Boston Flora

Tag: Untermyer Gardens

  • Tuesday, February 10, 6:00 pm – Reflections on Japanese Gardens (Recording Available February 14)

    Untermyer Gardens Conservancy’s 2026 Winter Lecture features Assistant Head Gardener Drew Schuyler, who will provide insights from his extended trip to Japan.

    In the autumn of 2025 our assistant head gardener, Drew Schuyler, received a prestigious Chanticleer Scholarship which allowed him to attend an intensive seminar at Kyoto University of the Arts and enjoy an immersive experience in the gardens of Japan.

    Over the course of five weeks, he visited more than 50 temples, gardens, and historical sites across eight cities, gaining insights from countless gardeners along the way. In this talk, Drew will provide a historical review of Japanese gardens from ancient times to the modern era, with a focus on the places and people that have come to define and influence the idea of the traditional Japanese garden. He will share images from his travels as well as his observations as a professional American gardener seeking horticultural and design inspiration from abroad.

    The lecture will take place at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, 921 Madison Avenue, NYC, with a reception following the lecture.
    Tickets are $35 per person. A recording of the lecture will be available starting February 14. Tickets $25, sold separately. https://www.untermyergardens.org/2026winterlecture.html

  • Sunday, March 9, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern – Creating a Woodland Fantasy in the Real World, Online

    The Untermyer Garden Conservancy hosts a virtual symposium on March 9 at 2 pm Eastern. Creating a Woodland Fantasy in the Real World: Making the Most of Our Woodland Shade Gardens. Panelists include Thom Almendinger, Director of Stewardship. Teatown Lake Reservation, Basil Camu, Co-founder of Leaf & Limb Tree Service, Uli Lorimer, Director of Horticulture with Native Plant Trust, and Timothy Tilghman, Head Gardener at Untermyer Gardens. Tickets are $25. Visit https://untermyergardens.org/

  • Sunday, February 11, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern – Onward and Upward in the Vegetable Garden, Online

    Untermyer Garden’s new ornamental vegetable garden, tended faithfully by Yonkers public high school interns, enjoyed its first series of harvests last year. As we look ahead to the next growing season, we have invited three vegetable garden experts to share their perspectives and advice. The program will take place February 11 from 2 – 4, and tickets are $20, plus Eventbrite fee. The video will be available to view for one month following the event, as well. Purchase tickets HERE

    K Greene, co-founder of Hudson Valley Seed Company, will help us think about heirloom and open-pollinated seed selection and how we can help our plants thrive after germination.  
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    Award-winning author, radio host, and garden expert from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Niki Jabbour will share her amazingly productive techniques and approaches to success in her own home food garden.  

    David Mattern, who is responsible for the ornamental vegetable and cutting gardens at Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania, will help us understand that healthy plants are the key to production and attractiveness.  
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    Moderating the panel will be Timothy Tilghman, the Untermyer Gardens Head Gardener. 

  • Wednesday, February 23, 2:00 pm – Garden Club of the Back Bay Virtual Program – America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden: Restoration of the Untermyer Gardens

    Join the Garden Club of the Back Bay online on February 23 at 2 pm for a free presentation on America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden: Restoration of the Untermyer Gardens. Stephen Byrns, President and Founder of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, will tell the story of Samuel Untermyer who purchased Greystone Estate in Yonkers, NY in 1899 and transformed the grounds into one of the finest gardens in the world.  Beaux-Arts Architect, Welles Bosworth designed the 150-acre formal garden into a horticultural wonder. However, over time, the green spaces regressed and the buildings crumbled.  Starting In 2011, a successful restoration was underway.  Stephen Byrns will explore the revived reflecting pools, mosaic pavements, marble sphinxes and the Temple of Love on top of a rocky bluff.  Sweeping views of the Hudson River framed by two 23-foot-tall Roman columns are jaw-dropping. 
     
    Note:  This program will not be recorded. It is presented on ZOOM. Please rsvp by February 18 by clicking HERE.  A ZOOM link will be sent a few days before the program.  For additional information email info@bostonflora.com.


     

  • Tuesday, December 8, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Untermyer Gardens, America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden Webinar

    Tuesday, December 8, 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Untermyer Gardens, America’s Greatest Forgotten Garden Webinar

    In 1916, New York City lawyer Samuel Untermyer tasked architect William Bosworth with designing the “finest garden in the world” on his cliffside estate in Yonkers, New York — he succeeded, and for 40 years, this 150-acre formal garden became a horticultural wonder of America, and the world. Though by the 1970s, one of America’s most beautiful green spaces had regressed into one of its most neglected, littered with abandoned buildings and crumbling ruins — any hints of its former greatness could only be found in local folklore.

    While many restoration efforts throughout the years were unsuccessful, the latest initiative has finally bucked the trend, and given the once-great garden a second life — this is the story of America’s greatest forgotten garden.

    Join New York Adventure Club for a virtual exploration of Untermyer Gardens, the formal gardens designed for Samuel Untermyer’s Greystone Estate in 1916, which became one of the most celebrated gardens in America.

    Led by Stephen F. Byrns, President and Founder of the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, which began restoring Samuel Untermyer’s gardens in 2011, our unique digital showcase of this cliffside Persian “paradise” garden will include:

    • The story of Samuel Untermyer, the prominent New York lawyer and investor who purchased the Greystone Estate in an 1899 auction and transformed the grounds into one of the finest gardens in the world
    • An overview of Untermyer Gardens, from the 1916 design by Beaux-Arts architect Welles Bosworth, to its heyday when 60 full-time gardeners were on staff, to the successful modern restoration efforts after decades of failed revival initiatives
    • A virtual exploration of the stunning grounds including the Walled Garden‘s reflecting pools, mosaic pavements, and marble sphinxes; the Temple of Love‘s round temple on top of a rocky bluff and waterfall; and the jaw-dropping Vista, which features sweeping views of the Hudson River, framed by two 23-foot-tall Roman columns (believed to be the tallest ancient columns made from single stone chunks in the Western Hemisphere)

    Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Steve — any and all questions about Untermyer Gardens are welcomed and encouraged!

    Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!

    See you there, virtually!

    *Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar. $10. Register at https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/untermyer-gardens-americas-greatest-forgotten-garden-webinar-registration-128544509087/