Portfolio: Converting lawn to a woodland meadow
Converting lawn to a woodland meadow
This front yard rehab demonstrates that with lawn, less is more. The new perennial plantings bring definition to the space, grounding the front door and porch in a smaller more intimate lawn area and creating a transitional pathway from the driveway to the front door. Spanning multiple light conditions and spatial constraints in this small woodland opening, this planting includes a diverse range of species with pockets adapted to sun and others to shade, and a range of plant heights to accommodate both the open areas and the existing understory trees.
To illustrate how plantings change over time images are presented by growing season in reverse-chronological order.
First growing season:
By the end of the first growing season the different growth rates of perennials are visible by the bare patches in the planting.
Already at the end of the first growing season it's possible to see some of the future planting taking shape.
Straight lines and sharp angles can be highly impactful in a natural landscape, when used in moderation.
The existing tree was a limitation in our desire to create a more head-on approach to the front door. Ultimately we leaned in to the tree and used it to help mark the transition into the central lawn.
In a more loose, natural landscape, crisp edges can be a critical component to setting apart living spaces.
Looking from the side yard.
Post installation:
Just a slight curve in the walk to the front door introduces a real sense of transition between the two spaces. An effect that will only be enhanced as the plants grow in on either side of the path.
Proper maintenance—particularly weeding—during the first growing season is critical to successful establishment of a plug planting.
Two small plantings on the far side of the space further define the now reduced and more intimate front lawn, while still providing inviting passage to the side yard.
These two existing trees provided a natural foundation and frame for the space, and we worked the planting plan around their footprints and lines of sight.
We were able to utilize an existing patch of Golden Alexander's growing near the end of the wall. Feathering the new planting into this existing stand creates a natural transition into the unplanted woodland area.
Initial site conditions and installation:
