Posts Tagged ‘urban parks’
John Yapp Culyer: The Engineer Who Moved Trees and Shaped America’s Parks
The Brain Behind the “Tree-Movers” May 18, 1839 Today is the birthday of the American civil engineer, landscape architect, inventor, and plantsman John Yapp Culyer. John was commissioned to work on parks in major cities across America – like Chicago and Pittsburgh. He was the Chief Landscape Engineer of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, which opened to…
Read MoreCentral Park: America’s First Great Urban Oasis and the Story Behind Its Creation
Creating Central Park On this day, the legislation that created Central Park passed. Central Park was allowed 778 acres of land and was created by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (“Vox”). The Park was inspired by England’s Birkenhead Park, which was created by Joseph Paxton. And there were many wonderful firsts that happened…
Read MoreCharles Eliot: The Visionary Landscape Architect Who Shaped New England’s Natural Beauty
The Boston Botanist Today is the birthday of Charles Eliot, who was born on this day in 1859. Eliot was the son of a prominent Boston family. In 1869, the year his mother died, his father Charles William Eliot became the president of Harvard University. In 1882 Charles went to Harvard to study botany. A…
Read MoreA Blossom for Helen: The Frick Heiress and Her Green Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 22, 1910 On this day, dear readers, a most enchanting revelation blossomed forth from the steel-clad city of Pittsburgh. A new chrysanthemum, as delicate as a whisper and as radiant as the…
Read MoreA City Cloaked in Leaves: Rochester’s Verdant Vision
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 7, 1888 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, a momentous occasion unfolded in the fair city of Rochester, New York. The Rochester Parks Commission, a group of visionaries with an eye for…
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