Report on the New York Botanical Garden

by Olmsted Brothers

Merely as examples we will mention a few such opportunities which have thrust themselves upon us as important. The making of such improvements is so bound up with improved maintenance that while the cost of them might properly be met either out of increased maintenance funds or out of special improvement funds, the work should be done mainly by the maintenance personnel.

1. Fruticetum. What might be called the general scenic quality of the areas devoted to the systematic collection of shrubs could be greatly improved, together with its instructiveness as to the esthetic value of many species as elements in landscape composition, by a patient, laborious and discriminating study of the entire collection, acre by acre and plant by plant, followed by a great deal of minor shifting of the position of individual plants, by the elimination of some and by the addition of others, so as to make more agreeable and interesting compositions—all without in the least impairing the prime function of the Fruticetum as a systematic collection of specimens of representative shrubby plants. From the esthetic point of view this job would be very much like the job of a sculptor in perfecting a model in clay; sometimes pressing back here and building out there without addition or subtraction of material, sometimes adding a little, sometimes taking away a little. The details can no more be embodied in a specification or a plan than can the touches of the sculptor which determine the final quality of his work. But because the Fruticetum is not solely or even primarily intended as a work of fine art, but primarily as a living botanical museum, whoever is charged with the artistic responsibility for such an improvement would have to keep the Director-in-Chief closely informed of his intentions in advance and work under his supervision and with his continuing approval as to the effect of the changes on the value of the collection from the botanical standpoint.

2. Herbaceous Grounds. There is opportunity for similar improvement, probably far less general and far less notable in its effect, in the area devoted to the synoptic collection of herbaceous plants, known as the Herbaceous Garden. Incidentally it has occurred to us that the name “Herbaceous Grounds,” which is applied at Kew to an area having similar purposes, would be better than “Herbaceous Garden;” because the latter is so apt to suggest to visitors the idea of a garden of herbaceous flowering plants selected and arranged primarily for esthetic effects, as so-called “herbaceous borders” ordinarily are, and to cause some disappointment on finding quite a different sort of thing.

We do not want to imply that the area devoted to this collection is not now esthetically agreeable. It is among the pleasantest of the sophisticated features of the Botanical Garden grounds. But without changing its function as a synoptic collection of herbaceous plants, which necessarily contains many specimens selected and assigned to certain localities for reasons quite other than esthetic, we believe that the existing pleasant landscape qualities of the scene could be appreciably heightened and refined by minor adjustments in the positions of the plants and outlines of beds and by the addition of certain “background” and “filler” plants not part of the exhibit proper, but serving functions not unlike those of frames and cases and backgrounds and partitions in an indoor museum.

3. Border Plantations. The strengthening, extension and refinement of screening and background plantations on the borders of the Garden land is a very important matter for the sake of future effect, because the outlooks into the surrounding city are generally most inharmonious, distracting and unpleasant, and it takes a long time to grow trees large enough to screen them.

4. Cherry Garden. The area devoted to Japanese flowering cherries, which is interesting in topography, contains good specimens and has an attractive memorial shelter, Japanese in spirit, could be made very much more lovely by carefully studied shifting of some of the specimens so as to secure better artistic composition, taking better advantage of the topography, by the addition of appropriate subordinate elements for enrichment, and by readjustment of the paths so as to lead people conveniently and easily to just the right points of view and at the same time fit into place as appropriate parts of the scene. It could be made, and ought to be made, a notably exquisite piece of landscape.

5. Means of circulation as related to the improvement of existing plantations. The mention of paths in connection with the Cherry Garden brings us to a very perplexing and very important matter. In a botanical garden resorted to by great numbers of people, it is a fact, as frequently pointed out by the Director-in-Chief, that an adequate and convenient path system is very important for handling the crowds without destruction of the more essential element—which is the vegetation. It is also important that it should lead the people conveniently, agreeably, and without a sense either of confusion, or unpleasant compulsion, or of disappointment, through those places where they can best see and enjoy what is prepared for their benefit. It is a further fact that the topography of the Garden is in parts so intricate and peculiar as to have made the design and construction of such a system of circulation, in a thoroughly satisfactory way, extremely difficult, especially under the conditions of piecemeal construction with funds available in limited amounts from time to time. In places the existing path system is excellent. But in other places, in face of these topographical difficulties, it seems to us extremely unsatisfactory, confusing, arduous and uninviting to follow, failing to lead to the best points of view and neither conforming pleasantly to the natural topography nor accompanied by a bold and skilful modification of the topography so as to conform to the exigencies of proper circulation.

We believe, therefore, that there should be a very careful and thorough study of the whole system of circulation, existing and prospective, with a view to determining, first, all those areas in the Garden within which the existing means of circulation can reasonably be regarded as permanently satisfactory, so that improvements and refinements to the plantations can there be undertaken without danger that things will have to be seriously upset by subsequent changes in or additions to the path and road system. This will clear the way for perfecting the landscape beauty of those areas by refinements in the vegetation to the utmost degree that the available means and skill will permit. Concentration on that sort of improvement will make more showing, esthetically, per dollar expended than where costly structural changes are needed, and for that reason should probably receive preference in the earlier part of the program of improvement.

But in preparation for a second step in the program of improving the existing features, those areas within which the existing means of circulation can not be regarded as permanently satisfactory should be studied in detail, section by section, and detailed plans prepared for successive sections to determine the precise locations and grades of the permanent paths and roads; the sometimes radical changes in grading required in connection therewith; and at least the general nature of the treatment of vegetation contemplated. This will show what improvements in detail of vegetation within these areas can safely be undertaken pending the expected changes in paths, etc., and open the way for undertaking these improvements without serious risk of waste.

And then, as a third step in the program, the more costly structural changes can themselves be undertaken, section by section, accompanied by perfecting the vegetation in direct connection therewith.