Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens:
Drum roll. I am pleased to announce that the Rivers of Life fountains will be filled this weekend. The gloriously soothing sound of burbling water will now greet you as you enter the Walled Garden.
Drum roll. I am pleased to announce that the Rivers of Life fountains will be filled this weekend. The gloriously soothing sound of burbling water will now greet you as you enter the Walled Garden.
The parade of blooming bulbs has begun in earnest. Chionodoxa and tiny iris have made their appearance, to be followed shortly by 9,000 tulips along the canals. Great swaths of daffodils highlight the approach to the Temple of Love, complemented by Samuel Untermyer's nearly 100-year-old daffodils farther down the hill. All kinds of treats are emerging from Jessica's planting last fall of many of the more than 300 planting pockets at this temple.
I have been monitoring the sunset in recent weeks, as the phenomenon to be known as Temple-Henge is at hand. This is when the sun sets on the axis of the Temple of the Sky. I took this picture on April 21, which was a bit too late, so I think it's safe to say that the vernal Temple-Henge is April 19. You need to have a clear western sky to experience it.
Looking forward, we expect to begin planting the Vista with cryptomeria very soon at the top of the hill, which will give a good sense of what is in hand as we plant more trees going down. We need to fix several drainage issues near the bottom before we plant there.
To our delight, we have excavated a limestone staircase near the ancient columns, which has been buried for decades. Our own little Pompeii!
To our delight, we have excavated a limestone staircase near the ancient columns, which has been buried for decades. Our own little Pompeii!
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
Chairman, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
Stephen F. Byrns
Chairman, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
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