.” |
Journal News. (06/04/2015) Garden tours: See four great ones in northern Westchester. Bill Cary.
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At its third annual Summer Solstice Sunset Soirée at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers on June 16, the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy will honor Barbara Israel for her "significant contributions to garden ornament scholarship and preservation in New York and the nation," says Stephen F. Byrns, chairman of the conservancy [...] Martha Stewart, Israel's neighbor in Katonah and honorary chair of the fundraising gala, will introduce her. |
At the edge of the Walled Garden, there is a magnificent set of stairs that end in a viewing platform called the Overlook. Offering sweeping views of the Hudson River and the Palisades, the Overlook is decked with two huge monolithic columns. The structures were carved from a single piece of stone. |
Yonkers Rising. (05/22/2015) Untermyer Chairman Honored.
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The Foundation for Landscape Studies bestowed its Place Maker Award to Stephen F. Byrns, founding chairman of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy on May 13 in the Boathouse in Central Park. |
The Journal News. (05/05/2015) See Untermyer Gardens in Full Bloom. Bill Cary.
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Spring is finally here in all its glory at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, and the 9,000 tulip bulbs that were planted last fall are in peak bloom this week. |
The Journal News. (04/17/2015) Untermyer Gardens tours start Sunday; what's new. Bill Cary.
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The big news so far this year is the removal of many old trees along the stone staircase that leads down from the Walled Garden, toward the Hudson River, to what's known as the Vista. |
Historic Gardens Review (12/2014) A Lawyer's Legacy. Anne R. Welles.
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By leaving us his gardens. Samuel Untermyer ensured that his legacy would not be confined to dusty archives. Today, his abiding love of plants and gardening and his passion to share their beauty with others allows us to be transported to another time, to contemplate the symbolism of a classic design or simply enjoy a moment of serenity. The art and beauty of a great garden endures and continues to affect every visitor who steps inside the walls of Untermyer Gardens. |
Journal News (02/18/2015) New Upgrades at Untermyer Gardens. Bill Cary.
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Thanks to some over-the-top fundraising last year, it looks to be an exciting spring and summer season at Untermyer Gardens. Three major capital projects should be underway, including a mile-long deer fence around much of the 44-acre public park. |
February 11, 2015.
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The Garden Conservancy. Progress at Untermyer Gardens Conservancy. |
February 5, 2015.
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The Cultural Landscape Foundation: Untermyer Park and Gardens. |
Yonkers Daily Voice (10/04/2014) Martha Stewart Plays Photographer At Yonkers' Untermyer Gardens Dina Grace Zoe Sciortino
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“I love visiting gardens around the country and the world,” said [Martha] Stewart, the 73-year-old founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, in her Sept. 23 post. “Last week I saw a very beautiful one close to home, Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, New York. |
Voices: Journal of the New York Folklore Society (winter 2014) Lion's Gate. Steve Zeitlin.
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The garden is divided into quadrants with four long rectangular pools representing the four rivers. Victoria and I walked between the two majestic trees at the entrance and marveled at the mythological pools, resplendent with water lilies and other elements from Greek and Islamic mythology. If an apple had been hanging from the tree, I am sure Victoria would have picked it. |
Yonkers Rising (09/19/2014) Untermyer Gardens: A Secret Paradise in Yonkers. Samantha Diliberti.
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Upon entering the Walled Garden, visitors hear the water trickle, see the goldfish swimming in the reflecting pools, appreciate the colorful flora and feel a sense of serenity amongst the perfect symmetry. Each aspect of the garden was carefully planned and mapped to represent an ancient icon or reference. The gardens offer a hands-on history lesson in which visitors can experience the sensation captured by centuries-old artistic and religious practices |
Martha Up Close and Personal: Visiting a Magnificent New York Garden. Martha Stewart. September 23, 2014.
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You know a place is really special when you turn a corner and find something unexpected that completely surprises you. I was taking my time looking at all the flowers in the walled garden when the girls excitedly called me over. I didn’t expect to see the the long vista of stairs leading down to a view of the Hudson River. We didn’t expect to come across a rocky tower capped with a lacy filigree temple either. A maze of narrow stairs, little alcoves and tunnels made of stones lead you up to a landing overlooking a curious arrangement of rocks. |
Journal News (09/2014) Through our Reader's Eyes: Two Galleries of Photos from Lohud's On Location with Lohud: Gallery One and Gallery Two.
