PORTFOLIO

This is an ongoing residential conversion from bare, mowed grass on poor, clay soils on a site that was strip-mined prior to development. This went from being a hassle for the homeowners to mow to a stunning goldenrod meadow typical of the area.  Rattlesnake Master, Echinacea, and an occasional Milkweed, Foxglove Beardtongue, Cup Plant, Ironweed, and Wingstem can be seen, as well as a growing infusion of New England Aster.  A Scarlet Oak was planted from a very young age. The Oak was planted next to a Flowering Dogwood that had been planted in the yard years ago, and was suffering in the brutal full-sun of the previous lawn, and stunted in growth. Since converting the lawn to a meadow, the Dogwood recovered and is now a healthier looking, taller meadow shrub.  Three wooden bird-boxes are spaced around the small meadow and reliably bring Bluebirds to the site - and occasional host tree swallows. This yard will continue to transition from bare mowed grass, to native meadow, to open-understory woodland edge, over decades, with minimal management and maximal lightning bug shows. The sunnier, phase 2 portion of the yard (pictured above) is pictured here in year three, full of wild bergamot and false-sunflower, with numerous forbs and grasses such as side-oats gramma and partridge pea; it has several small trees growing, including a honey locust,  and I expect this portion of the yard to mature with a mix of young shade trees, native shrubs, and woodland-edge forbs and grasses in the coming years. This entire project is a relatively passive restoration, with everything planted from seed. My more recent methods generally consist of planting a combination of plugs, seeds, and young native trees. While limited in scope and scale, this project demonstrates a careful, cost-effective and academic approach to bioregional landscaping, and the result — the loud buzz of bees and the presence of desirable birds and butterflies — speaks for itself.