Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,
Our Walled Garden was described in 1917 by its architect, Welles Bosworth, as an Indo-Persian garden. The form originated in ancient Persia and developed throughout the Mughal Empire. While we have long celebrated the garden’s Persian roots through our annual Mehregan Gala, we now turn our attention to the garden’s “Indo” side. Our first ever Mughal Garden Party will take place on Sunday, September 19, and feature garden tours, a performance by the Parul Shah Dance Company, and a wine reception with Indian canapés. This festive outdoor event will take place as the summer winds down and the garden nears its glorious peak.
Our Walled Garden was described in 1917 by its architect, Welles Bosworth, as an Indo-Persian garden. The form originated in ancient Persia and developed throughout the Mughal Empire. While we have long celebrated the garden’s Persian roots through our annual Mehregan Gala, we now turn our attention to the garden’s “Indo” side. Our first ever Mughal Garden Party will take place on Sunday, September 19, and feature garden tours, a performance by the Parul Shah Dance Company, and a wine reception with Indian canapés. This festive outdoor event will take place as the summer winds down and the garden nears its glorious peak.
The long-awaited article in the The New Yorker about one of the performances held in the amphitheater this summer has just appeared. It charmingly recalls the late great Bill Cunningham and his love of the garden.
One of the more unusual trees at the garden is a maackia, located west of the front lawn. Native to China, it is relatively small with compound leaves and a beautiful form. A special feature is that it blooms with panicles of creamy flowers in August, wafting a fragrance that is hugely attractive to local insects, which buzz around it happily for many days.
One of the more unusual trees at the garden is a maackia, located west of the front lawn. Native to China, it is relatively small with compound leaves and a beautiful form. A special feature is that it blooms with panicles of creamy flowers in August, wafting a fragrance that is hugely attractive to local insects, which buzz around it happily for many days.
The Conservancy is pleased to announce that John Jacono, a lifelong resident of Yonkers, has been hired as a full-time horticulturist. A graduate of the New York Botanical Garden’s School of Professional Horticulture, he has worked here part-time for four years. He is a gifted photographer, too, as followers of our Instagram have already learned. Welcome, John!
I am prone to brag about our ancient Roman columns, imported by the great architect Stanford White. They are magnificent monolithic shafts of cipollino marble, and I believe that they are the largest ancient columns in the Western Hemisphere. Recently, I had occasion to visit a rival in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, an ancient column presented by King Hussein to New York City on the occasion of the 1964 World’s Fair. While the signage claims that it is 30 feet tall, it doesn’t look that big to me, and it is not monolithic like ours. See for yourself and be the judge!
Two weeks ago, a micro-superstorm hit us with about ten minutes of high drama. Fierce winds and heavy rain pelted the garden, which caused the downfall of several trees. In the scope of things, these were not major losses (in fact, near misses), but it took valuable time for our gardeners and City tree workers to clean up the mess.
I am pleased to say that both the full Conservancy staff and gardening team are fully vaccinated. We continue to follow official guidelines, and masks are required for unvaccinated visitors to the garden. To minimize risk, proof of vaccination is required for attendance at our Mughal Garden Party, the Sunset Soirée, and Mehregan. Let’s all do our best to help keep each other safe.
Here is Timothy Tilghman’s conclusion to the hydrangea discussion:
Here is Timothy Tilghman’s conclusion to the hydrangea discussion:
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