New York gardens
The Statue of Liberty framed by pines and native perennials in Battery Park, the southern tip of Manhattan. Wild Quinine and Butterfly Milkweed add interest into the mass planting of ornamental grasses.
Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park, connected to Battery Park, provides views to Jersey City and a quiet respite from the Manhattan buzz
On a warm afternoon in late July, the smoky fog descending from Canada into the Manhattan sky created a unique backdrop to the plantings bringing new life to Battery Park. While the air quality was poor, the vibrant and diverse plantings lining the walking paths provided a distraction from the hustle and bustle nearby and a place to take a deep breath (*not too deep).
Elizabeth street garden
After visiting a my friend Frances at Gem Home in Little Italy, I headed to Nolita (North of Little Italy) in search of highly recommended sculpture garden. Only open certian days of the week, Elizabeth Street Garden is unique for Lower Manhattan. With mature trees, cozy garden rooms, and sculptures of all types, this small garden could easily be missed if the flowers don’t draw you within the gate. This site was proposed to be developed many times in the last couple decades, but after a lot of public outcry it was preserved as a park. I understand the need for more affordable housing in one of the most dense areas in the country, but I sure did love visiting this place and can’t wait to return.
Elizabeth Street Garden, a one-acre community sculpture garden in Nolita, NYC
Designing for the People
Little Island is an iconic elevated park that opened in 2021 near Chelsea. With a total cost of $260 Million, it is definitely something to see.
Echinacea purpurea and Amsonia hubrichtii at Little Island, a futuristic elevated park over the Hudson River with a meandering trail through primarily native plants.
Container planting at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The 132 large concrete ‘pots’ or ‘tulips’ were manufactured in update New York and are built to withstand 500 year floods. It was designed by Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects and includes 350 species of flora.
While these concrete ‘tulips’ are kind of like hug containers, I also enjoyed gaining a lot of inspiration from other container plantings around the city.
