You might know him by the emerald jewel of Manhattan, New York’s Central Park, but Frederick Law Olmsted was a landscape architect with far-reaching vision that extended throughout the United States and to my little hometown in Riverside, Illinois. Ahead of his time, Olmsted understood the consoling qualities of nature and worked tirelessly to bring the transforming power of green parks and expansive gardens–once a luxury reserved for the estates of the wealthy–to everyone.
My essay about Olmsted and the magic of growing up in Riverside is in the new Comfort and Joy issue of Parabola magazine right here:
https://parabola.org/2023/10/27/o-little-town-of-riverside/
May the healing solace of nature always be near!
