British Memorial Garden reaches one year mark in ongoing construction

New Garden for Lower Manhattan

May 10, 2006, New York City :  The British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square celebrated the one-year anniversary of  he ground-breaking ceremony held last year. The garden, which has been under continual construction since May 2005, with plans to reopen the three-quarter acre park to the public in September followed by a formal opening of the garden in 2007.

                "We are pleased to announce that all of the infrastructure and utilities are completed," said British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc., President Camilla G. Hellman.  "With all the paving laid, we are now looking forward to the installation of the benches and other elements of the park this summer, with planting later this fall".

                The garden which grew out of the dark days following September 11th  has been recognized in the Congressional Register as a Living Memorial.  The 67 British victims of 9/11 will be honored  within the garden by a memorial fence line.  The garden will be anchored at the south end by a sculpture to Unity by Anish Kapoor, celebrating the historic friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom .

                A truly British garden in design and feel, the park features stone from all parts of Britain , including paving from Scotland , a Welsh slate water rill, and benches which are being manufactured in Northern Ireland of English stone.  The plants and trees will be typical of British gardens, with majestic topiary yews  and boxwood.

                A gift to the people and City of New York , the British Memorial Garden is being funded by individuals, foundations and corporations.  Fundraising for the $6.75 million park is ongoing, and a new appeal for the Unity sculpture by Anish Kapoor was recently launched.

                 The British Garden at Hanover Square has been designed by noted British landscape architects Julian and Isabel Bannerman, known for their work at Highgrove for HRH The Prince of Wales.

                Both the Bannermans' and Kapoor's designs were chosen through invitational juried competitions.  The designs for both the garden and sculpture have received full approval from the New York City government, the Art Commission and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. 

A map of Great Britain is carved into the paving, with stones representing each county in Britain . The map was created by celebrated British sculptor Simon Verity.  A water rill will wend it way though the park, and flowers such as narcissus, mock orange, periwinkle, daffodils, cyclamen and lily of the valley will keep the garden blooming from early spring into fall.

The British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc.  was launched in April 2003 by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, who gave the garden a box of heirloom seeds from the Privy Gardens at Hampton Court Palace and other royal residences.  The seeds, which include lupines and marigolds, date back to the reigns of Henry VIII and William III.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales serves as the Royal Patron of the British Memorial Garden Trust, Inc.  He and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall dedicated the center stone for the garden on November 1, 2005 .  The center stone was laid in January, 2006.

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