The botanical variety on the High Line is spectacular. Before the renovation, volunteers were sent to collect the seeds from the plants naturally growing on the abandoned rail line. “The High Line’s plantings are inspired by the self-seeded landscape that grew on the out-of-use elevated rail tracks during the 25 years after the trains stopped running. Landscape architects James Corner Field Operations and the Netherlands-based Piet Oudolf chose species for their hardiness, sustainability, and textural and color variation, with a focus on native species. Many of the species that originally grew on the High Line’s rail bed are incorporated into the park landscape.”
The Empire State Building from the High Line.
It looks like 2 giant iphones!
Funny observation, joujou.
hurrah! thanks so much for letting me know about your photos! it looks terrific!
You worked so hard to get this going, mouf. Just wanted to let you see the results.
cool! i wonder if any of the seeds i got to help collect (a great activity, not a chore) were used. do you know why they decided to use planks instead of railway ties (sleepers)? this is the one esthetic decision that seems wrong to me. but i’m sure there were good reasons (weight, enviro factors, or something else) given how carefully every last element was considered and addressed. thanks again for the photos, Michael
Hi guys!! From what I learned, they gave a lot of those seeds to some kind of seed/plant exchange in New York City.
There are thousands of species of plants/trees up there…many of which didn’t exist on the former, wild High Line but which were chosen for their ability to withstand heat/cold and the somewhat harsh conditions of growing on those elevated tracks, as well as different microclimates (sunny, shady, etc).
I am not sure about the railway sleepers, but I do know that the planks (or at least a lot of them) are built with sloping "fingers" at their edges so that they can mesh with the plants growing around them, to create a bit of a wild look. Also, the planks have thin grooves between them to allow rainwater to flow to the plants, instead of just draining off the High Line.
Yeah the planks are jarring, probably be less so when they weather.
Thanks for the info Irene.
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Very cool, great photos. This must be a great time to see all those plants, in our (cold, wet) Spring, with everything flowering. I’ve gotta drag my arse over there soon. Is it open everyday/night to just walk around and hang out?
Open 7AM – 10PM. There have been lines to get in on the weekends.