MEADOWS & NATURAL AREAS

Sharon, CT

The meadow at this lakeside property sweeps along the drive and around the house, where it gracefully highlights existing landscape features, both constructed and planted. The meadow culminates in a secluded sitting area with dramatic views of the water.

On this 400-acre estate, woodland wildflowers, shrub thickets, rock outcrop plantings, and forty acres of seeded native meadows represent a dynamic mosaic, ecologically robust and rich in beauty. Over time, these designed communities have assumed lives of their own as planted species colonize outlying areas where invasive vegetation once dominated. (Click for more on this estate.)

Salt Point, NY

Simple management procedures, none of which involved any plantings, converted an impenetrable shrub thicket into a sweeping expanse of little bluestem, one of our most beautiful native grasses. Strategically timed mowing encouraged small existing populations of little bluestem to expand while existing woody vegetation was shaped into periodic drifts, creating a dynamic interplay of openness and enclosure. The success of this project exemplifies how incredible landscapes can be created using straightforward field techniques based on a deep understanding of natural processes, an approach pioneered by LWLA.

Thirty acres of majestic native meadows unfold across this estate formerly home to a founding family of Bethlehem Steel. Over time, colorful meadow plants have seeded into more formally arranged native gardens, merging so naturally that they seem part of the original master plan. Increased bird counts in the region have also been attributed to these meadows, demonstrating that beauty and environmental enhancements need not be mutually exclusive. (Click for more on this estate.)