The Winter Garden Palms Part 1: A Case Study on the Possibilities of Indoor Landscapes

Explicit content warning

11/01/24 • 43 min

Welcome to this four-part project spotlight on the famous Winter Garden Palm trees. The Winter Garden is an iconic atrium in downtown New York City within Brookfield Place. The project centers on sixteen 37’ Washingtonia Robusta palm trees and their journey across the country, a project over 3 years in the making.

First and foremost, we thank our client Brookfield Properties, and in this case, specifically Brookfield Place and their partner CBRE. Brookfield invests in what has become an iconic and beloved space, the Winter Garden. And their vision to nurture and cultivate a cultural hub around this one of kind atrium is inspiring. Without their vision and support, none of this is possible. Thank you.

In part one of this project spotlight, we sit down with three teammates at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes: Jack Harris – VP of Sales & Design, Bob Pressner – Product & Project Consultant, and Andrew Engel – Chief Horticulturalist. We’ll provide context, share some of the project’s history, and discuss the project’s importance to our industry.

In part two, we’ll reveal the challenging process of tree finding and acclimatation.

In part three the team grapples with the complexities of installing sixteen massive trees in two weeks of overnight work.

And, in part four we'll discuss the horticultural care required for these trees in the Winter Garden.

Thank you for taking the time to listen. If you have any questions, ideas for future episodes, or feedback. Please email us at [email protected]. Wherever you consume your podcasts, please give us a like, review or subscribe. Your support is greatly appreciated!
And a big thank you to all our clients at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes. You allow us to make our passion our profession.
A special shout out to Keith Behringer, teammate at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes, for producing our podcast’s theme music.
Till next episode, if you are looking for some urban landscape inspiration, be sure to explore our website and portfolio at www.johnmini.com.

In part two, we’ll reveal the challenging process of tree finding and acclimatation.

In part three the team grapples with the complexities of installing sixteen massive trees in two weeks of overnight work.

And, in part four we'll discuss the horticultural care required for these trees in the Winter Garden.

Previous Episode

The Role of Annual Plants in the Urban Landscape

We sit down with Scott Ahlborn, Sales & Design Representative, and Matt Wessol, Director of Outdoor. They are urban landscape professionals from the John Mini Distinctive Landscapes team in New York and together bring over 40 years of experience to the table.

Scott and Matt discuss the role of annual plants in the urban landscape.

In our conversation we cover;

How they think about annuals in landscape design
When and how to use annual or seasonal plants
The emotional connections annual plantings evoke
How annuals need to be balanced with consideration for urban life and the environment

Next Episode

The Winter Garden Palms Part 2: A Case Study on the Possibilities of Indoor Landscapes

First and foremost, thank you to our client Brookfield Properties, and in this case, specifically Brookfield Place and their partner CBRE. Brookfield invests in what has become an iconic and beloved space, the Winter Garden. Their vision to nurture and cultivate a cultural hub around this one of kind atrium is inspiring. Without their vision and support, none of this is possible. Thank you.

In part two of this project spotlight, we sit down with two teammates at John Mini Distinctive Landscapes: Bob Pressner – Product & Project Consultant, and Andrew Engel – Chief Horticulturalist. In our conversation, we reflect on the challenging process of hunting for the Winter Garden trees and the acclimation process that prepares them for a transition to the indoors.

In part three the team grapples with the complexities of installing sixteen massive trees in two weeks of overnight work in downtown Manhattan.

Finally, in part four we discuss the horticultural care and maintenance required for long term success.
If you haven't already, give Part 1 a listen. We provide context on the project including why we replant the trees periodically, the project’s history, and its importance to our industry.