Difficulty of design that must 'please' too many parties

16 years ago

Although I am not an official designer, I'm on a committee in charge of redoing an historic restoration property's garden on a narrow village size lot.

The problems:

1.The house has been through multiple ownership periods. The current push is toward displaying the earliest ownership (c.1800-1840). The house is a regional farmhouse style, upscaled for the village, such as might be enjoyed by prosperous German/English farmers.

2.The rear property was much reduced from the original in which there were additional working structures serving the house hold needs. What remains is now a narrow footprint with basically one-way alley streets to the rear and one side.

3.Being a "teaching site" for the period and for local children, the yard/garden space needs to contain plantings that pertain to the period although there isn't space left for anything major.

4.It needs to be accessible to disabled/elderly and contain resting sites.

5.Certain people who are town movers and shakers and tied to funding or house history want to have "croquet parties" there.

6. The state historical trust has to be called in for any significant changes to approve them

7. The city has to approve any changes that require work to walkways/alley.

8.There are trees (walnuts) that are significantly impacting the capacity to grow much on the site, but since they are mentioned in writings by the last major owner of the property, there are mixed feelings about removal.

9. An extensive garden was put on this same site, with much civic pride, back in the 50's--kind of a generic neo-colonial, informal plan with boxwoods, all season interest shrubs and flowers. There was also a gazebo put in.

Unfortunately, 100% volunteer maintenance as well. A falling out led to no upkeep 30 years later. Except for diseased and overgrown boxwood, it is hard to tell there was ever a garden put in. Still, any changes, like removing boxwoods or gazebo make for local populace hard feelings--those who were around during this earlier phase.

There's no water on the site. See city. See State Hist Trust for any kind of change.
Any plantings will have to rely on much volunteer effort to maintain as $ mainly ebb and flow as far as these non-profit ownerships are concerned.

It's almost a wonder anyone is willing to get involved in these types of projects!

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Comments (2)

bullthistle
16 years ago
Anyone working with government, who is clueless about anything other than their own egos is just spinning their wheels in suspended motion generally with not even a thank you. It is commendable that you have taken on the task but the only satisfaction you might gain is from within yourself so if you keep that in mind then go for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials
Embothrium
16 years ago
The recurring elements in your post are politics and planning. Group needs to agree on a plan that will work within all existing constraints, and implement it.

Since gardens have already come and gone there before and there is pressure to use the small site for possibly incompatible activities it might work out best to limit additional planting to a small interpretive display that an interested individual or two could keep up with. The history of more extensive planting there has been for it to be lost in time, whereas the walnut trees have persisted to now provide a living link to the past - I definitely wouldn't take these out unless they are in poor condition (topped, rotting out etc.) and needing to be removed anyway for that reason.
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Difficulty of design that must 'please' too many parties

Comments (2)

bullthistle

Embothrium

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