A green-thumbed horticulturist’s guide to New York

This article is part of a guide to New York by FT Globetrotter

New York has always been one of my favorite places to visit for its energy, character, and diversity of interesting horticultural and floral elements. The Big Apple may seem cluttered and chaotic, but within it are havens of thriving plant life amidst the hustle and bustle.

Every visit to NYC for me starts with a morning trip to the Flower District on 28th Street in Chelsea, located one block between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. From around 5:30am, vendors arrive to sell mainly to those in the flower trade and the public later in the morning. The street is filled with so many different varieties of plants and cut flowers that I feel like a kid in a candy store. One of my favorite shops is Foliage paradise, where an array of delightful topiaries, bonsai and unusual conifers can be purchased throughout the year. Nearby, Page G wholesale flowers sells an unrivaled selection of cut flowers, branches and plants, many of which come from upstate New York at the height of the season. A beautiful bouquet can be picked up from any of the floral designers based in the district, often filled with colorful and fragrant local flowers.

A long 15 minute walk West 28th Street beyond Chelsea Park he will take you to Piet Oudolf High Line, the public park built on a historic elevated freight rail line above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. Saved from demolition by neighborhood residents and New York City, the High Line opened in 2009 as a hybrid public space where visitors experience nature, art and design. Throughout the year, his plantations are a haven for beneficial insects and birds, planted in Oudolf’s distinctive grassland mounds. Streaks of color and seed heads create a striking contrast to the cityscape and Hudson River views.

For a quick change of scenery, I like to visit the atrium garden in the construction of the Ford Foundation in Midtown, where it is possible to admire splendid specimens of subtropical plants. With sunlight streaming in on multiple sides, the 160-foot-tall atrium is home to nearly 40 species of trees, vines, and shrubs. This includes an array of hanging ferns and the most exquisitely scented gardenias. There’s also a reflecting pool and sensory garden with plants that you’re encouraged to touch and smell. The lush vegetation is also supported by the water collected from the building’s roof; the sound of the reverberating fountains makes you feel like you have entered another world.

A Trip to Upper Manhattan al Met Cloisters museum, the section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe, is always on my list. The collections are displayed in four buildings replicating French monasteries and abbeys; the gardens are inserted in the cloisters and host various collections of medicinal, ornamental and edible plants. I adore the Bonnefont cloister with its herb garden full of aromas, scents and colours, often featuring historic varieties of medicinal plants dating back to medieval times. From the south wall of the Bonnefont garden is an orchard planted with medieval fruit trees including apple, loquat and quince, flowering in a spectacular display of spring flowers, underplanted with flowering bulbs. The Cloister of Trie is planted with a flower meadow in summer resembling a tapestry full of bright colors and dancing with beneficial insects.

Traveling slightly further north to the Bronx provides an opportunity for sightseeing Wave Hill, a horticultural oasis that feels miles away from New York City. The 28-acre estate has two homes whose gardens are home to a magnificent collection of plants overlooking the Hudson River. The flower garden, surrounded by clematis-covered cedar fences, has borders and containers overflowing with color and shape in the style of Arts and Crafts plantations, interspersed with obelisks. The TH Everett Alpine House has a fantastic display of Alpines from upland regions, which serves as a year-round horticultural museum.

One of my favorite spots in the garden is the Paisley Bed, which features an exuberant and colorful planting of annuals and bulbs. A walk through the conservatory always leads me to snap a label catalog of new plant discoveries, and then I make my way to the Wild Garden, through narrow paths surrounded by a managed wilderness of naturalistic plantings at the highest point of the garden . If you’re an avid twitcher, the diversity of bird life here is something to look out for and I’m always excited to spot a hummingbird darting from flower to flower. Ending the day at the Pergola gives you an opportunity to rest your feet and take in the magnificent views of the New Jersey Palisades.

Thomas Broom-Hughes is director of horticulture at Petersham NurseriesLondon

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