01 Pruning for Structure

AS SUMMER Horticultural happenings this fall: FADES... TOURS Celebrating Autumn Take a closer look at the autumn garden on the High Line and examine how several featured moments Tuesdays in October are achieved over time. High Line Horticulturists The naturalistic garden changes 9 – 10am, 5 – 6pm discuss the ongoing collaboration between Meet below the High Line at designer and gardener and the specific subtly this season, revealing new the Gansevoort St. stairs skills needed to create and maintain a Free. To RSVP, visit naturalistic garden. moments in the landscape that thehighline.org/activities highlight the beauty of autumn. TIME LAPSE Each of the following compositions Five Seasons Artist and filmmaker Thomas Piper captures the November 2, 3, 4 complex evolution of Piet Oudolf’s planting designs reflect our gardeners’ season of 6 – 9pm in loops of time-lapse photography, projected On the High Line under publicly for the first time on the High Line. labor, and each is the culmination The Standard, at 13th St. Free. No RSVP needed of years of observation, planning, PANEL and insightful gardening— Elevating the Nature Join us for a discussion about the future of of Modern Landscapes horticulture featuring Planting Designer Piet Oudolf the collaboration between our Monday, November 6, 7pm and author and photographer Rick Darke. Copies of John L. Tishman Auditorium their new book, Gardens of the High Line: Elevating horticulture team and Planting The New School, 63 5th Ave the Nature of Modern Landscapes, will be available Free. To RSVP, visit for purchase and signing. Designer Piet Oudolf. thehighline.org/activities This guide features seven planting compositions found Where to see the compositions between Gansevoort St. and 14th St., plus the unique horticultural skills and concepts behind them. featured in this guide: 06 05 04 07 03 01 02 Little W 12th St. Gansevoort St. Gansevoort 14th St. 15th St. FACT: Gray birches often colonize open PRUNING FOR 01 disturbed sites, like abandoned rail tracks. STRUCTURE Plants in this composition Whitespire gray birch, Eastern redbud, and Allegheny serviceberry arch over the pathway, forming a vaulted ceiling that creates a moment of seclusion. The gardeners take advantage of the vase-like structure of the serviceberry and the birches’ tendency to “dive,” or lean, to create this effect through pruning. Whitespire gray birch Betula populifolia ‘Whitespire’ With distinctive triangular markings punctuating white bark, gray birch is one of the most elegant and easily recognized trees on the High Line. Eastern redbud Autumn is the perfect time Cercis canadensis to appreciate the art of pruning. These native understory trees are members of the pea family; in spring, they bloom along their branches, making them look like pink sea anemones. As trees drop their leaves, their individual forms can be seen, as well as the overall structure, layers, and changing patterns of light in the woodland gardens. Allegheny serviceberry Because the effects—good or bad—can last for years, pruning Amelanchier laevis requires an understanding of how a tree or shrub will respond in the These native shrubs produce berries in June that are long term. The gardeners employ different techniques depending beloved by birds as well as people—who sometimes mistake them for blueberries. on the species of tree, the size of the grove, and the location. Where trees are densely planted, the gardeners make sure branches are not rubbing, and allow light and air to move through. We also keep shrub layers from growing up into the tree canopy. Throughout the park, we prune to create forms and landscapes that look natural. REFERENCING 02 NATURE Plants in this composition These Minutissimum dwarf lady ferns grow in Northeastern forests, which inspired us to incorporate them into this woodland scene. Planted with autumn moor grass and Christmas ferns, they mimic the natural patterns of their habit in the wild. Minutissimum dwarf lady ferns Athyrium filix-femina ‘Minutissimum’ The straight species of this miniature cultivar has an enormous native range throughout North America and Eurasia in woodlands, marshes, and prairies. autumn moor grass Piet Oudolf’s designs for the gardens Sesleria autumnalis translate aspects of the original, This cool-season European grass is one of the first plants on the High Line to begin growing in the spontaneous plant communities that spring. Moor grass also does well in shade. grew on the High Line during its years of disuse. Christmas ferns Polystichum acrostichoides For example, many of the grassland gardens were inspired by the Common to eastern North American woodlands, this fern is historically used in holiday decorations, open, spontaneous meadows growing on the structure before it and brings a welcome touch of greenery in winter. was converted into a park. The horticulture team also takes annual field trips to local wild areas, like the New Jersey Pine Barrens (pictured above). The gardeners draw inspiration from such habitats when making changes in the garden, whether it be selecting a new groundcover or deciding whether to expand or reduce an existing “The idea is not to copy nature, but to group of plants. Like a wild ecosystem, the gardens are designed to change over the course of seasons and years. Our job is to guide give a feeling of nature.” these changes so that the gardens keep their wild character. — Piet Oudolf FRAMING 03 Plants in this composition The High Line’s history features prominently in this composition. The train tracks frame and structure the planting, drawing the eye through a woodland of serviceberry trees and Jean’s Appalachian Snow dogwoods. The wooden ties break up the understory planting of Eastern Star white wood aster and Hummelo hedgenettle. Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis These native shrubs produce berries in June that are beloved by birds as well as people—who sometimes mistake them for blueberries. Jean’s Appalachian Snow dogwoods The High Line offers a different Cornus florida ‘Jean’s Appalachian Snow’ perspective on the city, rather than A wonderful native alternative to the Asian Kousa dogwood frequently used in garden designs, this an escape from the city. cultivar is resistant to common fungal diseases. Here, plantings frame the rising skyline above, and the activity on the street and the Hudson River below. We prune to maintain Eastern Star white wood aster these open views and magic glimpses. Eurybia divaricata ‘Eastern Star’ This aster grows spontaneously in the wooded areas The park’s design also highlights elements of the structure itself, in many of NYC’s parks. Its autumn blooms draw like the original railroad tracks and ties. We use these elements pollinators to the shadiest corners of the garden. of the hardscape to help structure the plantings. We also consider the plantings from all vantage points, so that they are designed to suit those seeing the park for the first time from the street, Hummelo hedgenettle from a stairwell, or from a landing. Stachys officinalis ‘Hummelo’ Piet Oudolf introduced this cultivar of hedgenettle, which is native to European meadows and woodlands. It’s named for his hometown, Hummelo. TRANSITIONING 04 Plants in this composition As the garden transitions from grassland to woodland, sun-loving plants like sideoats grama grass give way to sedges, ferns, and groundcovers that thrive in shade. The two areas blend through gradually rising height—from the mounding form of the Raydon’s Favorite aromatic aster to shrubs like Dawn viburnum and Japanese clethra. sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Only distantly related to actual oats (which are in another genus, Avena), the drought-tolerant sideoats form an attractive native groundcover. Raydon’s Favorite aromatic aster The gardens change radically Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ throughout the year, growing so This iconic and fragrant High Line plant has a cloud- like appearance with masses of purple blooms. It’s much that they become almost an important nectar source for bees and butterflies. unrecognizable from spring to fall. Dawn viburnum Our job as gardeners is to guide the transitions from one type Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ of planting to another, and from one season to the next, trying to A star of the winter season! While bloom times vary seamlessly blend moments and scenes. dramatically from year to year, we usually see a profusion of fragrant pink blooms in February. Early in the year, gardeners must resist the urge to fill in all open spaces, which will result in overcrowded autumn gardens. While we carefully orchestrate the shifts from sun to shade, grassland to woodland, and others, we also accept that in the four-season Japanese clethra Clethra barbinervis garden there will be awkward moments of transition, and embrace them. Rather than deadheading when petals hang raggedly from An often overlooked choice, this shrub not only offers sweetly scented flowers in late summer, developing seedheads, we look forward to the striking presence but handsome exfoliating bark for winter interest. of mature seedheads in the winter garden. “Low autumn sunlight contains just the right sort of warm tones to pick out PLAYING 05 the subtleties of dying perennials.” WITH COLOR — Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury Plants in this composition The hazy blooms of the pink muhly grass, set off by the golden foliage of threadleaf blue star, complement the burgundy leaves of the Grace smokebush. In fall, this area is rich in color, and the changing light throughout the day adds another dimension: The plants glow in the morning and evening sun. pink muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris This stunning native grass is now endangered in Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, and New Jersey, though you can sometimes spot it along roadsides. thread-leaf blue star Some High Line plants do flower Amsonia hubrichtii in autumn, but it’s often the foliage, This native perennial grows over three feet in one season, and stays round and full all winter.

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