ABOUT THE PARK

Eye-catching seasonal displays and a dedication to tree and lawn care are at the heart of the Conservancy’s mission.

Madison Square Park’s landscape was first designed by Ignatz Pilat, a noted horticulturist and landscape-gardener working throughout New York City in the mid-1800s.  He is best known as working alongside Fredrick Law Olmsted as Central Park’s head landscape gardener. During the restoration of Madison Square Park in the late-1990s, internationally renowned public garden designer, Lynden B. Miller, re-imagined the grounds and gardens, which had long been neglected. Her principle of providing year-round vitality through a variety of perennials remains a guiding force behind the work of our two full-time gardeners.  Some of the park’s signature plants include hydrangeas, hollies and dogwoods.

The Conservancy’s responsibility also extends across Fifth Avenue to historic Worth Square, where our gardeners maintain the planting bed surrounding the obelisk dedicated to General William Jenkins Worth.

ARTICLES

Crocus
February 22, 2012

Plants in Progress

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The spring equinox might not be arriving for another month, but Madison Square Park’s bulbs are already preparing for warmer weather. Maybe Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow earlier this month, but six more weeks of winter do not seem to be on the agenda this year.

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/plants-in-progress

Holly
January 26, 2012

A Green Winter

Evergreen plants have been revered in temperate zones throughout history as symbols of hope, strength and everlasting life. So, it’s no surprise that these persistent plants are present in various cultures. Every year during the Holidays in Mad. Sq. Park, we decorate with a large evergreen tree and garland. This year we even added some… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/why-are-some-plants-green-all-winter

P1010022
January 25, 2012

Hawk in the Hood

As stated in an earlier post, we have a new resident in Madison Square Park, and the pigeons and squirrels are not happy about it. Red-tailed Hawks are one of the most common birds of prey in North America, inhabiting open country, woodlands, prairies, mountains, plains and of course the occasional bustling metropolis. While it… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/hawk-in-the-hood

P1000599
November 30, 2011

Winter Splash

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Sadly, our fall urn plantings have completed their life cycle and have moved on to the pearly gates of compost heaven, but fret not plant lovers! Last week, gardener Steph and I finished the installation of the winter season urn plantings, and we are quite pleased with them. We decided to split the design duties,… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/winter-splash

Ask Brad
November 23, 2011

Inside Information

The Madison Square Park Manager, Brad Lowe, took some time out of his busy schedule of seasonal plantings, leaf raking and more to share a some of his wealth of Park knowledge with us. How many people does Madison Square Park employ? In addition to our office staff, the Madison Square Park Conservancy employs four… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/insider-information-with-the-park-manager

P1000098
November 11, 2011

MSPC Staff Planting

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This past Wednesday, Madison Square Park Conservancy’s office-bound staff escaped the Eleven Madison building and had some fun in the dirt. With the help of our amazing gardeners, our 10 MSPC staff members planted 6,000 bulbs in Worth Square. We got our hands dirty while planting a range of bulbs, including Grape Hyacinth, crocuses, species… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/mspc-staff-planting

P1090465
November 8, 2011

Credit Suisse Volunteer Planting

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On Friday, November 4, another group of Credit Suisse volunteers pulled on their gardening gloves and helped plant 1,500 viridiflora tulip bulbs in Madison Square Park.  The viridiflora tulips, which will bloom in a mélange of cream, pink, salmon and orange/yellow, were planted in the beds along the Northern Reflecting Pool. Viridiflora tulips usually bloom… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/credit-suisse-volunteer-planting

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
November 3, 2011

The Science of Autumn from Gardener Steph

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As the days get shorter and the nights grow longer, people start dreading the coming of winter and the possibility of not experiencing much daylight during the work week.  Deciduous plants are also affected by the length of darkness each day. When nights are long enough, an added layer of cells form between the leaves… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/the-science-of-autumn-from-gardener-steph

P1030065
October 25, 2011

Lawns Closed for Reseeding

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After a season chock-full of of concerts, festivals and art, the lawns in Mad. Sq. Park need some R & R. Since fall and spring are the best times to seed lawns, all lawns are officially closed until May 2012. Mad. Sq. Park staff is currently reseeding all lawns in the Park so that they… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/lawns-closed-for-reseeding

P1090419
October 24, 2011

Fall Plantings

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This fall has been a wet, but pretty time in Madison Square Park. The fall planting that our gardeners designed consists of many non-traditional autumn display plants. Several purple and pink fountain grasses add some architectural movement and sway to the south side of the park, with the fountain urns being photographed more often than… Read more

http://www.madisonsquarepark.org/news/blog/fall-plantings

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