December 9, 2019
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Samuel Untermyer was a man for the people, which was proved again and again in his advocacy of economic reform and women’s suffrage and against Nazism. He also opened his private garden to the public one day a week for 25 years, an act of exceptional generosity.
If you look at the cost of visiting nearby public gardens, you will see admission fees of $28, $15, and $10 per person. There is no admission fee to Untermyer Gardens, once called the most spectacular garden in America. Our revenues derive primarily from voluntary donations, which we use prudently to care for and improve the garden. The results are enjoyed by more than 75,000 visitors annually who have made the garden the top destination in Westchester County.
This year, with the support of many friends and the hard work of our gardeners, we introduced three new gardens! A bubbling Rock and Stream Garden has transformed a barren hillside; a Ruin Garden of shade-loving plants thrives in the salvaged Gate House; and a Rhododendron Walk, created by our first summer interns, guides visitors to and from the Gate House.
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Samuel Untermyer was a man for the people, which was proved again and again in his advocacy of economic reform and women’s suffrage and against Nazism. He also opened his private garden to the public one day a week for 25 years, an act of exceptional generosity.
If you look at the cost of visiting nearby public gardens, you will see admission fees of $28, $15, and $10 per person. There is no admission fee to Untermyer Gardens, once called the most spectacular garden in America. Our revenues derive primarily from voluntary donations, which we use prudently to care for and improve the garden. The results are enjoyed by more than 75,000 visitors annually who have made the garden the top destination in Westchester County.
This year, with the support of many friends and the hard work of our gardeners, we introduced three new gardens! A bubbling Rock and Stream Garden has transformed a barren hillside; a Ruin Garden of shade-loving plants thrives in the salvaged Gate House; and a Rhododendron Walk, created by our first summer interns, guides visitors to and from the Gate House.
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Next year, our goals are no less ambitious. Our summer intern program will resume and introduce a new team of seven high school students to fundamental principles of horticulture and environmental conservation. The interns will tackle two projects, a network of paths giving access to interior areas of the woodland and site preparation for a highly unusual ornamental vegetable garden—to be tended by Yonkers high school students—near the base of the Vista, an interpretive nod to the long-gone vegetable gardens from Untermyer’s day.
 | Five summer interns with their supervisor at the new Rhododendron Walk, which they helped build. The interns said they felt empowered by their interactions with nature, and they were motivated to work hard as part of a team. |
Our major capital project will be the restoration of the Temple of the Sky in the Walled Garden, which stands above the once-grand Persian pool and overlooks the Hudson River. After a century of exposure to the elements, its lustrous Alabama marble has deteriorated and water has infiltrated the structure, resulting in serious damage.
 | We will stabilize, reinforce, and waterproof the Temple, remove the unsightly triangular shoring that has been in place for five years, and return the Temple of the Sky to its former glory. This restoration is an essential prerequisite to restoring the Persian Pool. |
Finally, under the leadership of our first education and outreach officer, we will continue to enrich our offerings of programs that encourage both children and adults to engage with the garden’s history, horticulture, and nature in new ways. Stay tuned.
We have made enormous strides in the past eight years to revitalize and care for this extraordinary garden, which benefits and inspires so many people from all walks of life. It is with great pleasure—and appreciation—that I share this update with you, and thank you in advance for your much-needed support.
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
P.S. As a reminder, if you are 70½ or older it may be advantageous to consider a gift to the Conservancy through your IRA.
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
P.S. As a reminder, if you are 70½ or older it may be advantageous to consider a gift to the Conservancy through your IRA.
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