Ancient Air Conditioning

August 11, 2022

Dear Friends of Untermyer Gardens,

The double hydrangea border flanking the Temple of the Sky in the Walled Garden is now in top form. What I like most is its mix of hydrangeas and other plants, an antidote to the clichéd sweep of monolithic hydrangeas. Hydrangeas with different heights and shapes, varicolored flowers, and contrasting leaf colors alongside other woody and herbaceous plants make for a sophisticated and dynamic mosaic.

It’s high time to give a shout-out to our steadfast gardening team of eight horticulturists, who are devoted to deploying thriving plants in an artistic manner. We are thrilled that our longtime gardener Drew Schuyler, a hometown Yonkers boy, has been promoted to assistant head gardener. Drew graduated from the Professional Gardeners Program at Longwood Gardens and had previous experience in San Francisco’s public parks, Vallarta Botanical Gardens in Mexico, and Great Dixter in England. Possessing an encyclopedic knowledge of plants and a keen eye for beauty, he is a strong right hand to Timothy Tilghman.

Top row: John Jacono, Drew Schuyler, Liz Dreeben, Maryam Farzaneh, Stewart Molina

Bottom row: Timothy Tilghman, Jazlynne Gonzalez, Mario Irigoyen

The excessive heat we have been experiencing has made me more aware of the cooling effect of the Walled Garden. Ancient Persian gardens evolved in a hot climate, and this effect was intentional in their design. It is quite startling—and delightful—to feel the temperature drop as you enter our Walled Garden. The shade cast by the huge trees, the flowing water, and the sturdy masonry enclosure of the walls create a special kind of air conditioning. This truly is “the heavenly, new-transfigured splendor” of Paradise with its “laughing” spring as described in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger.

An interesting consequence of the exceedingly dry weather is the reemergence of the long-lost footpaths at Untermyer Gardens that had disappeared over the years and whose underlying gravel makes the topsoil dry out faster than surrounding areas. Timothy pointed out one in what we call the Long Garden, which once had a central path flanked by a 400-foot-long double flower border. Opposite our new circular stairs and configured around a previous bed now covered with grass, one can discern a ghostly square path that apparently formed an approach to the central path. When restored, it will be a nice complement to the circular beds of the vegetable garden above and the other geometric elements nearby.

Our next performance in the Minnie Untermyer Concert Series will take place on Sunday, August 14. The Victor LaGamma Ensemble, a longtime favorite at the garden, returns to perform a program of jazz favorites in the mellowest of surroundings, underneath the winged sphinxes and overlooking the north pool with its lovely aquatics—a perfect way to end a summer weekend.

The final performance of the year will be the return of Lori Belilove & the Isadora Duncan Dance Company on Sunday, September 4. They will perform a mix of historic dances originally choreographed by Duncan, as well as new work. Chief among the latter will be a new piece, “For Ukraine,” set to the music of the stirring Ukrainian national anthem, which pays homage to the valor and grit of the Ukrainian people. It will be a spectacular finale to our concert season.