Wave Hill

In the children's book The Secret Garden, a determined little girl discovers a once-beloved garden hidden behind an ivy-covered wall. Today, visitors to a corner of the Bronx find a gate that gives way to a 28-acre horticultural masterpiece that is just as delightful.

Wave Hill, the favorite public garden of Nashville landscape architect Ben Page, graces the grounds of an old estate, built in 1843, along the bluffs of the Hudson River. "The gardens are not enormous," he says. "You can walk them easily, and they are densely packed with what I call jewelry -- the best varieties."

Out-of-towners might not expect to find such a spot so close to Midtown Manhattan, and neither did Page on his first of many visits, almost 20 years ago. A subway dropped him and a friend in the Bronx, where a short walk led to an unassuming parking lot.

"Then, we entered a fantasyland of horticulture and landscape," he remembers. "I had no idea such a sophisticated garden was in the city."

Page's friend led him to the pergola, which sits on the precipice overlooking the Hudson River and the dramatic Palisades bluffs. "It put the whole thing in context," he said. That feeling of discovery on the first visit continued with each exploration of Wave Hill, given to New York City in 1960 by the last owners of the estate.

"Everything you see is either the best example of a species or something exotic and fabulous you've never seen before," he says. "You find things that would be in an average person's garden, but you find the absolute best. Because Wave Hill is so small, the designers there concentrate on very refined horticulture."

Page says the artistry comes in large part from founding director of horticulture, Marco Polo Stufano, now retired. "He had such a refined aesthetic eye," Page says. "You'll see new things, contextual relationships that are pretty amazing. He put textures, patterns, and colors together that you'd never think of."

And he took chances most garden designers wouldn't. "He would use cool colors, such as pinks and purples and, incredibly, put something hot in a border, or something that would be jarring to most people," Page explains. "But in his strong hand, it was electrifying. Such things are meant to keep your view fresh. Sometimes, in big public gardens, the color values can become mush." Not at Wave Hill.

From the pergola, great lawn, and wild garden to the dry and herb gardens, flower garden, and conservatory, the experience leads visitors from one visual and learning experience to another.

But it isn't only a garden space. It has a cultural focus that combines all manner of experiences, from poetry readings to concerts, with the setting. "Wave Hill is very much viewed as a cultural experience," says Page. After each visit to this not-so-secret-anymore garden, he returns to Tennessee inspired. The main lesson? You can never know enough about designing a garden or landscape. "It tells me you need to continue to learn," he says.

 

TAKEAWAY TIPS FROM WAVE HILL

Whether visitors go for a concert or to walk the grounds, even the most casual gardener can glean ideas from experiencing such a well-designed outdoor space.

•Create impact on a small scale. "Wave Hill has a domestic scale, not an overwhelming civic scale," says landscape architect Ben Page. "A public garden might plant 10,000 tulips, and not many people can do that at home. But home gardeners can plant 10 of a more sophisticated, extraordinary tulip and have just as much impact."

•Edit and refine. "Take away the superfluous stuff," Page says. "Pick a color palette that you can build upon."

•Think about the future. Much of the landscape's original structure comes from old-growth trees. Seeing those trees should make home gardeners think about what's in their own backyards. "Ask, 'Should I plant a fast-growing trash tree or commit to long-term durability? What will they look like 150 to 200 years from now?' " Page says.

•Plan for all seasons. "The Wave Hill garden designers are so articulate about their seasonality," Page says. "I was there two winters ago after a very light snow. It's just as enticing during that season as it is in full-blown, blousy spring."

RESOURCES:Ben Page and Associates, 615/320-0220, www.benpageassociates.com. Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx, NY, 718/549-3200, www.wavehill.org.