This diary is a first in a series of New York City visitors guides for gardeners. This first garden for you to explore in the Big Apple is right in Central Park and called the Conservatory Garden. The confusing name is because there actually once was a big glass house that stood on this site from 1898 until a demise caused by Great Depression. But now there are six beautiful outdoor acres in three themed gardens behind the The Vanderbuilt Gate.
Before going through the gate here's a little trivia about Central Park's only exterior gate. The Vanderbuilt Gate on Fifth Avenue between 104th and 105th Streets didn't start out in that location. After being designed by the American architect George B. Post the gate started out in French foundry and then stood at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. This elaborate gate that once stood right across the street from the Plaza Hotel guarded the mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and is a reminder of the first Gilded Age.
Behind the Vanderbuilt Gate, that now guards Central Park's only formal garden, the center garden is called "The Italianate Garden."
Popular year round with wedding parties, you can't swing a dead cat around without hitting a bride but the center garden isn't all that impressive in autumn.
When spring comes, when the allées of white crab apples come into bloom and the background pergola is covered in purple wisteria, the view is breathtaking. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of that, so combined with the view below that was off by a few weeks, use your imagination.
The next view of the Italianate Garden is an autumn look from the wisteria pergola where the walkway offers medallions inscribed with the names of the original 13 states. Notice that handsome white building with the terra-cotta roof. It was once called "The Flower Hospital."
And one more spring view with some trivia that is far from trivial. See the huge brown mountain on the left hand side just above the Wisteria pergola? That is mulch from several tree chippers, a mound represent most of the Central Park trees lost to Hurricane Irene and Sandy. Hurricanes really suck.
But back to beauty. There is a lot of beautiful blue slate in the Conservatory Garden that was a 1934 WPA work project designed by Gilmore D. Clarke with planting plans by M. Betty Sprout.
The French and English Gardens are each separated from the Italianate Garden by these pleasing blue stone paths that are shades by crab apple trees.
The Crab Apple Allée will be pink on the left and white on the right in springtime. During the bloom it is almost too bright to sit and read and in summer you almost need a flashlight. This time of year the light is just right for a good book.
During most of the year my favorite of the three is The English Garden. A series of concentric D shaped walkways with flowers, shrubs and fruit trees of all sorts surround a beautiful small lily pond. The English Garden offers the most variety of flowers in spring and the most shade in summer.
The center of the English Garden, that small lily pond is what makes this garden so special.
Many call the area "The Secret Garden" because of the lovely Burnett memorial fountain. The sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh is a tribute to Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of the children's classic.
Splich Splash, the statue is a big hit with the sparrows of Spanish Harlem.
During the autumn season the riot of color in The French Garden forces the English Garden to take a back seat.
Three Dancing Maidens who once danced at Samuel Untermyer's estate is the centerpiece of the French Garden. Very popular with the locals and created by the German sculptor, Walter Schott. I don't know why it is in Central Park instead of Untermyer Park.
The autumn feature of the French Style Garden, these spectacular flowers are called Korean chrysanthemums.
And on the last day people are invited to come to the garden to take all those chrysanthums home.
Oh and by the way, that Vanderbuilt Gate is just for closing up at night. There is no admission fee to the Conservatory Garden.