Horticulture

SUMMER READING

IF YOU LOVE HISTORY

PARADISE ON THE HUDSON

By Caroline Seebohm Timber Press, 2020

This book tells the story of Untermyer Garden, once the estate of activist and attorney Samuel Untermyer (1858–1940), who fought for transparency in business and banking, women’s suffrage and other causes. In 1899 he purchased a Hudson River mansion and soon set about crafting its landscape into an ornate, stunning, expansive garden that combined elements from cultures around the world. The inherently competitive lawyer insisted his garden be “the finest in the world,” yet he also harbored a true passion for plants. After his death the property was broken up and fell into decline, but around 2010 a group led by architect Stephen Byrns, with Wave Hill alum Marco Polo Stufano, set about rescuing what they could.

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