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A Way to Garden: A New Heyday at Untermyer Gardens, Where Grandeur and Marigolds Mingle. Margaret Roach. September 1, 2014.
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Since 2011, Timothy has worked at Untermyer Park and Gardens in Yonkers, New York, which is becoming a horticultural destination for keen gardeners wanting inspiration–and a getaway for anyone just wanting to be surrounded by bold, contemporary plantings in a dramatic, historic setting. The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy is a non-profit organization collaborating with the City of Yonkers to facilitate the garden’s restoration |
The Rivertowns Enterprise (07/18/2014) Points of View from the Editor: Resurrecting Untermyer. Tim LaMorte
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During the last two years, the plantings inside those walls started to rival the stonework. The beds feature an array of colors and textures thanks to full-time horticulturist Timothy Tilghman and gardener Jessica Norman. |
It's a small but breathtaking garden in Yonkers that has a few different sections: a walled garden that has a fountain, plants and flowers, and it's beauty is in its symmetry; the Temple of Love, which is a temple made of rocks that overlooks the Hudson River [...]; and an open grassy area. |
The Wall Street Journal (08/08/2014) In Praise of the Mundane Marigold. Cynthia Kling.
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Venture through the gates of the walled garden at the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers, N.Y., this summer and you'll encounter hundreds and hundreds of marigolds—not apologizing for themselves, either, but planted in bold sculptural mounds punctuated by erect Japanese hollies. Beds averaging 8-feet wide line the garden's canals and travel around the mosaic reflecting pools. Given the Indo-Persian feeling of this design, it's almost like stepping into an ancient Indian miniature painting. |
![]() The Journal News (07/18/14) Untermyer Gardens Marigolds. Bill Cary.
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Who knew the lowly marigold could look so good in a formal garden setting? This summer, the formal walled Persian garden at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers is on fire with some 1,500 yellow, orange and white marigolds planted along the long intersecting water channels. What a cheery sight! |
National Trust for Historic Preservation: Preservation Nation Blog: Instagram Tour of The Samuel Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY. Roberta Lane. May 8, 2014.
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It’s May, and the historic Untermyer Gardens of Yonkers, N.Y., are in bloom. We all know that gardens mean hope. Creating a place where natural beauty can be sown and nurtured and enjoyed is an ambitious, humanitarian act. Therefore, a restored historic garden represents hope renewed. |
![]() The Loop (06/13/14) Paradise Found. Joyce Newman
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The restoration of Samuel Untermyer’s glorious gardens in Yonkers is a sight not to be missed. Long forgotten and in ruins, today the Untermyer Park and Gardens is a City of Yonkers public park and a veritable paradise of 43 acres overlooking the Hudson River. |
![]() Gardenista (06/25/14) Ten Gardens at Water's Edge. Barbara Peck.
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Who knew that America's greatest forgotten garden was in the Westchester town of Yonkers, NY? Wealthy Manhattan lawyer Samuel Untermyer bought a baronial mansion, Greystone, here in 1899. A portion of the lavish estate has been restored by the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy and is open to the public. It's worth a visit just for the splendid view of the Hudson River. |
![]() Rivertowns Enterprise (06/27/14). From grand dreams, a garden grows at Untermyer. Jackie Lupo.
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“Our dreams are grand, just like Samuel Untermyer’s,” said Stephen Byrns, chairman of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy as he greeted more than 200 guests at the garden’s second “Summer Solstice Soirée” fundraiser on June 19. |
![]() New York Times (06/20/14) Evening Hours: Warming Up. Bill Cunningham.
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( Bill Cunningham's photos speak for themselves) |
May 8, 2014.
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National Trust for Historic Preservation: Preservation Nation Blog: Instagram Tour of The Samuel Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY. Roberta Lane. |
![]() Westchester Magazine (05/14) Discover The Gardens Of Persia At Yonkers' Untermyer Park. Nancy L. Claus.
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When I first walked through the gate of the Persian garden at Untermyer Park last fall, I mentally kicked myself for not visiting here sooner. I’d driven by it dozens of times and never once took notice. It is, literally and figuratively speaking, like entering paradise—Westchester’s very own Garden of Eden. |
Each year, under the loving care of its staff and supporters, the garden continues to be transformed anew to the stunning place it once was when Samuel Untermeyer created this incredible spot along the river. A true jewel along the Hudson! |
![]() New York Post (11/01/13) These Gardens Offer Beautiful Autumn Sights. Claudine Ko.
