Columbus Square

The Daily Plant : Monday, March 22, 2004

FOUNTAIN FLOWS WITH NEW GREENERY

On Tuesday, March 16, Parks & Recreation and Citigroup braved the snowstorm to celebrate the planting of the Court Square Park Fountain. Citigroup donated $15,000 as part of the "Fountain Gardens" project. Because of the weather, the event was held indoors in the beautiful Citigroup building in Long Island City, Queens. The building is directly across the street from Court Square Park and the Queens County Courthouse. Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe was joined by Vice President for Government Affairs and Community Relations for Citigroup Eileen Auld, Vice President for Environmental Affairs for Citigroup Iris Gold, and Queens Borough Commissioner Richard Murphy.

The "Fountain Gardens" project provides the opportunity for a company or non-profit organization to create a horticultural exhibit in a park fountain. The fountains in Manhattan’s City Hall Park, Brooklyn’s Columbus Park, and the Bronx ’s Joyce Kilmer Park were recently decorated with winter plantings and have became destinations in their own right.

Most of the year, park fountains lie dormant. This project makes use of that open space by putting plantings directly into the fountains. The two-tiered fountain in Court Square Park is decorated with a winter arrangement, and when the weather warms up a bit, spring plantings will be added so that colorful flowers bloom in the spring. The plantings currently in the fountain include, Prunus, Juniperus, Viburnum, Forsythia, and Cornus sericea, which Commissioner Benepe translated into English for the audience.

"Our ‘Fountain Gardens’ project is part of Parks & Recreation’s horticulture renaissance and one of the many ways we’re striving to make New York City known as ‘Flower City,’" said Commissioner Benepe. "I’d like to thank Citigroup for working with us to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers. I hope many other corporate partners take their lead."

After the speaking program, a few brave souls left the warmth of the Citigroup building to visit the horticulture display across the street. The plantings looked beautiful with the layer of fresh snow. The scene was also a reminder that though spring is now upon us, it will be a little longer before we see blooming flowers.

Written by Margaret Johnson