Mysterious Chamber

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,​

Construction at the Persian Pool has taken a dramatic step forward. There was much trenching for new plumbing and electrical lines, which unearthed a mysterious, filled-in chamber with a ladder leading down, whose purpose is unknown.

Even more exciting was the sight of a big pump truck conveying concrete from a position down the hill over a gigantic extended boom high above to the pool. I like this picture of Kevin Cotter, the owner of Glencar Water Gardens – always hands-on – spreading the concrete with his workers. Several layers were needed to convert the erstwhile swimming pool into a shallow reflecting pool.

After our successful gala celebrating Mehregan, the ancient Persian festival of thanksgiving, Martha Stewart, who was one of the guests, wrote a fine piece about the garden on her blog. You can read it here.

In preparation for Mehregan, Timothy Tilghman enjoyed his annual “surfing” experience at the garden. Our stone dust paths are heavily compacted and unfortunately pond up after heavy rains. He finds that a good way to loosen and level the surface is to drag a homemade weighted board studded with nails over it. Timothy is the weight!

Our second Family Fun Day was a great success. The weather was perfect, the magic act well received, and the new hayride a hit. It took passengers from the top of the Rock and Stream Garden along the upper carriage trail to the Vista, down to the aqueduct, and through the woodland. What a magical way to explore the garden!

I love being outside in the fall, and one annual experience I enjoy is leading a tour of Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. This will be the third in a series of my unique tours. I believe that Woodlawn is perhaps the most beautiful cemetery in the world, combining great architecture and history in an unrivaled natural setting. The highlight of the tour of course is the Untermyer Memorial, an amazing “campus” with references to the garden in Yonkers. We will stop by many other sites as well, including a rare private visit to the interior of a well-known family’s mausoleum, complete with Tiffany window. The tour will start at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 30

Here is another video with Timothy, who discusses the garden’s fall color, which is abundant here.

Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
​President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy