Mary's garden...

What is an Indo-Persian Garden?  And how did one find it’s way to Yonkers, New York?  My recent visit to Untermyer Gardens was a refreshing example of the power of finding beauty in different cultures.... 

Thanks to Eliza Scidmore, cherry blossoms have become an integral element that welcomes spring.  These natives of the Himalayas are among the first trees to bloom,  transforming winter’s gray into clouds of white and soft pink.   But it wasn't easy getting cherry trees to US shores.  If at first you don't succeed, try again...

“Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; Live a good life” was the favorite credo of the creators of this quintessentially American gilded age country house and garden. The first 2 letters of each phrase, FI-LO-LI, form the name of this special place. It also is an apt description for the garden today….

Calvert Vaux, the visionary architect behind New York City’s Central Park, would have marked his birthday on Dec 20, 1824.  So this seems an appropriate time to celebrate his Central Park bridges.  Each one is unique; an ornament tucked into the broader landscape.... made all the more beautiful by fresh snowfall...

Counting down to tulip season!  Legend Beatrix Farrand wrote in 1941, “In the spring, probably the best bulbs to use will be Tulips, in such colors as may be found attractive.  The cheapest groups which can be bought in large quantities are those of the mixed Darwins, preferably running toward the yellows, bronzes, and oranges..."  Her Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks is full of garden advice...