The first thing that strikes you when you get to the park is the mass use of this much needed green space by New Yorkers and Tourists alike. The park wraps itself around the end of Manhattan Island and is a gentle transition from the hustle and bustle of the city out into open water towards Lady Liberty herself.
The park, in its current state, is the work of Piet Oudolf and was in fact his first commissioned work in the USA in the early 2000's. During our tour around the park it was explained how Oudolf's style has changed over the years from purely herbaceous perennial planting schemes, to those that also include shrubs and small trees. The planting at Battery Park has change a couple of times in the last 15-20 years, most notably due to Hurricane Sandy which affected much of the East Coast in 2012. Much of the planting along the waters edge was damaged in the flood waters, but other areas of the park were affected due to damage to the tunnels and subways that run beneath the park. Work to repair the water damage in the tunnels required the park to be excavated in places to allow access to electrical lines.
Although a place which exhibits great horticultural standards, The Battery is also culturally significant As it is home to many memorials, including huge tablets listing the names of all the Armed Service People who were killed in the Atlantic during WW2 and the 9/11 memorial borders designed by Oudolf to be a reminder not only of those who lost their lives, but also those that survived and how a nation came together in its time of need.
New planting schemes are still being added to the park, included a native flora area which has been designed by the parks gardeners as well as the new cycle lane borders, which again were designed by Oudolf.
All that remains to be said is a massive thank you to all the people over the last fortnight who have shown us around these beautiful gardens and too all of you for taking to time to read our blog and share in our experience.
All the best
Lawrence Wright, New York, 15/05/2015