September 7, 2023
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
I try to have a finger in every pie at Untermyer Gardens, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover an unexpected improvement initiated by our gardeners. Led by Maryam Farzaneh, they have planted the rocky edging of the stone stairs leading to the lowest Color Garden with a rainbow of succulent plants. I had never noticed that the rocks were actually laid out to be planters, but our creative gardeners were way ahead of me—bravo!
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
I try to have a finger in every pie at Untermyer Gardens, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover an unexpected improvement initiated by our gardeners. Led by Maryam Farzaneh, they have planted the rocky edging of the stone stairs leading to the lowest Color Garden with a rainbow of succulent plants. I had never noticed that the rocks were actually laid out to be planters, but our creative gardeners were way ahead of me—bravo!
Some of the annuals in the canal borders are positively statuesque this year, none more so than a returning favorite from 2021, an unusual seed-grown African milkweed (Gomphocarpus physocarpus), whose puffy green pods are covered with hairlike spikes. They hover dramatically above vivid flowers. Please come judge for yourself.
August is a convenient time for projects that don’t involve plants. Years ago, when we cleared out the area around the Temple of Love, we uncovered an old stone path and put it back in service without much ado; decades of disuse had caused the stones to shift and made for a somewhat treacherous stair. Mario Irigoyen and Andrew Burkart spent a week or so resetting the big stones, and the result is a great improvement.
The Minnie Untermyer Concert Series is drawing to a close, with only two concerts remaining. A rousing vocal and instrumental performance of Yiddish music at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 10, will be given by a group that possesses an almost scholarly commitment to this lively art form. The season’s finale will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, as a trio of vocalists performs classical and popular songs. I am most interested to hear a nugget dedicated to Minnie Untermyer back in 1924, a testament to her important commitment to the arts.
News12 Westchester visited Untermyer Gardens in July and produced this segment, which was broadcast across the region. It is an excellent introduction for anyone unaware of this paradise in Yonkers.
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
Kind regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
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