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Line-for-Line Beauty

5/30/2024

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

The weeping beeches have leafed out splendidly and are a sight to behold. “Awesome” is a pretty trite word these days, but I am a sucker for true awe, and this is the real thing.

After their excellent work on the Persian Pool last year, the folks at Miotto Mosaic Art Studios are back to install the new Medusa mosaics at the Temple of the Sky. The detail matches the original, line for line, but the colors are even more vibrant. In a few weeks, the entire mosaic floor will be completed. We certainly hope it will last into the next century, thanks to a special concrete substrate and critical expansion joints.

For many years, we would plant thousands of tulip bulbs every fall for a spectacular spring display. Much to our dismay, a tulip blight developed, which disfigured the plants and contaminated the soil. There is no effective treatment for the blight, so the gardeners decided to line the canals with a longer-lasting display of cool-season annuals. This year the plants are lettuce, cabbage, snapdragon, lobelia, African daisy, sedge, nemesia, pansy, and Irish moss, which make for a strikingly sharp combination of colors and textures. Come judge for yourself!

The Minnie Untermyer Concert Series is upon us! Next weekend, on Saturday, June 8, is our popular annual concert of Persian music, featuring delicious treats. Then, on Saturday, June 15, Tom Gold Dance returns, fusing a modern sensibility with a classical dance background. They were featured prominently in The New Yorker when they first performed here a few years ago.

The observations I share about the garden in this newsletter often stimulate a lively response from readers. Now, we invite you to tell us about your experiences at Untermyer Gardens and how the garden affects you in ways big and small. Please click here to share your thoughts.

Kind regards,

Stephen F. Byrns
President

Welcome to the Sewer Department

5/9/2024

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

While the glory of spring surrounds us, concrete and dirt are keeping us grounded. The new concrete slab for the floor of the Temple of the Sky has been poured, nicely reinforced with a honeycomb of steel and fiber. It will make a sturdy base for the new Medusa mosaic when it arrives in two weeks.

Across the property, next to the hoop house and service yard, a concrete slab was poured by City of Yonkers parks workers for a new, prefab garage; it’s being installed as I write. The new facility will become the gardeners’ base of operations and provide storage for utility vehicles and equipment. Moreover, it will allow us to transform the old garage in the Cola Center into a multipurpose space that will serve as a classroom for our growing education program.

We continue to make progress deciphering the ancient drainage system for the carriage trail. The City of Yonkers DPW has a marvelous truck that can suck out sewer lines and inject water at high velocity to unclog blocked pipes. Here are photos showing the water jet process, me getting splattered with mud, and the merry crew. When I became soiled, one of the workers said, “Welcome to the Sewer Department!”

On a more aesthetic note, perhaps these lovely pictures will entice you to visit the garden on Mother’s Day, one of our most popular times, and enjoy its spring beauty.

The Minnie Untermyer Concert Series in the amphitheater will soon get under way with two presentations by returning artists: the Saba Ensemble, a Persian instrumental group with singers and a dancer (along with tasty Persian treats) on Saturday, June 8, and Tom Gold Dance on Saturday, June 15. Don’t delay to buy your tickets for these fine performances in an unrivaled setting overlooking the Walled Garden.

Kind regards,

Stephen F. Byrns
President

Line-for-Line Beauty

Welcome to the Sewer Department

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