The Park’s four central flower beds

2009

The earlier formal planting

Before the later redesign, the four central beds carried summer begonias. A June 2009 update named Stokes Farm at the Union Square Greenmarket as the supplier and described matching work in the iron urns, wellhead and planters at the north gate.

The May report recorded forty-six new American boxwoods, including thirty-nine around the area west of the Booth monument, together with twenty hydrangeas and five crimson azaleas. Replacement hedging at the fountain and monument was another part of that season’s work.

Trying a different approach

For summer 2013, the Trustees asked project manager Kathleen Scupp and Anthony Bulfamante Landscaping to rethink the four central flower beds. The new scheme moved toward a looser field-of-flowers appearance, with a white garden, a yellow garden and two blue gardens.

Beauty and practical care

The planting choices considered color, size, bloom duration, wildlife and maintenance. Shared plants tied the four beds together. Soil was replaced and graded for drainage, and the surrounding boxwoods were adjusted. The design also allowed for autumn bulb planting and a spring display.

A design carried forward

A June 2018 update again described the beds in blue, violet, white and yellow, with grasses and larger perennials.

2019

A garden adjusted through the season

The June 22, 2019 update explained how the planting continued to evolve. Landscaper Anthony Bulfamante, gardener Amando Flores and project manager Kathleen Scupp reviewed the previous year’s performance and chose plants together. One bed was white, one yellow and orange, and two mixed blue, lavender and purple.

As the season progressed, clusters of flowers and grasses from the Union Square market filled out the beds. The report described movement in the breeze and visits from butterflies and bees—a design maintained through repeated observation and small adjustments.

Responding when plantings struggled

In April 2019, the Trustees reported replacing damaged boxwood around the central beds and seeking advice about poorly performing tulip bulbs. The cause of the bulb problems was still under investigation.

2022

A new summer planting

The June 14, 2022 newsletter reported that Anthony Bulfamante’s landscaping crew had planted the four center beds the previous day. Kathleen Scupp designed that season’s scheme in consultation with Bulfamante.

Grasses, annuals and perennials were combined in a field-like planting, with separate beds emphasizing whites, yellows, blues and purples. It is a dated view of the gardens between their earlier redesign and the pollinator-focused account of 2025.

2025

Four gardens for pollinators

The July 2025 letter described a further evolution of the four central beds. Since 2015, their design had placed greater emphasis on nectar-rich planting for pollinators. Operations Manager Kathleen Scupp designed the beds, Mike Boag of Land Pride Services carried out planting, and caretaker Amando Flores added seasonal flowers from the Union Square Greenmarket.

Each bed had a distinct palette: white and green; yellow, orange and red; blue; and blue with purple. Plants with different flowering times extended the display. The letter highlighted bee balm, coneflowers, milkweed, black-eyed Susans, lavender and other seasonal choices, with grasses adding height and movement.

Birds fed on the purple millet, and selected perennials were to be moved elsewhere in the Park before autumn bulb planting.