April 17, 2019
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
You know the feeling of being overwhelmed by a Sisyphean task, not knowing how it will end, such as moving to a new domicile? I feel as though we are just past midway through the process here at Untermyer, with certain areas of the garden looking great but others only beginning to emerge. The big picture is hazy but increasingly discernible. More bones are coming into view, and new connections are beginning to bring the whole together.
For instance, with the removal of the old deer fence below the Walled Garden, we can now make out a walk through the lilac beds. Previously inaccessible, the curves of the beds and pathway are beautiful. The once shabby but historic Japanese maples from Samuel Untermyer’s day have been skillfully pruned, and their elegant structure helps to define the area. Let’s call it the Lilac Walk.
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
You know the feeling of being overwhelmed by a Sisyphean task, not knowing how it will end, such as moving to a new domicile? I feel as though we are just past midway through the process here at Untermyer, with certain areas of the garden looking great but others only beginning to emerge. The big picture is hazy but increasingly discernible. More bones are coming into view, and new connections are beginning to bring the whole together.
For instance, with the removal of the old deer fence below the Walled Garden, we can now make out a walk through the lilac beds. Previously inaccessible, the curves of the beds and pathway are beautiful. The once shabby but historic Japanese maples from Samuel Untermyer’s day have been skillfully pruned, and their elegant structure helps to define the area. Let’s call it the Lilac Walk.
Another view just emerged yesterday from the top of the Temple of Love. The revised path network is now set and freshly mulched with wood chips. Various panels of daffodils have emerged below, and the new Rock Garden is flanked by the new north evergreen screen. The scene can now be discerned as part of a total composition, which is quite thrilling.
We are moving forward with planning for the restoration of the Temple of the Sky, the circular temple open to the sky in the Walled Garden (scheduled for 2020). Built of beautiful Alabama marble, the stone has suffered from water infiltration and the resulting damage from freezing and thawing. Its architect, Welles Bosworth, has given us the nth degree of elegance in its design. Note the holes drilled into the Corinthian capitals. An elegant form of ornamentation seen only in the most sophisticated Beaux-Arts designs, they may refer to the holes in ancient capitals that supported gilded bronze vegetative ornaments.
We will soon resume our volunteer program of greeters who welcome weekend visitors at the main gate, answer questions, and receive donations. This has become an important service and requires many hands to make light work. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Ed Sabol ([email protected]).
Our Head Gardener, Timothy Tilghman, has recruited two new greeters for our walled garden: two black kittens who are outstandingly friendly and sport Persian names: Anar (pomegranate) and Chenar (sycamore).
Our Head Gardener, Timothy Tilghman, has recruited two new greeters for our walled garden: two black kittens who are outstandingly friendly and sport Persian names: Anar (pomegranate) and Chenar (sycamore).
Building on the success of last year’s concert in the amphitheater, we are presenting a performance of Persian music and dance in the beautiful Persian setting of the Walled Garden. The event will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 4:00, and tickets may be purchased in advance.
Finally, at this writing, the daffodils are now in full bloom. Hie thee hither!
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
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