Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in the News

(7/6/2023) Untermyer Gardens: A Hidden Paradise in Westchester County
Nikita Ramos. Bronx News 12.
"Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers feels, looks, and even smells like what most would imagine heaven to be like," shares Stephen Byrns, president of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy.
(3/11/2023) Quinn on Books: Yonkers' Paradise Michael Quinn. The Red Hook Star Review
Forgotten No More: The Restoration of Untermyer Gardens recounts the remarkable transformation of a neglected public park into an overwhelmingly beautiful green space with breathtaking views of the Hudson River. 

For anyone with an interest in architecture, horticulture, or conservation, this book (and this garden) has it all.
(1/11/2023) It’s OK to Get Carried Away When You’re Shopping for Flower Seeds Margaret Roach. The New York Times PAYWALL
This year, there will be lots more successions to work into the seed-sowing calendar, including lettuce. Two of Mr. Schuyler’s colleagues are browsing catalogs for seed to bring to life a new section of the Untermyer landscape.
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​A quarter-acre formal vegetable garden and small orchard overlooking the Hudson River was prepared last year by high school interns, who will plant and tend the vegetable beds in the coming season — and perhaps even suggest some last-minute additions of their own.
(8/23/2021) Bill Cunningham's Wish Come True  Rima Suqi. The New Yorker.
Tom Gold, founder and director of Tom Gold Dance, “…walked into the Indo-Persian Walled Garden, which is a surviving portion of Samuel Untermyer’s hundred-and-fifty-acre Gilded Age estate, Greystone. Under an arm, Gold had tucked a cardboard envelope stuffed with sixteen photographs that Cunningham had taken at the park in 2013 and mailed to him. “He told me, ‘Child, I have a project for you. You need to perform at the Untermyer Gardens. It’s the most beautiful place,’ ” Gold said. 
Looking at the photos, Gold said, “I thought, Great, let’s make this happen.” He began petitioning Stephen Byrns, the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy’s president. Byrns stalled. When Gold would run into Cunningham at an event or at his usual stalking ground, in front of Bergdorf Goodman, Cunningham always asked about the Untermyer idea. 
(01/20/2021) Five Stunning Outdoor Wedding Venues in Westchester County. Suzanne Gannon. Westchester Magazine.
Transporting might be the word that best characterizes an exchange of vows at Untermyer Park and Gardens, a celestial, gorgeous site that levitates high above the Hudson River with a history of splendor and decline — and splendor again — that mirrors that of the city of Yonkers, where it resides.
(11/11/2020) Steve Byrns ’77 Is Restoring ‘The Most Spectacular Garden in America’. Elisabeth H. Daugherty. Princeton Alumni Weekly.
Some visitors see it as an antidote to our divisive times, Byrns says. 
“This garden sort of brings all of humanity together in this beautiful, spiritual setting,” he says. “If you’re interested in history, if you’re interested in architecture, if you’re interested in different religions or different parts of the world, it’s all here.
“It’s an incredible story, so we’re bringing it back.”
(08/02/2020) It’s Summertime, and the Gardening Should Be Easy, Right? Margaret Roach. New York Times.
​PAYWALL
For all Untermyer’s artful plant combinations, sometimes simplicity is preferable. Are there places in your garden that need quieting?

The Vista, one the garden’s most important Hudson views, is embellished by ancient Roman columns installed by the long-ago property owner, Samuel Untermyer, and beyond that, by the river and rugged Palisades.

The team created an allée of 99 Cryptomeria and, beneath them, twin stretches of golden Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra Aureola). Both plants have year-round appeal and neither distracts from the real show. Instead, they frame it.
(05/03/2020) The Unlikely Revival of a Ravishing American Garden. Introspective Magazine. Jane Garmey.
"Today, restoration continues apace, and seven gardeners are at work on the property. Land has been cleared, canals drained and cleaned, deer fencing installed, the Walled Garden brought back to life and the Vista cleaned up and replanted. The Temple of Love and the rock garden below are again in good shape. More work is underway, and the progress is visible to regular visitors, whose numbers now reach more than 75,000 every year."
(04/13/2020) Wasted Beauty in City Gardens. Daily News. Molly Crane-Newman.
"With many millions of flowers coming into bloom and nobody to see them, one nearby garden even decided to strip its landscape of daffodils and give them away to those hit hardest by the crisis."
(03/16/2020) Untermyer Gardens – The Rebirth of Paradise on the Hudson. ​Elsbeth Lindner. River Journal.
Everyone loves a good comeback story, and one of the very best is happening close to our own community, in a verdant setting on the banks of the Hudson, between Hastings and Yonkers. There, the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy is restoring one of the finest Indo-Persian-style gardens in the Western Hemisphere, reviving a glorious resource for local residents as well as establishing a major tourist attraction. 
(09/16/2019) Interns Plant Homage to Untermyer's Garden Legacy. Rivertowns Enterprise. Jackie Lupo.
""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.
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. 
 (6/27/18) Yonkers Times: Byrns & Laura Bush Recognized by Garden Club of America
"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
"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."
 (6/21/2018) An evening of picnicking, music, and performance art at Untermyer Gardens
"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."
 (4/10/2018) Before Zuckerberg, These Six Corporate Titans Testified Before Congress
 J.P. Morgan defends Wall Street

On December 19 and 20, 1912, the famed banker and “Money-King” John Pierpont Morgan appeared before the Pujo Committee in New York’s marbled city hall. Tasked with investigating the scope and power of Wall Street’s wealthiest members, counsel to the committee Samuel Untermyer faced down the famously brusque and laconic businessman with a deliberate and unrelenting line of questions.

