Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Walking along one of the garden’s less traveled paths can yield some interesting surprises. There is an obscure track near the site of the former Sundial Garden, not far from the lower terminus of the Rock and Stream Garden, which bypasses a pile of stone remnants from an old terrace balustrade. To the side, some angelicas have self-sown here and there and grown quite enormous, nearly eight feet tall. My eyes opened wide when I saw them.
Walking along one of the garden’s less traveled paths can yield some interesting surprises. There is an obscure track near the site of the former Sundial Garden, not far from the lower terminus of the Rock and Stream Garden, which bypasses a pile of stone remnants from an old terrace balustrade. To the side, some angelicas have self-sown here and there and grown quite enormous, nearly eight feet tall. My eyes opened wide when I saw them.
Our second cohort of Yonkers high school interns has begun their summer work experience. They helped the gardeners plant more than 3,000 annuals in a single day in the Walled Garden’s canal borders. The following day, they harvested the year’s third crop of vegetables, which was shared with the Salvation Army and a local soup kitchen. No sooner did they complete the harvest than they planted the next rotation of crops in the Ornamental Vegetable Garden. What a productive week they put in!
Lotuses are one of the classic plants in an Indo-Persian garden, and I asked the gardeners to plant more of them this year. I am happy to report that these stunning aquatics are making quite a statement in the center of the Walled Garden at the junction of the four canals and in the north pool near the amphitheater. There are lotus festivals in India and elsewhere at this time of year, so take a moment to appreciate a flower that is sacred to both Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the path to spiritual enlightenment. For Christians, it evokes the apostle Thomas’s travels in India. For Muslims, it is compared to the pure soul, reinforcing the multicultural nature of Untermyer Gardens. The gorgeous mosaic in the amphitheater also features a stylized lotus, so architecture and horticulture echo each other beautifully.
Visitation seems to keep growing at the garden. A few weeks ago, the confluence of Father’s Day and Eid Al-Adha drew 4,306 people here, the largest number on one day since the legendary time of Samuel Untermyer, back in the 1930s.
Our Minnie Untermyer Concert Series continues with a performance by a chamber ensemble from the Westchester Philharmonic, featuring a solo clarinetist, on Sunday, July 21. It will also honor the memory of our beloved volunteer Chris Kenney O’Rourke, who gave so much of herself to this garden over many years. A brief reception will follow the concert.
Our Minnie Untermyer Concert Series continues with a performance by a chamber ensemble from the Westchester Philharmonic, featuring a solo clarinetist, on Sunday, July 21. It will also honor the memory of our beloved volunteer Chris Kenney O’Rourke, who gave so much of herself to this garden over many years. A brief reception will follow the concert.
On Sunday, August 4, we will present our second concert of Persian music this year in response to popular demand. Making their Untermyer debut are a duo of tar virtuosos, Sahba Motallebi, a Grammy award winner and a vocalist, and Reza Mohsenipour, who were born and trained in Iran and now live in California. We are thrilled to welcome them to New York for a performance exploring the theme “Persian music and spiritual health.” Could there be a more idyllic setting?
Head Gardener Timothy Tilghman has made the following video about the new emerging meadow.
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns, President
Stephen F. Byrns, President
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