Field Trip to NYC Gardens

post by Maryrose Sykes and Nan Gustafson

A group of 14 GCC members traveled for three days and two nights (April 30th to May 2nd), visiting five
gardens. Our garden experiences were enhanced with private tours led by fabulous, knowledgeable
guides. An extra special treat was meeting Signe Nielsen, the landscape designer of the Little Island.
A big “thank you” to Jane Rupley who reached out to Signe to make our incredible tour happen!
The time of our visit gave us the opportunity to experience spring about two weeks ahead of our local
area in Concord. Each of the five gardens has a unique history, providing different perspectives of
gardens, often driven by its location and the organization’s philosophy.

At Little Island, left to right: Maryrose Sykes, Holly Salemy, Lauren Huyett, Kate Wharton, Kelley Bothe, Signe Nielson (Little Island Landscape Architect), Melinda Shumway, Barbara Kohler, Joan Campbell, Jen Lannan, Sarah MacEachern, Jane Rupley, Patricia Waters, Erika Rodriguez, Nan Gustafson

Wave Hill: First stop on our three-day field trip. Originally a grand private country estate in the
Bronx, overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades, this planned paradise currently serves the
community as a public garden in a quiet neighborhood. Its impressive pergola is the uniting feature
of the property, overlooking the green roof on a lower grade. The pergola has a color theme every
year, currently white and purple. There is so much beauty to enjoy at the 28-acre property. Our
group visited the (1) Flower Garden- a formal garden with four major beds having their own color
theme (2) Conservatory- protected place housing many tropical plants from South Africa, cactus and
succulents (3) Herb and Dry Gardens- terraced gardens that include culinary and medicinal herbs,
and a variety of plants from dry climates (4) Wild Garden- naturally grown with narrow winding
paths leading to a panoramic view overlooking Wave Hill and the Hudson River, and (5) Woodland
Path- variety of trees and perennials thriving in a partially shaded area.

Formal garden with the pergola and Hudson River in background

Little Island: Sometimes a destructive weather event like “Storm Sandy” leads to a creative
opportunity for the public to enjoy, such as the Little Island. Located at Pier 54 in Manhattan, a newly
constructed island was developed with a gift from Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg, along
with the collaboration of architect Thomas Heatherwick, landscape architect Signe Nielsen, and the
engineering firm Arup. Often described as a “leaf floating on water” that provides “an intersection of
nature, art and community”. As Signe guided our group through the perfectly square shape with
steep hills and elevated points, we learned about the brilliant structural design that the team created,
and Signe’s approach to developing her landscape design. Having an understanding of pier-wind and
solar exposure was extremely important, while considering trees, shrub layer, and the perennial and
grass layer. The plant palette was also an important part of the plan. Designed to dazzle and delight
the public with its unexpected twists and turns. Little Island was an absolute gem to visit with the
highly regarded Signe Nielsen!

High Line: A 1.45-mile expansive public park located in Manhattan, starting in the Meatpacking
District and ending in the newly developed Hudson Yards. The High Line was once known as the
West Side Elevated Line, a railroad line built to run two stories aboveground, traveling through
buildings to bring meat, dairy and produce to warehouses. In an effort to preserve the abandoned,
but historical landmark railroad line, the space was converted to a treasured garden, a vision of the
Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf. The green vegetation aligns a pathway between residential,
commercial and educational buildings. Each plant or tree sits in only 18 inches of soil with remaining
railway tracks sporadically revealed. The garden was developed using a “Matrix” system where
there is an overriding pattern that considers size, shape and color. The vegetation is only cut back in
the spring to provide winter interest for visitors and habitats for birds and animals. There is only
partial irrigation throughout the garden. The success of the park has revitalized the neighborhood.

Central Park: As a green oasis to Manhattan, Central Park is almost completely man-made, a vision
of Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. After having lunch at the newly reopened Loeb
Boathouse, a group of us ventured into the Ramble-the park’s woodland landscape with a maze of
twisted pathways, huge boulders (Manhattan Schist), a blooming Azalea pond, wild vegetation, and a
stream called The Gill. It was a unique while experience observing turtles, black squirrels, mallard
ducks, and many birds as part of the Atlantic Flyway. Following, we visited the Shakespeare garden
admiring the plethora of blooming tulips, Tree Peony, Azaleas, Giant Solomon’s Seal to name a few of
the wonderful plants in this garden. We continued to meander to Belvedere Castle (overlooking The
Great Lawn and Turtle Pond), Bethesda Terrace with the Angels of the Waters Fountain, The Mall
with the treasured and impressive American Elms- largest remaining stand of American Elms on the
continent. Such a wonderful escape from the noise, congestion and hardscape of the City’s streets!

Azalea Pond, Central Park

Alice in Wonderland Statue, Central Park

New York Botanical Garden: Final stop on our three day tour. The NYBG is located in the Bronx, a
world-class museum of living plants with a research and education institution working on protecting
the planet’s biodiversity. Our morning began with a private tour of the quiet Rock Garden that is
essentially man made, but a garden that looks natural with over 30,000 of plants. There are lots of
alpine flowers and woodland plants under mature trees, and a cascading waterfall that flows to a
tranquil pond.

NYBG Rock Garden

We continued our tour walking to the spectacular blooming Azalea Garden. Among the impressive
multi-century old native trees, the blazing coral, pink, purple, orange, yellow and white azaleas
surrounded us. This garden also incorporates an assortment of Hosta, Hellebore, Ferns, Amsonia,
and Rhododendrons. We learned how trees communicate with each other, and some of their
challenges.

NYBG Azalea Garden

We trekked along to our next private tour of the Native Plant Garden with about 250,000 plants!!
There have been changes in the approach to this garden over the years. Currently, there is an effort
to make the garden more inviting for visitors, consider ecological sustainability issues, and use plants
that are only commercially available. The serene pool welcomes visitors, and is at the center of the
garden. Ferns create a dense carpeting, while there is permeable paving used for the pathway to help
keep water available for the trees. Dogwoods, White Redbud, Beach Plum, Phlox, Trillium, Bloodroot,
Delphinium were just a few of the many trees and plants in bloom during our visit. As many
gardeners battle invasive plants, so does the NYBG. They have had some success by using “steam” to
address an invasive weed, such as mugwort.

NYBG Native Garden

We ended our visit with a self-guided walk through one of the largest and distinctive Lilac
Collections. New York State has a special history with this group of plants. The Collection was in full
bloom with a familiar sweet scent, charming shaped flowers and incredible variety.

NYBG Lilac Collection

But wait, there is more!! Next to the Lilac Collection was the Tree Peony Collection. There are more
than 100 mature Tree Peonies not to be missed in early May. These cultivars are absolutely gorgeous
with beautiful white and yellow, white and purple, light pink, dark purple, and magenta flowers. It
was worth the visit to this section of the NYBG.

NYBG Tree Peonies

The weather was absolutely fantastic throughout our visit! A wonderful group of women who shared
a common interest in horticulture, and more had a great time. It was a memorable experience.