Horticulture

The White Garden is a place of calm and quiet respite just east of Wards Meadow Field. As its name suggests, the White Garden brings together an array of plants with white blossoms and pale variegated foliage. The diversity of textures, leaf shapes, and hues add to the overall interest and charm of this garden from spring through autumn. The recently added birch grove and winding outer paths make the White Garden a favorite place for autumn events.

Overlooking the Hell Gate rapids at the Park’s southeastern tip, the Hell Gate Wildflower Meadow is filled with perennials native to the Northeast. This meadow is a unique ecosystem, providing food and shelter for diverse insects. Walk along the narrow paths and enjoy the view of the East River, while being surrounded by beauty and pollinator activity.

Located at the entry to the freshwater wetlands, the Freshwater Meadow allows for a wide range of native plants and their corresponding pollinators. Tall prairie grasses mingle with colorful and wonderfully textured wildflowers that hold their magnificent seed heads through winter. They provide year-round interest and an abundance of food and habitat for overwintering butterflies, bees, and birds.

The Woodland Garden runs alongside the Water’s Edge Garden. This sanctuary was designed with trees, shrubs, and perennial species native to the Northeast, to create the ecosystem of a natural forest providing an abundance of shade. Birds love the Woodland Garden too, as it provides food and habitat both in the trees and the understory layers. A narrow path invites visitors to experience a peaceful forest-like environment in the midst of urban living.

Winner of the 2007 Perennial Plant Association Landscape Design Award, the Water’s Edge Garden is almost a mile long and meanders alongside the Harlem River, with views of upper Manhattan. This garden offers seasonal interest with whimsical mixtures of bulbs, perennials, grasses and shrubs in varying heights and textures, drifting along in shade and sunny areas. The garden extends all along the waterfront bicycle and pedestrian pathways north of the 103rd Street Footbridge.

Just across from the Urban Farm, the Cottage Garden has a unique design of densely planted ornamental and edible plants. Take a stroll by the garden and experience the charm of this small but mighty garden. The Cottage Garden is famously known by local birders for being the home of the first New York State recorded sighting of the Black-Chinned Hummingbird in November of 2023! Its presence highlights the importance of preserving habitat and planting native wildflowers at migratory stopover sites, like Randall’s Island Park.