Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Four days ago, our Mehregan celebration was truly historic as the restored Persian Pool was dedicated by Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi, the Shahbanou of Iran. Having lived in exile since 1979, she said she will never stop hoping to see the homeland she loves rise from the ashes. The centerpiece of the Walled Garden, the Persian Pool can be said to have risen from the ashes, thanks to the partnership of members of the Iranian-American community, the City of Yonkers, and the State of New York. It was completely rebuilt and resurfaced with gorgeous mosaics matching the original design. With only the final portion of the wall mosaics left to be installed, the result far exceeds our already high expectations.
Four days ago, our Mehregan celebration was truly historic as the restored Persian Pool was dedicated by Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi, the Shahbanou of Iran. Having lived in exile since 1979, she said she will never stop hoping to see the homeland she loves rise from the ashes. The centerpiece of the Walled Garden, the Persian Pool can be said to have risen from the ashes, thanks to the partnership of members of the Iranian-American community, the City of Yonkers, and the State of New York. It was completely rebuilt and resurfaced with gorgeous mosaics matching the original design. With only the final portion of the wall mosaics left to be installed, the result far exceeds our already high expectations.
One of the delights of lotuses is that they keep on blooming. Just when you think they have petered out for the season, a few more buds poke their way through. I was surprised to see another one emerge a few weeks ago in the Walled Garden’s central pool. It subsequently made a beautiful bloom, the last gasp of the aquatic display for the year. I can only imagine what Kashmir’s famous lotus lakes look like at their peak!
Come take a look at the Vista, where the hakonechloa is ripening with an autumnal tint of rose- purple amid its seeds, a subtle transition for this ever-elegant grass from Japan. Together with the more statuesque cryptomeria, or Japanese cedar, they make a striking horticultural combination—if you will, the long and the short of it.
Just as every fireworks display ends with an extravaganza of color and form, so too do the gardens along the Temple of Love’s cascades, where the asters have exploded in a burst of blue, lavender, and lilac. The tallest ones are the last to bloom.
Instagram has a way of finding the things you like and then feeding you a steady supply of them. As a dog lover, I delight in watching videos of dogs doing cute and heart-warming things. But I’m also a preservationist, with a strong interest in restoring lost beauty. So now Instagram is sending me makeover videos of undernourished and bedraggled dogs being adopted, saved, groomed, and brought back to the full waggy joy of being a dog. I feel the same way about Untermyer Gardens, as each year we restore more and more of its former glory. It’s a good feeling.
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
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