Woodland Garden

Carl Schurz Park, New York City

This ongoing project, commissioned by Carl Schurz Park Conservancy, is turning a scrubby and sterile park border into a vibrant woodland with a diversified, enriched ecology.

The design goal was to create a bucolic natural space as a counterpoint to urban Manhattan. It needed to be low-maintenance, with plants that have year-round interest, blocked the view of the street from within the park and supported ecologic diversity.

 As the seasons unfold, different sections of the woodland come into focus. There is something new to see almost every week. The plant selections include only native and hardy adapted species, with an emphasis on plants that attract pollinators and birds.