When Remodelista founder Julie Carlson attended a benefit dinner at Wave Hill, a public garden and under-the-radar treasure in the Bronx, she enjoyed the beautiful plantings and the breathtaking views of the Hudson River, but it was the garden chairs she saw on the property that bowled her over. (She is a design geek, after all.)
Turns out, the Wave Hill chairs have been bewitching visitors for decades. They were designed in the 1960s by landscape designer Lester Collins, who based the chair on a 1918 design by architect Gerrit Rietveld; Collins later allowed Wave Hill to make his version of the chair for use in their public garden.
Good news for Julie and others who can’t stop thinking about them: Wave Hill sells DIY plans for the chair.
Above: The beauty of these chairs is that you can use cheap store-bought planks to build them and paint them in the color of your choosing. To purchase the plans, contact The Shop at Wave Hill at 718.549.3200 x249, or email [email protected]. Above: Horticulturalist Dan Benarcik designed his own version after becoming obsessed with the chairs at Wave Hill. On his site, he sells the plans for his chair for $35; a DIY kit with all the materials you need for $325; a workshop to make a chair for $350; and a fully assembled chair, in western red cedar, for $425. Find details here. Above: You can also purchase pre-made Wave Hill chairs in your choice of wood—white ash, white oak, walnut, cherry, red oak, reclaimed oak, reclaimed pine, maple, or cedar (pictured) from Hugo and Hoby. Above: While we like the look of the untreated wood chairs that age with time, we also quite enjoy them painted or stained (Margaret Roach writes about her painted versions here). Photograph via Dan Benarcik.
For more on garden chairs, see:
N.B.: This post was first published July 2019; it has been updated with new links and photos.
Known for their stunning plant collections, captivating displays, and awe-inspiring exhibitions, America’s botanical gardens offer some of the most beautiful sights in the country. These gardens are dynamic destinations where garden and nature lovers and families can connect with nature.
Whether it’s the sweet aroma of blooming roses or the impressive sight of towering palm trees, botanical gardens are visually stunning and rich educational resources.
Here are 17 of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the United States, perfect for a family visit this spring.
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
A short subway ride from Manhattan takes you to the New York Botanical Garden. Spanning 250 acres, this garden boasts an impressive collection of over one million plants, featuring 650 rose varieties. The garden serves as a hub for special events, art exhibits, and educational programs that cater to both adults and children.
San Francisco Botanical Garden, California
Situated in Golden Gate State Park, this garden is home to nearly 9,000 plant species from around the world. The garden’s design mimics various global environments, offering visitors a diverse botanical experience.
Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Brooklyn, NY
Opened in 1911, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is a staple in New York. Covering 52 acres, this garden boasts a unique collection of plant species. More than 200+ cherry blossom trees bloom each spring, transforming the garden into a vibrant tapestry of colors. The garden offers a unique experience, featuring live jazz performances and other attractions, to attract visitors from around the country.
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA
Opened in 1976, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. This 30-acre garden features “an award-winning Children’s Garden, the serene Storza Woods highlighted by a unique Canopy Walk, and the picturesque Skyline Garden.” This urban oasis is worth a visit.
Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix
Nestled among the Papago Buttes, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is a 140-acre expanse that showcases a vast collection of cacti, succulents, and desert flora from around the globe. Since its inception in 1939, this garden has attracted approximately 400,000 visitors annually, offering a unique blend of natural beauty and educational opportunities within its scenic desert landscape.
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Big Island
This non-profit garden spans over 100 acres on Hawaii’s Big Island and features more than 2,500 species of plants, including a variety of heliconias and bromeliads. Visitors can explore lush vegetation alongside streams and waterfalls, making it an ideal spot for education and nature walks enriched by guided tours and extensive plant information resources.
Chicago Botanical Garden, Illinois
As the most frequented public garden in the U.S., the Chicago Botanic Garden spans over 385 acres and features 26 distinct gardens representing various habitats. This garden attracts over a million visitors annually, focusing on the conservation of rare plant species while offering multiple academic programs.
Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Texas
Located in the heart of Fort Worth, this 110-acre garden is the oldest in Texas and features over 2,500 species of plants. It’s known for its Japanese-style rose garden, waterfalls, and a 10,000-square-foot rainforest conservatory, making it a must-visit for family outings.
Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
Founded in 1859 by Henry Shaw, this 79-acre site is the oldest botanical garden in North America. It features a herbarium with over 6.6 million specimens and a Japanese-style garden. The garden also hosts a summer Green Living music festival with a geodesic dome and a historic brick conservatory from 1882.
International Rose Test Garden, Oregon
Located in Portland, this garden is the oldest public rose test garden in the U.S., featuring 10,000 rose bushes across 600 varieties. It’s a paradise for rose enthusiasts and a beautiful spot for summer visits.
