A Garden in the Brandywine Valley – Longwood Gardens – USA – project proposal

This project is a collaboration with Longwood Gardens as a part of the garden amplification mission of Andrea Brunsendorf, Director of Outdoor Landscapes.

This southwest section of the garden is the transition between the classical Main Fountain Garden (MFG), redesigned by landscape architect studio West 8, and the natural woods of the Brandywine Valley.

The principal challenge for this project was to design a garden whose installation would not disturb the underground utilities supporting the MFG.

The proposal finds its inspiration in the woody and herbaceous frameworks of the surrounding landscapes. The plant layers create a filtering border with the road. The work on the topography recalls the natural architecture of the former stream and manages the storm water. The seasonal rotations of wet and dry meadows borrow the colors of the paintings by local artist Andrew Wyeth, inspired by these very landscapes. The understated design integrates a corten steel path crossing the existing Magnolia collection, followed by lines of walls built of local stone.

Putting paper in practice. Evaluating dimensions and concepts.