June 25, 2015

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens:

What is it about June?  Are we masochists?

For our third annual gala and for the third time, the weather prognosis on the day of the gala was dire.  There were no fewer than three waves of rainfall during the day.  The sun came out after the second one, but Mother Nature decided to play some more, and she unleashed a third one around 5:00.  With the gala starting at 6:00, the rain stopped at 5:58.  The sun came out, the humidity level dropped, and a gentle breeze wafted in from the Hudson River.

In fact, the evening was spectacular.  After much socializing and enjoying delicious food, the crowd moved on to the amphitheater.  A few brief speeches were followed by the arrival of our honoree, Barbara Israel, to Wagner's Sailors' Song from The Flying Dutchman. A specially installed water feature accompanied her approach.

A brief but remunerative auction ensued, leading to the highlight of the evening..  Barbara, a champion amateur golfer, had described to me her overwhelming urge to drive a golf ball from the Temple of the Sky into the river. Unfortunately, the Temple is closed for renovations, so we did the next best thing.

Our past Honoree Marian Heiskell, now 96, agreed to serve as Barbara's caddy.  She appeared from stage left in full caddy regalia, including a golf bag, and handed Barbara her gloves and club,

whereupon Barbara drove the ball out of the garden over the main entrance tower, after handing Marian a million-dollar tip, which she bought out of a catalogue.  Triumphal music heralded her swing, along with more eruptions from the special fountains.  This is the tableau of the moment: gorgeous sky, Martha Stewart with camera on the right, followed by Bill Cunningham with camera, Marian with golf bag, then Barbara in full swing, with her entourage of Roman guards and fan-bearer.

The guests descended to a tent in the lower garden, where desserts were served and there was dancing to a Big Band.  Clearly, there were a lot of happy people.

We believe that Untermyer Gardens are designed to take your breath away, and we plan our galas in the same spirit. Please come to see this magnificence soon.

Kind regards,
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Stephen F. Byrns

Dear All,
The outer beds along the central walks are just concluding a riotous show. Alliums (Allia?) of different sizes and colors added a delightful, almost wacky element to the Walled Garden for the past few weeks. Their developing seed pods are theatrical, almost like little fireworks. I hope they persist into the summer.

Timothy has decided on a foliage theme for the inner beds along the canals. Remember that these plantings change every year. An elaborate mosaic of plantings is now complete, so let's sit back and watch them grow throughout the summer. The far pots of the loggias flanking the amphitheater are planted with three colors of elephant leaves and promise to be an elegant and showy combination. ​

I would be remiss if I did not put in a final plug for this year's Summer Solstice Sunset Soirée on June 16. Martha Stewart, our Honorary Chair, will introduce Barbara Israel, our honoree.  Befitting the grandeur of the gardens will be music by Gabrieli, Wagner, Beethoven, and even a brilliant Iranian performer. We have planned some special visual effects that will delight and surprise you, as is our tradition. The evening will conclude with desserts and dancing to Big Band music under a tent on the lower terrace.
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Ticket sales have been robust, but we have room for a few more! Please reply by June 10 and secure your tickets here. This is our major fund-raising event of the year, making possible the dramatic improvements that you have appreciated at Untermyer Gardens. This year should see the most progress ever.
 
Kind regards, 
Stephen F. Byrns

Chairman, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy