Central Park

Mark Dwyer's recent visit to New York resulted in a picture in his RBG blog of him sitting on the rim of a fountain in Central Park. Seeing Mark sitting there looking awed, I remembered that same fountain from the cover of a book I had picked up at a rummage sale for a quarter about a year ago.

The book is titled Central Park, 1857 to 1995, The Birth, Decline, and Renewal of a National Treasure.

The day I bought the book I was just looking for something to read while I munched my lunch. Instead, I found myself up at 3 am bleary eyed but unwilling to put down this fascinating story.

The story begins when the park was nothing but an idea and introduces us to perhaps one of the most ambitious gardeners America has ever known, designer and project champion, Frederic Law Olmsted. If you get a chance, pick it up. It's a fascinating read.