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New Design of the Four Flower Beds in Gramercy Park
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Photo by Sean Brady
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For Summer 2013, the Trustees chose to re-design the planting of the 4 flower beds in the center of Gramercy Park. In the past, we planted impatiens or brown leaf begonias in various colors and combinations. It was decided to treat this year's display as an experiment using a different concept of plantings and colors. The Trustees asked Project Manager Kathleen Scupp, to collaborate with one of our landscaping contractors, Anthony Bulfamante Landscaping, and they created a wonderful new design, described below.
They decided on a less formal ʻfield of flowersʼ design, each in different color scheme. To tie the overall look together, all 4 beds would contain certain identical plants. In each bed the flowers were determined by color, size, length of each blooming, resistance to wild life, aesthetics and physical maintenance. Annuals vs perennials were selected to allow bulbs to be planted in the Fall for a Spring display.
To begin, 6" of soil was removed and 12" of new top soil was added. It was graded in the center to allow drainage. The boxwoods surrounding each bed were then lowered and mitered.
To unify the beds, all of the 4 beds were planted with: Pennisetum Rubrum, EchinaceaʻWhite Swanʼ and Heuchera ʻPalace Purpleʼ.
The different plantings for the 4 beds include the following:
Southeast bed - White garden is planted with ʻVictoriaʼ white salvia, cleome "Dazzler White", New Guinea impatiens, nicotiana ʻAlbaʼ, nicotiana ʻSylvestrisʼ and white angelonia.
Southwest and Northeast beds - Blue Gardens are planted with ʻVictoriaʼ blue salvia, browalia ʻAmericanaʼ, ageratum ʻBlue Horizonʼ, salvia ʻIndigo Spiresʼ, salvia ʻBlack and Blueʼ, cleaome ʻSenorita Rosalitaʼ, Mexican heather and purple angelonia. There are variations in the planting of the 2 Blue Beds.
Northwest bed - Yellow Garden is planted with lantana yellow, lantana ʻYellow/Red Mixʼ, marigold traditional, marigold ʻFrench Cultivarsʼ, zinnia ʻYellow Profusionʼ and CoreopsisʻZagrebʼ. All the beds were then mulched with wood chips.
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Photo by Lois Conner
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Photo by Sean Brady
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 | | Photo by Alex Nguyen |
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Photo by Alex Nguyen
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