United States Botanic Garden, Washington D.C.
Established by Congress in 1820, this historic garden near the US Capitol is one of the oldest in America. It contains over 65,000 plants, including ancient ferns, and features themed garden rooms and public displays in a compact yet diverse setting.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Florida
Near Miami, Fairchild covers 83 acres and is both a lush botanical garden and a hub for conservation research. It features a butterfly conservatory and a vast collection of tropical fruit plants, making it a comprehensive venue for both leisure and learning.
Huntington Library Art Museum and Botanical Garden, California
This expansive site in San Marino offers 16 themed gardens and an extensive collection of art and library resources. It’s famous for its Japanese garden and the Garden of Flowering Fragrance, providing a serene escape filled with cultural and botanical treasures.
Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania
Longwood Gardens spans 1,075 acres and features spectacular shows like the Orchid Extravaganza. It’s known for its diverse plant collections and seasonal light shows, offering something for everyone.
Filoli Botanical Garden, California
Filoli is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains and features 16 acres of formal gardens within a 654-acre estate. It’s known for its spring bulb displays, fruit trees, and elegant water features.
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Texas
This 66-acre garden in Dallas hosts the largest outdoor flower festival in the Southwest, known as Dallas Blooms. The garden offers numerous amenities, including a children’s area and thematic gardens exploring different botanical experiences.
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden, New Mexico
Located in Albuquerque, the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden has 36 acres of gardens. It features several rare and exotic plants from the Southwest and around the world.
Visitors to the garden can enjoy various public displays, including the Sasebo Japanese Garden, the Children’s Fantasy Garden, the Butterfly Pavilion, and the BUGarium, one of the largest arthropod displays in the United States. ABQ BioPark is also home to a zoo, an aquarium, and Tin
Danelo Cavalcante, the convicted killer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison, was seen overnight Saturday, according to state police, who said the fugitive had “changed his appearance” as the manhunt enters its 11th day.
“He is now clean-shaven and wearing a yellow or green hooded sweatshirt, black baseball cap, green prison pants, and white shoes,” Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement early Sunday, adding he was spotted near in northern Chester County near Phoenixville.
Cavalcante, 34, is also said to be driving a 2020 white Ford Transit van with Pennsylvania plates and a refrigeration unit on top, according to police. The van had been reported stolen by a local dairy farm, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said.
Nearly 400 officers have joined the round-the-clock search operation for Cavalcante, who fled Chester County Prison on August 31 by “crab walking” between two walls, scaling a fence and traversing razor wire.
The sighting Saturday is just the latest:Police Lt. Col. George Bivens, who is leading the search, told reporters Friday there had been “probably eight or nine” other credible sightings since Cavalcante’s escape. Two sightings on Friday were confirmed within the general perimeter where tactical teams, K-9 dogs and a helicopter are scouring for any sign of the fugitive, according to Pennsylvania State Police Trooper James Grothey.
Cavalcante’s escape came about two weeks after he was convicted of first-degree murder for the 2021 killing of his former girlfriend, Deborah Brandão, 33, in Chester County. Authorities said Cavalcante stabbed Brandão 38 times in front of her two children, who are now in the care of her sister.
Cavalcante is also wanted in a 2017 homicide case in Brazil, his native country, a US Marshals Service official has said.
The inmate’s escape from the prison about 30 miles west of Philadelphia has instilled fear within his victim’s family and distressed nearby residents like Ryan Drummond, who told CNN he saw Cavalcante in his Pocopson Township home the night of September 1.
Describing it as an “acute moment of terror,” Drummond said he heard noise in his house and noticed an old French door off the side of their deck was slightly ajar.
“That’s when my stomach dropped,” he told CNN’s Michael Smerconish.
Drummond told his wife to call 911, he said, and saw Cavalcante “walking methodically” out of the kitchen into his living room before leaving the house via the French door.
Cavalcante was seen in or around Chester County’s Longwood Gardens – about 3 miles from the prison – several times last week. On September 2, the fugitive was seen on surveillance video about 1.5 miles from the prison, authorities said. On Monday, a security camera recorded the fugitive at Longwood Gardens, authorities said.
An area resident then reported seeing Cavalcante on Tuesday in a creek bed on the resident’s property. On Wednesday, a trail camera image showed Cavalcante in or around Longwood Gardens, but officials learned about this sighting Thursday evening, according to Bivens.
Guests were asked to leave the botanical gardens Thursday as the entire venue closed for the manhunt. Police swarmed the botanical gardens, but did not catch the killer.
Despite Cavalcante’s elusive streak, Bivens said he is confident the fugitive will be caught.
“We’ve got a large perimeter secured,” he said Friday. “That is a pretty secure perimeter that we can push hard against with the tactical team.”
