A couple of years ago I read and flagged an article in the New York Times about New York's secret gardens - though I am not sure what the article was actually called. There was a garden near the Bronx and one in Brooklyn. There might have been others. The article long ago disappeared but recently and quite by accident Untermyer Gardens was brought to my attention once again. I visited their website and knew at once that this was someplace I needed to see. It embraces everything I love - a charmed history, incredible views, glorious landscape, the remnants of spectacular architecture - a bit of urban decay- that all tell a story (or many) of an era long ago departed. The grounds have been magnificently restored and implemented with well maintained trails that lead its visitors from one fabulous "discovery" to another. Along freshly mulched paths we wandered to learn that the Untermyer Gardens are as opulent and formal as they are rustic and simplistic. As with many other wonderful New York gems (The New York Botanical Gardens, The Cloisters, The Bronx Zoo) one forgets about the hustle and bustle all around. Who'd ever have imagined that this oasis was tucked away in Yonkers, New York - of all the places!

As a working mother with three kids at home during the summer I always struggle with having the time to manage my projects and pay attention to my children. When I'm busy they're they're slaves to their iDevices which kills me to no end. Teenagers no longer "play" and my youngest has no friends around. During the week I'm limited in what I can do to keep them occupied, but on the weekends I want to make up for this lost time. When they are with me I want to keep them out of the house and engaged for a better part of the day. This does take some thought and planning but in the end we always manage to find activities that are engaging, thought provoking and memorable and most importantly we always have a good time. The Utnermeyer Gardens had something that appealed to us all, and that isn't always an easy thing. Oh, and something else worth mentioning, admission to the park is completely free!

Walk through the remnants of the main building and at once you're in the shade of the most spectacular weeping willows. Look straight ahead and you'll see The Walled Garden,  inspired by the great Indo-Persian gardens of antiquity. Divided into quadrants, the Walled Garden features four waterways bordered by crenellated walls, each anchored by an octagonal tower.  The garden was intended to mimic a paradise on earth, Eden, and had features inspired by religious descriptions of paradise. For more read about the Walled Garden here. 

Step into the Temple of the Sky, a magnificent roofless Greek rotunda with corinthian columns for your first magnificent glimpse of the Hudson River. 

Below the Temple lies what was once a magnificent reflecting pool that the conservancy hopes to restore. The mosaic design of swirls and circles contained fish and other sea creatures including star fish, lobsters, and crabs inspired by ancient Roman designs.  Although it was restored in the 1970s by Italian craftsmen, the mosaics are currently in disrepair.

Can't you just imagine the pool in all its glory with wonderful music filling the air, with magnificent parties at night? 

Signs of urban decay amongst a storied past... This is New York after all! 

Everywhere you turn plantings are meticulously manicured and maintained - gorgeous, resplendent with roses, and lilies and hydrangea and a myriad of other floral varieties. 

Just beyond the Walled Gardens a the Majestic amphitheater stands gracefully overlooking the lower property and the Hudson River. It is said that the amphitheater's floor was based on a wall fresco found in the ancient city of Tiryns thought to date as far back as 1400-1200 BCE. The magnificent mosaic depicts spirals and papyrus lotus blossoms.  

Two fierce Foo Lions stand on guard... you must pass them, however, if you want to see the Vista!

As one prepares to leave the Amphitheater, one catches yet another breathtaking glimpse of the Hudson... wander through the doorway ... 

... and arrive to the Vista which was modeled after similar series of descending stairs at the Villa D'Este in Italy.  At the Villa D'Este, the stairs descend gracefully toward Lake Como while at Untermyer, they cascade toward the Hudson River. Bosworth's original design flanked the stairs with Japanese cedars mimicking the dark cypress of the original.  In 2015 the conservancy replanted over 100 Japanese cedars to restore the grandeur of original allee. The walk down is quite steep and remember this, what goes down must eventually come back up!

