Bowman's Hill Sanctuary

 

This 10.5 acre site is bounded on two sides by conserved land.  CVDA was initially called in to assist with an alternative stormwater management system, because the design prepared by engineer’s was too expensive to implement. CVDA developed a stormwater management system incorporating natural vegetative swales and sweeping native meadows, that terminated in a rain garden.

 

Having developed the confidence of the client, CVDA was asked to develop a naturalist landscape with a series of hedgerows that screened adjacent residences while providing vistas to the adjacent open space. Around the house the pollinator gardens, with their rich fabric of seasonal color, are protected by a native beech hedge. There is a multi-colored 150 foot-long peony hedge, that separates the formal gardens from the meadow gardens. A new beech grove was established with a native planted understory.

 

Finally, a steep embankment was covered with forsythia and flowering quince to both reduce maintenance and provide a dramatic blast of color in the spring. The landscape is dominated by a wide range of native trees that have been strategically placed to accent the rolling grades and allow for dramatic shadows. Due to the high population of deer on the  property, plant material has been carefully chosen to thrive without the requirements of protective deer fencing.