Overgrown Lot Turned Private Woodland Park

Site Overview and Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in people all over the world spending more time than ever at their homes and in their backyards. People passed the time doing all sorts of new outdoor activities such as golfing, cycling, pickleball, and gardening. One client of Land Design Associates decided to take on a project he was certain would be challenging, rewarding, and keep him outside all spring and summer.

In his woodland lot off of Dela Park Road in Westwood, MA, our client Jason took on the arduous task of removing all of the understory vegetation that surrounded the massive canopy trees sprawling across his 350’ x 70’ parcel of land. By hand, Jason spent months freeing the mature Red Maples and Oak trees from the suffocating Bittersweet vines and Japanese knotweed that had been inhabiting the lot. In September of 2020, Jason finished the backbreaking brush clearing and decided the time had come to schedule a design consultation with Land Design Associates to explore how to maximize the open space he had created.

Understanding the Site and It’s Challenges

On an Autumn morning, Jim Egan, the owner of Land Design Associates, walked the site with Jason and reviewed the existing challenges and opportunities and discussed some preliminary design ideas. The first challenge was the presence of a wetland in the abutting property. As anyone who lives near a wetland can tell you, the setbacks that come with them can inhibit the implementation of certain projects. It was determined that at the end of the design phase, we would present the master plan to the Westwood Conservation Agency to get their approval for the installation. The second challenge was the sheer size of the space. Jason wasn’t exactly sure how he wanted to use the space, but he wanted to ensure that whatever was done would not only be beautiful, but would help to keep back the aggressive and invasive vegetation he had spent countless hours removing. We were confident that following standard landscape construction practices, including grubbing out the roots of the old vegetation and supplying the new plantings with an organically rich growing medium, would keep the old invasive plants at bay. The third challenge Jason highlighted was that the 350’ long lot bordered a popular street for walking and bike riding. With no clear markings that the once heavily forested lot was indeed private property, local teenagers had mistaken it for public land to be used at any time of their choosing, day or night. A sense of privacy and delineation of public and private land is a common request from the clients working with Land Design Associates. Jason was excited about the prospect of using land formation and new plantings to transform the open woodland lot into a private oasis. 

With the unique challenges and corresponding goals of the project outlined, the design team at Land Design Associates began working on the first design concepts to present to the client. Jason was excellent to work with because he had complete trust in the design team and he had intimate knowledge of the site which helped to identify the potential strengths and weaknesses of the different areas. At the end of the collaborative design experience, Jason was thrilled with the final plan and all parties were ready to present it to the Westwood Conservation Commission. The Commission gave Land Design Associates the full go ahead to start implementing the major landscape construction project. They outlined the rules and regulations to follow during and after the installation to ensure the continued protection of the wetland. Finally in March of 2021, 5 months after the initial design consultation with Jason, Land Design Associates broke ground on the Westwood site.

From Concept to Construction

The landscape construction lasted the majority of the spring and summer. The early months were largely spent grading and building boulder walls. These steps were essential in implementing grade change to the future sand pathway system we would install. The pathways connect the different rooms in the garden, and in the winter months they act as a beautiful cross country skiing route. 

 

Tree pruning and planting privacy screening trees were two other important early steps in construction. Due to the wetland bordering the eastern part of the site, as well as 350’ of impervious asphalt road pitching to the western part of the site, water was omnipresent and its treatment was imperative to the success of the project. The mature canopy trees scattered across the site added an invaluable asset to the landscape, but they also provided heavy shade to the forest floor. By pruning all of the dead wood from these trees, as well as thinning out some of the particularly dense canopies, we were able to greatly increase the amount of sun the site receives throughout the day. This helped to mitigate standing water on the property and also increased the variety of plants we could confidently install during the planting phase. The privacy plants on the borders of the property were the first trees we installed. These trees consisted of Western Red Cedars, Norway Spruce, Eastern White Pines, and Canadian Hemlocks. The variety of trees provide a natural feel to the finished garden and the location of them provided immediate privacy from pedestrians on Dela Park road as well as neighboring houses along the eastern property line.

Seemly Connection

The next major steps in the construction process were installing the sand pathway system and building a fire pit that would fit in harmoniously with the woodland surroundings. The sand was chosen as the primary material for the pathways for several reasons. It of course drains extremely well, so the wet surroundings would not pose a problem. Sand is also a relatively inexpensive material and is quick to install. With 4000 square feet of pathways, it was important to keep the material costs down. Lastly, walking on and even raking out sand can be very relaxing. As soon as Jason and his family enter the woodland garden from their backyard, the transition to a sand pathway identifies they’ve come to a peaceful and private landscape. 

The grand woodland fire pit area is the first space Jason and his family encounter upon entering the garden. One reason that specific location was chosen for the fire pit is because of the layout of the existing canopy trees in the area. The trees form a natural circle around the space, and by installing large groupings of Rosebay Rhododendrons, native ferns, and Summersweet shrubs, we were able to accentuate the existing circular form. Large boulders were installed to create a natural buffer between the gathering area and the surrounding plantings, and these boulders make excellent chairs as well. At the center of the space, smaller boulders surround a 5’ diameter steel fire pit ring. The fire pit and the entire fire pit area blend in seamlessly with the adjacent undisturbed wetlands to the east. 

Planting and Lighting

Once the pathway system and fire pit area were finished, we were able to focus our efforts on installing landscape lighting, a wildflower meadow, a grass pathway system to provide an alternative walking experience to the sand, and flowering trees, shrubs, and perennials. Last but not least came the all-important irrigation system to help guarantee the success of all the hard work by our installation crews. 

The landscape lighting system consists of path lights to highlight the beautiful sand and grass pathways, up lights to showcase both new and existing trees, and downlights which are used to cast soft light on large areas like the fire pit and wildflower meadow. 

The grass pathway system and the wildflower meadow are located in the part of the woodland garden which receives the most direct sunlight. In addition to spreading a native wildflower seed mix, we planted a mix of 100 perennials including Shasta Daisies, Black Eyed Susan, and Purple Coneflower to ensure the meadow had a mature look before the seed germinated.

 The approximately 700 remaining perennials, 100 shrubs, and 20 deciduous trees from the planting plan were carefully planted within the confines created by the mixed evergreen border surrounding the site. The pathway system thoughtfully meanders through the distinctly different areas of the woodland garden creating a pleasant walking or cross country skiing experience. 

After the final piece of sod had been rolled out and the last wheelbarrow of mulch had been spread, the Land Design team walked the garden with Jason to ensure everything met or exceeded his expectations. We went over important maintenance practices which would help the new flora flourish and keep the old invasives at bay, and we had a chance to review how the finished landscape lived up to the goals we set during the design phase. The first challenge of getting approval for the project from the conservation commission prior to starting construction had already been met, and after construction the commission reiterated that our work would only have a positive impact on the adjacent wetland. The second challenge was to make sure the new landscaping would aid in the fight against the old invasive plant material. Between sand pathways, lawn pathways, and boulder walls we were able to greatly cut down on the amount of square footage where the invasives could possibly return. In the plant beds, the roots of the old invasive vines were grubbed out and a heavy layer of mulch was applied after the new plants were installed. Those steps we took will give Jason a great chance at keeping the old invasives away, but as is the case with all landscapes, ongoing landscape maintenance will be the key to keeping the gardens pristine. Finally the third challenge was to make the site feel more like a private oasis and less like a fishbowl. Although the mixed evergreens around the perimeter of the site will need some time to mature in order to create a solid screen, the trees provided an immediate positive impact in regards to traffic noise as well as, giving the local high school kids the benefit of the doubt, accidental trespassers.

Before Photos