In May 2007, motorists on the Harlem River Drive slowed down to take in a spectacular new sight—a sea of pink, white and red blossoming trees along the waterfront. To be exact, 106 cherry and crabapple trees were planted in winter and spring 2007 as part of New York Restoration Project's (NYRP) Cherry Tree Project.  In November of this year, NYRP planted an additional 76 cherry and crabapple trees, bringing the grand total to 182 new trees along the Harlem River Drive.  And to celebrate the Cherry Tree Project with local residents, NYRP also planted eight cherry trees at the New York City Housing Authority’s Dyckman Houses across the street from Swindler Cove Park.

"NYRP’s founder Bette Midler has a goal to plant 3,001 flowering ornamentals along both sides of the Harlem River—that's one more than the famed Tidal Basin cherry trees in Washington, D.C.," says Amy Gavaris, NYRP Executive Vice President. A little healthy competition is a good thing considering New York City's MillionTreesNYC initiative to plant and care for one million new trees over the next decade.

Landscape designer Janice Parker was the ideal partner to take on NYRP’s Cherry Tree Project. Growing up in Manhattan with fond memories of the once glorious cherry trees along the West Side Highway, Parker was eager to reestablish their dramatic presence in the City. Her design plan includes Mt. Fuji, Yoshino and Kwanzan cherries and Prairifire and Indian Magic crabapples, among others, for variety in color and ornamental fruit for birds throughout the winter.

Additional lawn and landscaping projects are also planned for the site, which stretches from the intersection of Dyckman Street, 10th Avenue and the Harlem River Drive down to 183rd Street (and possibly further south) —almost a mile of Harlem River waterfront that has remained undeveloped and virtually cut off from the city since the highway opened in the early 1960s.

To make the biggest possible splash in the landscape, Parker has visited the best tree farms in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland looking for healthy, well-branched trees grown side-by-side as "families."

"The trees were grown in the same soil and pruned by the same crew, with a lot of love and attention. It's essential to start out strong, because trees are not all created equal, and in a project this size, you are not going to replace a live tree, even if perhaps you should," says Parker. Ten years or older, and weighing up to a ton with dirt, these mature trees are transported carefully to protect their root system and branches. Onsite, massive holes are dug to accommodate the 6-to-10-foot-diameter root balls, and once planted, the trees are given wide mulch circles to prevent trunk damage from mowers.

Since NYRP purchases these trees with individual donations, mostly raised at its annual Spring Picnic and Hulaween benefit auctions, it is important to shop strategically. Parker "cherry picked" her selections at the best farms that also happened to have fall "surplus" pricing, or mature trees that needed to leave the growing field before they disturbed their neighbors—a logistical necessity on many tree farms. "In other words, we weren't looking for bargains, but we found some 'good sales at Neiman's,'" Parker jokes.

Plaques will be mounted on the Harlem River Esplanade as well as on discretely placed rocks identifying groups of trees and donors. Come next summer, the waterfront will be a shady, welcome open space for cyclists using the Manhattan Greenway and neighborhood families enjoying a cookout. "The Cherry Tree Project is perfect for the Harlem River waterfront and will have an enormous impact on the area," says Gavaris.