Wildflowers meadows, large and small, are replacing acres of lawn in this Bedford’s project. We are proposing meadows and mini-forests exclusively planted with native species to promote the local flora and provide for the needs of the birds and bees that depend on them. This movement is called ‘Less Lawn, more Life’. Using native plants on this 40 acres property will be very beneficial to the ecology of the area.
We started with a work of ecological restoration and Rewilding that we developed into a more classic garden in order to create a unique space and experience.
The beautiful ‘English Cottage’ style building is reminiscent of Sissinghurst Castle and we wanted to create a garden inspired by the ‘White Garden’. All the plants offered are native to the region of the New York area.The range of plants includes Amelanchier x grandiflora, Cornus alba, Actaea racemosa, Eryngium yuccifolium, Baptisia alba, and several local ferns. All the flowers are white and create a calm and soothing environment. On the other hand, the textures of the plants chosen are very diverse.
On another part of the garden, overgrown with weeds, we had identified during our first visit some local threatened plants such as the Rhus typhina. These native shrubs offer some interest throughout the year… Their canopy creates shade during the warm months, the flamboyant red of the leaves in autumn illuminates the garden and in winter the particular shape of the bare branches create spectacular shapes that are drawn on the horizon. I decided to dedicate this part of the garden to the Rhus typhina, saved the ones that were on the site and added some to form a natural forest border. Ground plantings nourish these shrubs with colors and textures that change with the seasons such as Solidago, Geranium maculatum, Carex… Reforestation creates new habitats and allows many species to recover and thrive.
The meadow is planted with a mixture of perennials and grasses, in shades of blue, pink and purple. A generous mix for the happiness of the bees! Customers also want to build beehives there…
