October 6, 2023
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
The growing season may be winding down, but we continue to march forward. As I write, our parking lot is receiving a modest expansion thanks to the City of Yonkers. Fifteen new spaces will bring us to a total of 75. This is still woefully undersized (especially on those days when we have more than 2,000 visitors), but a vast improvement when you recall that two years ago, we had only twenty-five spaces!
Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
The growing season may be winding down, but we continue to march forward. As I write, our parking lot is receiving a modest expansion thanks to the City of Yonkers. Fifteen new spaces will bring us to a total of 75. This is still woefully undersized (especially on those days when we have more than 2,000 visitors), but a vast improvement when you recall that two years ago, we had only twenty-five spaces!
Our third annual Family Fun Day will take place this Sunday, October 8, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. What a perfect way for children, parents, grandparents, and friends to enjoy a beautiful autumn day. You can see a magic show in the amphitheater, take a hay ride through the woods down to the aqueduct, fly a kite, make art, and go on an Adventure Tour that will explore architecture and mythology. The weather should be great, so please sign up for this only-at-Untermyer event.
Since Hurricane Ida in 2021, we have been implementing a gradual strategy to mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall. I’m pleased to report that we averted disaster during last week’s deluge (eight inches at JFK airport!). We have installed hemp wattles in troubled areas, paved some especially steep paths, and made four rediscovered catch basins operable again, all of which helped minimize the damage. Major capital improvements are still needed, however. We are grateful to Assemblyman Nader Sayegh for securing a New York State grant that will allow us to carry out the first phase of a multi-year effort to improve the carriage trail.
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An important annual fall project for our gardeners is caring for the delicate mosaics in the amphitheater, the loggias, and the Temple of the Sky. They are cleaned, grouted, and sealed in the hope they will survive another year in an unfriendly climate. Inspired by ancient Mediterranean sites, the mosaics are a treasure and a testament to Samuel Untermyer’s towering ambition for his over-the-top garden.
We are already thinking ahead to our Grand Holiday Illumination, which will open on Friday, December 8. It will feature gorgeous lighting of the architecture and plantings in the Walled Garden, which this year will include the illuminated Persian Pool. The dazzling visual experience will be complemented by recorded music in the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Zoroastrian, and Hindu traditions. Not only will our guests enjoy free admission, they will receive free hot chocolate. We are calling on community groups to volunteer for one night (from December 8 through January 1) to greet our visitors and serve hot chocolate. Watching the joy on our guests’ faces as they take in the whole experience can be very rewarding. Please sign up here if you would like to volunteer.
I encourage you to watch this video featuring the renowned mosaicist Stephen Miotto, who explains the installation of the mosaics in the Persian Pool, our most exciting project to date!
Warm regards,
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
Stephen F. Byrns
President, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy
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