The High Line: A Living Masterpiece Whose Beauty Resides in Its Unpredictability
The High Line, New York City’s iconic elevated park, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. While renowned for its stunning naturalistic design by Piet Oudolf, the park is not just a static landscape. It is, in fact, a vibrant ecosystem constantly evolving thanks to the dedicated efforts of its horticultural team. By marrying artistic vision with the unpredictable forces of nature, the High Line serves as an exceptional case study for urban gardening, showcasing how to embrace change and cultivate a dynamic, living landscape.
Key Takeaways:
Embracing Change: The High Line’s horticulturists understand that nature’s constant evolution is an essential element of the gardens’ appeal. They actively manage the landscape by anticipating and responding to the ever-changing needs of the plants, rather than striving for a static, unchanging aesthetic.
Learning from Nature: The High Line’s horticultural approach is deeply rooted in observations of natural ecosystems. The team, drawing inspiration from woodland and grassland landscapes, uses techniques such as "drift planting" to create visually captivating, yet ecologically sound, spaces where plants thrive naturally.
The Art of Timely Interventions: The success of the High Line lies in the horticulturists’ ability to make strategic, well-timed interventions. This includes regular cutbacks throughout the growing season, carefully targeted weeding practices, and the removal of plants that are becoming overly dominant.
- Organic Gardening for a Thriving Ecosystem: The High Line embraces organic gardening practices to encourage a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem. By supporting beneficial insects and wildlife, the garden creates a dynamic balance that fosters resilience and strengthens the overall health of the landscape.
A Symphony of Change, Guided by Nature’s Hand
While visitors marvel at the carefully curated landscape, they may not realize the constant effort behind maintaining its beauty. The 10 horticulturists managing the High Line are not simply gardeners, they are ecologists, artists, and astute observers. They are constantly adapting their strategies to ensure the seamless integration of natural succession with the park’s original design vision.
"You have to know plants, and you have to have a good understanding of how the plants move or change over time," explains Yuki Kaneko, the senior horticulture manager. Her words underscore the need for a gardener who can embrace the inherent fluidity of nature, recognizing that gardening is an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
This approach is evident throughout the garden. In the Gansevoort Woodland, for instance, John Gunderson, the senior horticultural supervisor, carefully monitors the growth of the gray birches, which have tripled in height since their initial planting. This change has influenced the amount of light reaching the understory layer of plants, necessitating the selective removal of some trees and shrubs to create more space for smaller plants to thrive.
"The goal is to create a plant community that takes care of themselves," says Ms. Kaneko. This philosophy is reflected in the garden’s emphasis on organic practices – a testament to the importance of fostering a healthy ecosystem for the plants and animals that call the High Line home.
The Importance of Repetitiveness and "Drift Planting"
To create the illusion of a naturally established landscape, the horticulturists use clever techniques inspired by the patterns found in nature. One of the most central techniques is "drift planting," which involves planting large masses of the same plant species together, creating a sense of continuity and movement. This approach not only makes the garden visually captivating but also enhances its ecological function.
"Piet’s not trying to get too many plants into any one area," explains Richard Hayden, the High Line’s senior director of horticulture. By concentrating on a limited palette of plants grown in large drifts, they create a sense of calm and organization, allowing visitors to appreciate the inherent beauty of each individual species.
The horticulturists’ knowledge of plant behavior extends beyond selecting species; they understand how these plants establish themselves in their natural habitats. When planning the planting layouts, they consider factors such as the plant’s natural distribution, its growth habits, and its tendency to spread. This understanding guides them in replicating the natural patterns of growth, ensuring the garden remains true to nature’s own design.
The Precision of Cutbacks: A "Chelsea Chop" and Beyond
The High Line gardens are not set-it-and-forget-it landscapes. They require constant maintenance and care, particularly in the form of "cutbacks" – selective pruning done during the growing season to ensure plant health and maintain visual appeal.
Unlike the common practice of cutting back plants in the fall, the High Line’s horticultural team focuses on mid-season cutbacks from around May to July, a technique known as the "Chelsea Chop". This practice is used on species like goldenrods, Coreopsis, Rudbeckia, and Nepeta. The "Chelsea Chop" encourages bushier growth and a longer blooming period, prolonging the garden’s beauty and offering valuable sustenance for pollinators.
Beyond the Chelsea Chop, the team employs additional cutback techniques where needed, tailoring the timing and severity of the cutbacks to individual plants and their specific environments. For example, asters in sunnier areas may receive just one cutback, whereas asters in shadier areas may require multiple cutbacks to keep them from becoming leggy and encourage fuller, bushier growth.
A Living Laboratory where Nature and Art Converge
The High Line is much more than a beautiful, urban park. It is a testament to the possibilities of naturalistic design, a constant reminder of the importance of respecting the dynamic forces of nature. The horticultural team, acting as both caretakers and collaborators, strives to honor the artistry of Piet Oudolf’s original vision while allowing the garden to evolve organically over time.
The High Line’s success is not only measured by its visual appeal; it is also measured by its ability to foster a thriving ecosystem. Since its opening, the garden has attracted various wildlife species, including warblers, native bees, and butterflies. This biodiverse haven serves as a valuable reminder of the importance of incorporating elements of nature into our urban landscapes, promoting biodiversity and enriching our lives.
The High Line’s 15th anniversary stands as a celebration of its continuous evolution. It is a testament to the power of creative collaboration, where the art of gardening meets the science of ecology, forging a captivating and sustainable landscape that reflects the very essence of nature’s unpredictable beauty.
