Snowscape Visit: The Max Family Garden in Brooklyn - Gardenista

"There is a strong temptation to stay indoors when the world freezes. But out there in the cold, and especially after snowfall, the brown bones of gardens are suddenly emphasized, outlined in white. Visiting gardens in winter, when leaves and flowers belong to dreams of spring, allows us the thrill of anticipation, the pure pleasure of comparison, and an appreciation of structure, adding layers of understanding to our experience. It also tests our plant identification skills."

"For as much as it obscures, snow reveals what we may not have noticed before. Dusted with white, trees do not shape-shift-they can't-as much as they become eloquent, damp snow emphasizing the gestures of bare branches. Photography by Vincent Mounier unless otherwise noted. Above: Glory be to brick. Photo by Marie Viljoen. Just a whisper north of the Brooklyn Bridge, and within Brooklyn Bridge Park, is the Max Family Garden (also known as the Triangle Garden), a hidden wedge guarded by old brick walls and arches, and designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA). Above: Snow turns found bluestone slabs into plush (but cold), cushioned seats."

There is a strong temptation to stay indoors when the world freezes, but visiting gardens in winter reveals emphasized brown bones outlined in snow. Snow both obscures and reveals unnoticed features, making trees eloquent as damp snow emphasizes the gestures of bare branches. Winter visits produce anticipation, comparison, and deeper appreciation of structure while testing plant identification skills. The Max Family Garden in Brooklyn Bridge Park occupies a hidden brick-walled wedge designed by MVVA and repurposes found bluestone slabs as seating. A mature sassafras near double swing-doors gestures toward St. Ann's Warehouse, whose 2015 performance space reimagined a nineteenth-century tobacco warehouse.

Read at Gardenista