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Manhattanite Delia Wang’s boyfriend brought her there for her 26th birthday last weekend. “Just walking in was magical,” says Wang of the Persianstyle landscaping in the walled garden, which includes reflecting pools, mosaics of Artemis and Medusa and 2,000-year-old monolithic Roman columns imported from Italy in 1915. “It’s like something from ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ ” |
Focal Points (2013) Lost and Found: Ornament at Untermyer.
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Tilghman has been at the Untermyer Gardens for only a year, but he has accomplished prodigious feats of clearing the land, and in the process has discovered long lost features that were literally buried in brush and trash. When we commented on all the hidden gems he grinned, saying "I love being here...as a gardener and as a boy digging for treasure...." |
![]() Traditional Buildings Magazine (10/13) Presiding Over the Palisades. Nancy A. Ruhling.
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In the City of Yonkers, NY, there grows what has come to be called "America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden.” Untermyer Park and Gardens, a paradise presiding over the Palisades, has been so hidden by time that up until recently even many locals didn’t know of its existence, much less its rich history and deep-rooted reputation.” |
Untermyer is the hidden gem of gardens in the tri-state area. Shamefully, even some of the most die-hard garden enthusiasts of NYC have still not visited it. Don’t let the Yonkers address scare you off from this long lost garden– its just a hop, skip, and jump from New York City. Those who do make the trip are rewarded with an experience that no other public garden in the area can offer. |
Over the years, the gardens were not maintained and they became overgrown and the structure of the garden became a ruin. Recently, the Yonkers Parks Department with input from Marco Polo Stufano, founding Director of Horticulture at Wave Hill, The Untermyer Gardens are being rehabilitated and open to the public. |
![]() Wall Street Journal (07/29/13) New York Pairidaeza Back in Bloom. Lee Lawrence.
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Step inside a walled garden, and the cacophony of daily life gives way to the soothing splash of fountains and the sweet scent of flowers. This conceit was the starting point for Beaux Arts architect William Welles Bosworth when, sometime between 1912 and 1915, prominent New York lawyer Samuel Untermyer hired him to design "the finest garden in the world" for his estate here. |
![]() New York Times (07/07/13) Above the Hudson: Once-celebrated gardens have new friends. Bill Cunningham.
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(Bill Cunningham's photos speak for themselves) |
Garden Design Magazine (05/12) The Return of the Untermyer Gardens. Katie Mendelson.
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Meanwhile, Byrns and Tilghman continue to develop their vision for the garden’s future as a resource for the public. They won’t be satisfied simply to bring back a significant and unique American garden that has largely been forgotten. Says Byrns, “I want to make this one of the greatest public gardens in America.” |
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New York Cottages and Gardens (04/2013) Up Close and Personal with Untermyer Gardens Conservancy. Alejandro Saralegui.
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In Yonkers, NY, "America's Greatest Forgotten Garden" is restored into a beautiful garden escape collaborating all of the unique styles from the Middle East, Persia and Islam. |
![]() Journal News (01/15/12) Splendor on the Hudson. Bill Cary.
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Even in the dead of winter, there's a clearly visible magnificence about Untermyer Park, the 43-acre crown jewel in the City of Yonkers' public parks system. The harsh afternoon light turns the four marble columns on the soaring sphinx sculptures by Paul Manship a pearly white, and the long shadows play magic with the 18-foot-tall crenelated walls of the old Greek Garden. |
![]() Garden Conservancy News. (Fall 2011)
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With the establishment of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in 2010 by Steve Byrns, the process of restoring the heart of the gardens to their former glory has begun. |
![]() New York Times (07/19/12) Reclaiming Wild Ambition Gone to Seed. Eve M. Kahn.
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The main entrance, beside a generic stucco community center at 945 North Broadway, is barely marked. But then you notice the crenelated and turreted brick walls typical of Persian gardens. |
![]() Gardenista (09/13/12) America's Greatest Forgotten Garden. Jeanne Rostaing
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Although we are left with only a tiny portion of what Untermyer created at Greystone, there is continuity to his vision. During his lifetime he opened his estate to the public every Tuesday. Surely he would be happy to know that once again it is being lovingly tended and providing a place of relaxation and beauty for all visitors. |