I was approached by Wendy Sweetser, Bullitt Reservation property manager for The Trustees of Reservations, about volunteering and coordinating a proposed native and sustainable landscape project in Ashfield, Massachusetts. As a lover of native plants and a longtime member of the Trustees, I jumped at the opportunity to collaborate. Bullitt is a 260-acre property of The Trustees in Ashfield and Conway. The farmhouse was renovated as a model of residential-scale energy efficiency, and we wanted the surrounding landscape to reflect that. Our goal was for the new plantings to support the wildlife value of the nearby field and its active bird and butterfly populations, provide an attractive entry to the building, and remain low-maintenance.
We started with the premise that all plants used had to be locally sourced, indigenous to the area, able to sustain themselves with minimal maintenance, and wildlife-friendly. What I believe landscapes should be is exactly what The Trustees of Reservations were hoping to have me design. Working with Wendy, we first completed a site evaluation. Based on soil, drainage, microclimates, maintenance, and other factors, we established the project parameters and plant list. Then, based on those goals, a design was drawn, plants were sourced, and volunteers were organized.
The installation went smoothly. After the landscape was installed, future maintenance and the possible installation of a native tall-grass wildflower meadow around the building were also discussed.
The plant list was carefully reviewed to select species that are native and hardy for the site:
- Trees: disease-resistant American Elms “Valley Forge” and crabapples
- Shrubs: highbush and lowbush blueberries, chokeberries, elderberry, and aronia
- Perennials: Joe Pye, New England and New York aster, Solomon seal, sweet fern, bee balm, baptisia, coneflowers & N.Y. ironweed.
- Native Tall Grasses: Panicum and Little Bluestem
Before: An annual rye cover crop planted the previous fall helped stabilize the soil, improve fertility, and suppress weeds.
After: Jim stands in the landscape during installation. Behind him are the “Adams” crabapples; in front are winterberry holly and highbush blueberries.
Before: The house’s simple construction called for an equally simple, natural landscape.
After: A disease-resistant “Valley Forge” American Elm provides summer shade while allowing winter sun to reach the building after its leaves fall. The planting also includes panicum, little bluestem, and ornamental, edible elderberries.
Jim supervises the planting of the American Elms. These trees arrived balled and burlapped. As much burlap and wire as possible was removed from the root ball, and excess soil was removed from around the trunk flare.
Compost was worked into the soil to improve fertility and water-holding capacity before the elderberries were planted. Their purple berries provide ornamental value against the white building and are also edible.
Panicum and little bluestem were installed in a compost-rich bed. Both are native, tolerant of drought and low fertility, low-maintenance, and attractive through four seasons beside the year-round walkway.
Additional American Elms being planted.
Lowbush blueberries were planted on the west side as a low-growing, edible ground cover with strong fall color. Because this area contained compacted fill, the soil was amended with compost for these acid-loving native plants.
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