Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
A walk around the garden in late fall does not disappoint. As I passed along the upper carriage trail the other day, I observed the first section of our developing meadow which was planted last year. It is already quite lovely, with feathery plumes of grass and drying flowers swaying in the breeze. Concealed there was a bevy of birds. A dozen darted out, then another dozen and another, far too many to count. It was extraordinary. Perhaps they were enjoying some tasty seeds there. I was happy to see that a previously plain Jane lawn had become a rich habitat.
A walk around the garden in late fall does not disappoint. As I passed along the upper carriage trail the other day, I observed the first section of our developing meadow which was planted last year. It is already quite lovely, with feathery plumes of grass and drying flowers swaying in the breeze. Concealed there was a bevy of birds. A dozen darted out, then another dozen and another, far too many to count. It was extraordinary. Perhaps they were enjoying some tasty seeds there. I was happy to see that a previously plain Jane lawn had become a rich habitat.
Farther down along the middle carriage trail, human industry is making its mark. Last winter a retaining wall was beautifully rebuilt from the collapsed rubble. Now some enterprising visitors are building tiny little cairns on top of it, looking for all the world like the constructs of a fantastic Lilliputian world.
Now is a good time to venture all the way down the hill to the Rhododendron Walk, where you can see an end-of-season treat. The rich purple of monkshood (Aconitum) is almost impossibly vibrant, giving a triumphant finish to the floral season. It is close to the Ruin Garden.
A striking purple element can also be seen along the Vista, where the Japanese fountain grass, called Hakonechloa, is slowly taking on a violet hue in dramatic contrast to the towering Cryptomeria. There is a special beauty to fall colors all around: just look at the Palisades, with its trees coming into peak fall color.
Timothy Tilghman is back to discuss the preparation work being done for the ziggurat beds flanking the Persian Pool.
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns, President
Stephen F. Byrns, President
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