November 17, 2022
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Earlier this fall, our high school interns planted the first batch of trees in front of homes in northwest Yonkers, whose landscape was bereft of trees. More trees will be planted in the spring as part of our community-minded Warblers on Warburton program.
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Earlier this fall, our high school interns planted the first batch of trees in front of homes in northwest Yonkers, whose landscape was bereft of trees. More trees will be planted in the spring as part of our community-minded Warblers on Warburton program.
With cold weather now upon us, it is time to mothball the garden for the winter. Aquatics and tropical plants have been sent to the greenhouse, and the fountains and other water features have been turned off. Before draining the canals, hundreds of fish were moved to a warm tub at the greenhouse, including The Don, our biggest, fattest fish.
A small but important construction project is taking place at the amphitheater in the Walled Garden. Samuel Untermyer’s private garden was not designed to accept the impact of some 100,000 visitors every year, and the grass flanking the amphitheater’s stage has been hopelessly compacted. It is not only an eyesore but also presents a drainage problem. As a solution, we are paving much of the area with cast stone, matching the height of the lovely mosaic stage and expanding the performance space in the process. Next year, we will plant a pair of trees to provide much needed shade, which will enhance the comfort of audience members sitting in the sun.
Current horticultural thinking posits that the fall clean-up should not be too thorough, as residual leaf clutter protects critters and crawlers during the winter. We have no problem with that at Untermyer Gardens; the gardeners are so busy installing lights for the Illumination, there is little time to grab a rake. Our fall clean-up tends to take place in early spring!
In a village north of Venice, Italy, artisans are busy fabricating the new mosaics for the Persian Pool that will exactly replicate the original eddying whirlpools and sea creatures. Aren’t they stunning?
Timothy Tilghman tells us about how the garden is put to bed for the winter:
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
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