Fall Horticulture Now in Bloom

October is a big month for changes at Bryant Park. The installation of Bank of America Winter Village is a dramatic transformation for the park, but for horticulture fans, the gradual change from summer to fall palette is just as impressive.

The elements combine to form a dynamic arrangement. The leaves of our famous London plane trees are slowly turning to golden copper, a perfect complement to the golden leafed Hostas in the flower beds. As the temperatures fall, the salvias and landscape roses will respond with spring-like blooming. And to ensure color until winter hits, annuals including Begonia semperflorens and blue Scaevola will bloom right on up to the first hard frost.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the New York Public Library, this week is the annual installation of chrysanthemums in the garden beds in front of the Fifth Avenue Terrace. The classical lines formed by the mums form a striking frame for the Beaux-Arts façade of the library, and as the leaves of the locust trees on the terrace turn yellow, they coordinate perfectly with the mums’ warm shades of yellow, orange, burgundy, copper, mauve, and purple. Lighted by the bright sun shining through the crystalline fall air, the combination provides a breathtaking sight.