New York’s Catskill Mountains are home to a tropical paradise. Even during the winter, guests at the Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark enjoy a warm climate with lush landscaping.
Since opening in March 2019, Wagner Landscaping has maintained the property’s indoor and outdoor landscape.
Owner Steven Wagner says the indoor water park is serviced during off-hours by five crew members two or three times per week. While there, crews are constantly maintaining, pruning and growing new plants from cuttings.
The water park’s landscape includes philodendrons, palm trees, lady palms, bird’s nest ferns and more.
Because of changes in lighting and humidity levels throughout each season, Wagner says this first year has been a learning experience and there’s research involved on a daily basis.
“For example, during the summer, we didn’t have any powdery mildew, but the ventilation was open so the humidity level was low,” he says. “Now that they’ve closed things up for the winter, we’re seeing it get overly humid.”
Along with powdery mildew, the plants in the water park struggle with scale and Hemlock woolly adelgid. To combat any type of infestation, Wagner says nonchemical remedies must be used. Dish detergent and baking soda are two strategies the firm incorporates to remain environmentally sound.
Select each image below to enlarge.
Owner Steven Wagner credits his background knowledge of tropical plants to earning his landscape development degree in Florida. He says it has helped immensely with any challenges he encounters with the tropical foliage indoors at the water park. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Once a month, as well as right before holidays, about eight crew members will work overnight at the property for a complete overhaul of the water park landscape beds. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Even plants that have some distance from the chlorine-filled water can get misted and sprayed from the water park rides. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Professionally dressed and polite, employees are part of the overall appearance Wagner says he wants for his company, even when the crews are working during off-hours. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Wagner Landscaping tends to the Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark’s outdoor property as well. Annuals are planted at the front entrance sign each season, like this display of mums with some pumpkins. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Tropical plants line the park’s lazy river and show the plants’ proximity to the chlorine-filled water. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Some areas are trampled by guests who walk through the planted beds for a shortcut. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Some landscape areas in the water park have plants that aren’t thriving because of chlorine conditions, so adjustments are being made. “We’ve learned what grows well in certain areas, so we’re changing things out and shifting plants around,” Wagner says. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
A view from overhead showing the indoor water park’s hard-to-reach landscape beds. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
A variety of tropical plants were selected to thrive in this New York water park. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
Crews tend to areas with damage caused by inflatable inner tubes being thrown into planting beds. (Photo: Steven Wagner)
