An American Meadow – Long Island – USA – 2020 – Ongoing

This project is a collaboration with the gardener, Timothy Erdmann and the program Two Thirds for the Birds

Located in the Hamptons on Long Island (NY), the project redesigns a natural lawn as an American meadow.
The design begins by centering the layout against the fence and the front yard. In the newly remaining space, a band of ornamental grass is added mirroring the allee of trees along the drive. This builds the framework of the interior meadows and helps to lead the eye through the landscape. The meadow is crossed by a lateral path that opens onto a statue, fixing a private space immersed in flowers.

This option introduces beds between the formal front gardens and the meadow. Separated by a grass pass, they will be the transition between two expressions, bringing the existing courtyard into cohesion with the new installation. This space borrows both the formality of the front yard and the informality of the meadow with an association of trimmed shrubs and a parterre of misty grasses and late-flowering bulbs. Three multi-trunk small trees give dimension to the design and are pruned for transparency.

The meadow:

Rotations of blooms and seed heads take turns providing seasonal interest. Mostly natives from North America, these plants will provide food and shelter to many forms of wildlife. Woody plants add structure and ecological balance.

Work in progress:

Several wandering paths are added for taking cuts and simply spending time in the meadow. The paths give the run of the meadow while still leaving large enough beds for it to function ecologically and to preserve the view of meadow from the front door.

2 years after plantation – November 2023

The meadow is ready to provide food and shelter for overwintering insects and wildlife.