May 29, 2025
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
The many improvements we have made to the garden has brought a big increase in visitors, with nearly 7,000 on Mother’s Day, a new record. Parking can be quite scarce, especially on the weekends, so please consider parking near the garden’s lower entrance at 917 Warburton Avenue, where the street parking is ample and free. You will find a gently sloped carriage trail leading up to the Old Croton Aqueduct and our lion-and-unicorn gate. From there, you can access the Ruin Garden and the Rhododendron Walk to the north and the Stumpery to the south. The rest of the garden lies farther uphill, so this option is good for people who are strong walkers.
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
The many improvements we have made to the garden has brought a big increase in visitors, with nearly 7,000 on Mother’s Day, a new record. Parking can be quite scarce, especially on the weekends, so please consider parking near the garden’s lower entrance at 917 Warburton Avenue, where the street parking is ample and free. You will find a gently sloped carriage trail leading up to the Old Croton Aqueduct and our lion-and-unicorn gate. From there, you can access the Ruin Garden and the Rhododendron Walk to the north and the Stumpery to the south. The rest of the garden lies farther uphill, so this option is good for people who are strong walkers.
One of the things I love most about the garden is its ability to inspire AWE. Walking into the Walled Garden with the towering weeping beeches overhead sets the stage for the grand reveal of the Persian garden. Its huge scale and horticultural command stop you in your tracks to soak it in. The same is true of the Vista and the Temple of Love. Few man-made landscapes in America balance the architectural and the horticultural in such a thrilling way.
Near the bottom of the Temple of Love cascades is the pollinator-friendly Love Triangle, so called because of its shape and location. A strange object there has people scratching their heads—what is it? Fabricated by our gardener Liz Dreeben, it is a bee house, rather than a beehive, which attracts native bees, who prefer solitary confinement. There they can lay their eggs and make way for the next generation. Long may they prosper!
As you make your way around the garden, please take note of our new, free Bloomberg Connects digital guide, which can be accessed by a QR code posted at our three entry gates. This is a great way to get more knowledge about the garden, both while you’re here or after your visit. You can also access it here.
There will be three concerts in our amphitheater during June. The first is our annual Persian concert, always a sell-out, which takes place on Saturday, June 7 (rain date, Sunday, June 8). This will be followed by a performance by Christopher Williams Dances, featuring a suite of modern dances accompanied by Baroque lute, incorporating icons of classical mythology, on Saturday, June 21 (rain date, Sunday, June 22). Finally, Voices of Ascension returns on Sunday, June 29, with naughty and light secular Renaissance music performed by four singers accompanied by lute. I don’t think we’ve ever offered back-to-back lutes before!
Here’s a wonderful way to share your love of the garden with others: join our team of weekend volunteer greeters. Greeters are stationed under the tent near the entrance and work in two-hour shifts to welcome visitors, answer questions, and receive donations. Visit our Volunteer Webpage for more information and to sign up.
Our Assistant Head Gardener Drew Schuyler is here to tell us about the cool spring annuals that are putting on quite a show along the canals in the Walled Garden.
RSS Feed