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Some of my favorite gardens
Wave Hill, Riverdale, New York
Wave Hill, Riverdale, New York
If one goes north from Inwood Hill park across the Henry Hudson bridge and then on through the old growth forest along the Hudson river (see NYC walks: Inwood to Wave Hill), one comes to Wave Hill garden. Originally a mansion on a hill overlooking the Hudson river and the Palisades, it is now a public garden. Throughout its history, Wave Hill has been looked after and developed by gifted gardeners who understood how to work with its spectacular natural setting. It is a beautiful place to visit at any time of the year and it still has the personal feel of a much loved garden rather than a public park. I usually go there on weekdays, when it is quiet and peaceful.
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York
New York Botanical Garden lies in the Bronx, a pleasant walk east from Inwood. I started going there in 2017 and it was love at first sight. The garden is huge, mature, immensely varied, and yet harmonious and graceful. It is a garden, not just a collection of plants. For me, it is New York at its best--a place that invites diverse elements to come together and somehow adds them up to a whole that is much more interesting than the sum of the parts.
Fort Tryon, Manhattan, New York
Fort Tryon, Manhattan, New York
Fort Tryon lies on the hill just south of Inwood Hill. It is more park-like than the old growth forest preserve of Inwood Hill, but it is a masterpiece of park design. On the western slope there is a lovely heather garden and winding paths with views over the Hudson and the Palisades. On the eastern slope there is an alpine garden and more winding paths with far reaching views over the city. This park lifts the spirits and delights the senses, and that even before one comes to the beautiful Cloisters Museum and its gardens.
Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, New York
Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers, New York
When I first saw Untermyer Gardens around 2014, it was a ruin of what must once have been a spectacular garden. Thankfully, since then a prodigious amount of work has been done to restore this garden to its former glory. Year by year, bit by bit, different sections have been brought back to life. I've been thrilled to follow this progress with astonishment and delight. Normally, I would've thought that an Italienate garden would be too formal for my taste, but it turns out that a beautiful garden full of healthy and happy plants is a joy to behold no matter what style it may represent.
Hidcote Manor garden, Cotswolds, England
Hidcote Manor garden, Cotswolds, England
Hidcote is a quintessentially English garden created by Major Lawrence Johnston, a naturalized British subject born in America and raised in France. Bold lines, neatly clipped hedges, and other formal elements structure the garden into "rooms" and give it a masculine, soldierly look. But it seems that this soldier was also an artist and a poet, for every room is like an impressionist painting or a poem. You wander from room to room, surprised and enchanted by ever new combinations of colors, shapes, textures, and scents. Every room has its own distinctive personality, so you never know what to expect. But you're drawn on, because you soon realize that whatever the next room may be, it will be surprising, exciting, and delightful.
links: website | great british gardens
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