While Morgan contended that the “money monopoly” advanced by the Committee was an impossibility, he admitted to quashing competition among railroad lines at the same time he declared liking “a little competition.” In another famous moment, Morgan argued his banking house assumed no legal responsibility for the value bonds it issued. Instead, “it assumes something else that is still more important, and that is the moral responsibility which has to be defended as long as you live.” Morgan would go on to wrongly suggest that he had “not the slightest” control over any department or industry in America and did not even have “final authority” on decisions made by the company he directly oversaw.
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Despite Morgan’s poor and somewhat arrogant showing, Untermyer and the Pujo Committee, named after the Louisiana congressman who chaired it, could not prove their grand economic conspiracy. Still, they revealed a tangled mess of involvement: 78 major corporations banked with Morgan, controlling billions of dollars in capital and significant positions of power on many boards. In response to the hearings, President Wilson would sign the Federal Reserve Act, freeing the federal government of its reliance on Morgan and his allies. More broadly, Untermyer’s masterful cross-examination led to a rise in public support for the 16th Amendment and the Clayton Antitrust Act. On a more somber note, perhaps, Morgan’s son and other bank executives later claimed that Untermyer’s inquisition led to his father’s death just a few months later in March 1913.
 (1/24/2018) Yonkers Untermyer Gardens in land-swap talks with hospital to recover lost Color Gardens
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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."
(9/18/2017) Yonkers' Untermyer Gardens receives $125,000 for rock garden
"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
“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
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.
(9/1/2017) A Look at the Restored Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers
After half a century of neglect, “America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden” makes a most memorable impression. Located in Yonkers, the Untermyer Gardens have been undergoing restoration for less than a decade. Sprawling over 43 acres, the verdant, transcendent space is an example of Gilded Age horticulture at its finest.
(7/22/2017) Best of NY: Day Trip to the Untermyer Gardens Conservatory
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. 
(7/21/2017) Rivertowns Enterprise. Hudson RIver VIsta Restored at HIstoric Gardens.
"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. 
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. ​
(6/30/2017) Rivertowns Enterprise. Celebrating a Century.
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.
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.
(5/12/2017) Rivertowns Enterprise. Stewardship Honor.
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.
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!
"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."
​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
The fans of Untermyer Park and Gardens keep multiplying as its meticulous restoration, now in its sixth year, moves forward.
(6/24/2016) Rivertowns Enterprise. Love Stories Spur Resurrection of Landmark Gardens.
Whoever coined the phase "a labor of love" could have been describing Untermyer Gardens, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
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(6/24/2016) Rivertowns Enterprise. Gala in the Gardens.
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
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.
(10/28/2016) Two Yonkersites Play Key Role at Untermyer Gardens. 
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
(06/24/2016) Love Stories Spur Resurrection of Landmark Gardens. Jackie Lupo.
This year's most ambitious project is also all about romance: the restoration of the spectacular Temple of Love, a circular columned gazebo set upon man made rock outcroppings to afford a view of the Hudson River. 
(06/24/2016) Supermodel Kate Upton Visits Untermyer Gardens. 
(06/10/2016) Untermyer Park and Gardens Continues Restoration.
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.
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.
"I would like to know that somebody one day would like my mosaic enough that they would want to repair it if it came into disrepair," Bint-Kadi said. "So I would like to repair it rather than to see it completely dismantled and replaced."
(05/27/2016) Lohud's Summer Bucket List. Kevin Phelan.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Martha Stewart Living (10/2015) Return to Splendor. Melissa Ozawa
Behind a stone wall in Yonkers, New York, lies one of the great American horticultural treasures of the early 20th century. Thanks to a recently established conservancy, the gardens are on their way back to their former glory.
Garden Collage (09/29/2015) Stepping into Paradise: Untermyer's Walled Garden. Joyce Newman
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
[...] 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
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. 
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.
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.
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
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.
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. 
Scarsdale10583. Untermyer Gardens Paradise on the Hudson. (06/16/2015). Joann Wallenstein.
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.
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.
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.
Riverdale Press. (05/28/2015) A vision of paradise in Yonkers.  Isabel Angell.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yonkers Daily Voice (10/04/2014) Martha Stewart Plays Photographer At Yonkers' Untermyer Gardens Dina Grace Zoe Sciortino
“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.
 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.
CASAcara: Garden Inspiration: Untermyer Park, Yonkers. Cara Greenberg. November 4. 2014.
Yonkers Rising (09/19/2014) Untermyer Gardens: A Secret Paradise in Yonkers. Samantha Diliberti.
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.
Sweet Fine Day: The Forgotten Magic of Untermyer Gardens. Jenna. September 22, 2014.
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. 
A Way to Garden: A New Heyday at Untermyer Gardens, Where Grandeur and Marigolds Mingle. Margaret Roach. September 1, 2014.
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
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.  
Sincerely, Sara: Hometown Hidden Gems with Relay Rides. Sara Strauss. August 15, 2014.
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.
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.
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The Journal News (07/18/14) Untermyer Gardens Marigolds. Bill Cary.
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.
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.
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The Loop (06/13/14) Paradise Found. Joyce Newman
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.
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Gardenista (06/25/14) Ten Gardens at Water's Edge. Barbara Peck.
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.
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Rivertowns Enterprise (06/27/14). From grand dreams, a garden grows at Untermyer.  Jackie Lupo.
 “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. 
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New York Times (06/20/14) Evening Hours: Warming Up. Bill Cunningham.
Paywall. ( Bill Cunningham's photos speak for themselves)
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