February 25, 2021
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Shortly before winter arrived, we raced to finish some maintenance. One area of concern was the newly restored Temple of Love. As it turns out, the manufacturer’s design called for exposed screws on the top of the cast stone entablature, which allowed water to seep in. Not wanting to caulk every year, we decided to install lead-coated copper flashing all around, which required lifting the dome, not an easy task.
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Shortly before winter arrived, we raced to finish some maintenance. One area of concern was the newly restored Temple of Love. As it turns out, the manufacturer’s design called for exposed screws on the top of the cast stone entablature, which allowed water to seep in. Not wanting to caulk every year, we decided to install lead-coated copper flashing all around, which required lifting the dome, not an easy task.
 |  |
To help celebrate our tenth anniversary, I would like to share some photos in upcoming newsletters of what the garden looked like in 2011, before Timothy started working single-handed. It reminds me of a quote from Petrarch, who wrote about what the pope found on his return to Rome after 67 years in Avignon: the city looked like “a matron with the dignity of age but her grey locks disheveled, her garments, and her face overspread with the pallor of misery.” Here is a view of the central canal in the Walled Garden.
We will remember this winter as a vivid reminder of the way winters used to be. I hail from Michigan and love the snow. When it falls on the beautiful architecture of the garden, it is quite magnificent.
 |  |
Our Winter Lecture is approaching and will feature a fascinating look at the Islamic spiritual underpinnings of a Persian garden. The lecturer, Emma Clark, will be speaking to us live from England and will include photos of the Persian garden she designed for Prince Charles. Tickets are available, and the lecture can be viewed for two weeks following the event.
Timothy gives us some pointers on garden tools.
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
P.S. Please join our gardener Stewart Molina for a pruning workshop on Sunday, March 14, from 10AM until noon. He will demonstrate the basics of pruning plants at Untermyer Gardens as well as show you how to sharpen your tools so you can go out and prune your own plants!
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
P.S. Please join our gardener Stewart Molina for a pruning workshop on Sunday, March 14, from 10AM until noon. He will demonstrate the basics of pruning plants at Untermyer Gardens as well as show you how to sharpen your tools so you can go out and prune your own plants!
RSS Feed