Come to the bottom of the allee to the base of the Vista. Stand at the magnificent Overlook with its resplendent views. Note the the two columns that frame the views - they are ancient Roman monolithic cipollino marble columns from the estate of the noted architect, Stanford White.  

The remains of the Gatehouse sits at the bottom of the property. This once stood at the intersection of the estate's carriage trail and the Old Croton Aqueduct.  A two story house, it is now in ruin.  The lion and horse sculpture are attributed to Edward Clark Potter. Surrounding the Gatehouse were the Color Gardens, a series of six terraced gardens each planted in a single color, stood to the north of the Vista and were reached through gaps in the walls lining the steps.  The terraces color schemes were, in descending order, pink, blue, red, white, yellow and, at the bottom, a delphinium garden. Today only the last two terraces exist as the upper color gardens are on land owned by the neighboring hospital, St. John's Riverside.  

There are many well manicured and well marked trails for those seeking a connection with nature and a sense of adventure. Silence surrounds you as the tress provide a pleasant noise barrier from the streets below. Every once in a while a rumbling along the subway tracks can be heard reminding you that just outside of this Shangri La is a vibrant and bustling city. 

The grounds are impeccably maintained. 

The sun shone bright on us and we welcomed the shade when we could find it. Following the paths we came upon a clearing, and when we looked up we saw the Temple of Love and a small waterfall which cascaded down. 

The Temple of Love is spectacular with views that look out over the Hudson River and the Palisades, but the temple itself is best viewed from below. It was the centerpiece of an extended rock garden that was flanked by terraced beds. The outcropping was an elaborate water feature, with water coursing all around it in various waterfalls and ponds.  The Temple of Love was created by Carlo Davite, a Genoese stone mason who did work in the Paris Exposition, the St. Louis Exposition and at the Frick Museum.

Looking down from up above in the Temple of Love

Looking up and into the heavens from the Temple of Love. 

Numerous rock outcroppings work together to create the many steps and covered areas that lead to the top of the temple. 

Around every bend, it seemed, was another well defined trail. We wandered along with the hopes of being led back to the entrance with the hopes of finding out car!

My kid blended into the foliage!

The last path we chose brought us to the base of the Caretaker's house. I could see from afar that it was in a bit of a state of disarray - I could see the bold, bright colorful graffiti. I adore graffiti as odd as that might sound. I have a particular fondness for urban decay and the graffiti often goes hand in hand. We inched closer and I was hoping there was a way up to the house.

A lion peers out at what must have been the former entrance to the gatehouse. He looks terribly sad these days. His commanding presence softened over the years. 

My 11 year old pauses, as though he's actually contemplating the trespassing. He stays put. But I want to. I want to explore what's left of this house. I want to see the brightly colored words sprayed on to the brick walls. I look down and notice there's no longer a floor, instead a green carpet of grass below, above us only sky. 

I am mesmerized, in awe. And so it is not my son who trespasses; it is I. I am curious. My camera wants to capture it all. I look around and survey the remains and nothing looks dangerous. I motion for the kids to follow me. It all looks safe, save for a few bits and pieces of broken glass. It looks like some rebellious teenagers were here last. 

I try to imagine life as it was within these four walls but I cannot. Instead I am very much in the moment. I see this as a great location for a photo shoot - Maybe Vogue, with models dressed to the nines in Gucci or Valentino. One model holds a flute, another holds a Magnum, behind them a man in a tux stands with his arms crossed, a cigar in his left hand. 

I look out at the trees beyond in the open spaces where the windows once were and think to myself that I must return in the fall as the vibrant foliage will reign supreme and accentuate the already bright interior. 

One last walk around and then we spy another path that looks like it will lead us out. The climb uphill looks ominous. We're hot and thirst, but we must persevere if we are to get our bottles of chilled water. It was a long, uphill climb - and so worth every moment of our adventure.

The Untermeyer Gardens Conservancy
945 North Broadway
Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) 613-4502
Visit their website for tours, directions and more information.