December 7, 2023
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
For twelve years and counting, the Conservancy has worked diligently to restore and improve the 43-acre oasis that is Untermyer Gardens. Our horticultural gravitas received quite a boost in September when our own head gardener, Timothy Tilghman, was a featured speaker at one of the most prestigious garden symposia in the Northeast. His story of the garden—past, present, and future—seized the imagination of many present, including the eminent garden designer and writer Lynden Miller, who observed: “What has taken place at Untermyer Gardens in a relatively short time is truly breathtaking, one of the most important garden restorations in America in the past fifty years.”
Such recognition is music to our ears and we hope to yours as well. Every accomplishment has been a team effort by our gardeners, our staff, our volunteers, and donors like you. Won’t you please consider a gift to fuel our progress during the year ahead?
A few weeks ago, we achieved our most ambitious goal to date with the impressive restoration of the Persian Pool (below left), a multi-year process. Meanwhile, in a single week in November, Timothy and his team planted 1,550 perennials, the first phase of our vast new natural meadow, which eventually will sweep below the Walled Garden 600 feet or more toward the Hudson River (below right).
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
For twelve years and counting, the Conservancy has worked diligently to restore and improve the 43-acre oasis that is Untermyer Gardens. Our horticultural gravitas received quite a boost in September when our own head gardener, Timothy Tilghman, was a featured speaker at one of the most prestigious garden symposia in the Northeast. His story of the garden—past, present, and future—seized the imagination of many present, including the eminent garden designer and writer Lynden Miller, who observed: “What has taken place at Untermyer Gardens in a relatively short time is truly breathtaking, one of the most important garden restorations in America in the past fifty years.”
Such recognition is music to our ears and we hope to yours as well. Every accomplishment has been a team effort by our gardeners, our staff, our volunteers, and donors like you. Won’t you please consider a gift to fuel our progress during the year ahead?
A few weeks ago, we achieved our most ambitious goal to date with the impressive restoration of the Persian Pool (below left), a multi-year process. Meanwhile, in a single week in November, Timothy and his team planted 1,550 perennials, the first phase of our vast new natural meadow, which eventually will sweep below the Walled Garden 600 feet or more toward the Hudson River (below right).
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This year, more than 150,000 visitors of all ages from all walks of life have been inspired by the garden’s natural and spiritual beauty. We are especially pleased that in the course of six months, 700 schoolchildren have visited the garden as part of our growing outreach to the Yonkers Public Schools. With additional funding and staff, we hope to serve even more of the city’s 25,000 schoolchildren. What a joy it is to witness their faces light up when they see so much beauty in their own hometown. Perhaps some of these enthusiastic young people will return as paid high school interns in our Horticultural Training Initiative!
Students learn about the Medusa mosaic and classical design on a mythology tour.
Students count invasive species as part of a math unit that relates the garden to the school curriculum.
We like to say that Untermyer Gardens is a garden for the world, as it resonates so strongly across the spectrum of humanity. Our inclusive vision of a magnificent garden where all are welcome free of charge makes us a rarity among public gardens. Your contribution today will help make our vision a reality that lives on. Please join us in supporting this magical place that means so much to so many.
Gratefully,
Stephen F. Byrns, President
Peter T. Boodell, Chair
Stephen F. Byrns, President
Peter T. Boodell, Chair
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