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October 25, 2005
Battery Bosque Update
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The second phase of The Battery's new master plan was installed last June. Citygardenguide was very excited by this Piet Oudolf design called the Battery Bosque (Citygardenguide 6/14), and we were looking forward to seeing how it matured over the summer. Well, we can only hope that it's in that awkward adolescent phase, because it doesn't look great. The basic design of the Bosque, curving island beds in light gravel, still works well. There's much more light and air since the London Plane trees were limbed up, and the long curving benches are fantastic.
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Sadly, the planting, which was very exciting in plan, hasn't really come together. Oudolf suggested a mouthwatering list of 130 perennials that were supposed to form a complex matrix of plants of different heights and textures. Possibly because of the difficult dry conditions this summer, many of the beds have not filled in. For this idea to work, the planting has got to look lush and rich. It looks sparse and poor. Citygardenguide does not really subscribe to the perfectly groomed philosophy of gardening, we love a little romantic abandon, but the Battery Bosque made us want to wade into the beds and clean-em up. Let's hope that next spring we'll see a grown-up garden that fulfills its promise.
Posted by gardenguidenyc at October 25, 2005 03:55 PM