A subtly sloping switchback pathway with sculptural retaining walls enhances the Garden's circulation by connecting the top and bottom of the hillside with a newly accessible route. This network of paths, walls, and landscape extends the inhabitable topography realized in the adjacent Diane H. & Joseph S. Steinberg Visitor Center, completed by Weiss/Manfredi in 2012. The Crape myrtle trees create a spectacular flower display of whites and pinks in late summer as a visual counterpoint to the spring Cherry Blossom Festival.

The trees' beautiful exfoliating cinnamon bark and unique multi-stem form extend their visual appeal into the winter. The hillside planting is designed to choreograph a lush and varied display of botanical beauty. Grasses and perennials combine to form a robust, resilient ecosystem which will evolve over time, inviting a diversity of insect and butterfly life, and stabilizing the soil to prevent erosion.