For the renovation of a  historic 1850s cottage in Cape Dune, Massachusetts,  the new owners expressed a desire to re-envision both the front and back landscape in a way that was uniquely ‘them’, with drought-tolerant plantings. Our main design philosophy in these spaces was to create a cohesive landscape that was welcoming, animated, and a stylized representation of the surrounding national seashore, with plantings and materials that celebrated the region’s unique ecological character. Designing a cohesive space that adhered to both regulatory and environmental constraints, as well as an extensive list of client needs proved challenging. The site’s existing sandy soil and southern exposure dictated a water-wise design with plants adapted to a fast-draining, acidic substrate. Our proposal comprised a palette of 70% native plantings indigenous to the area supplemented by non-aggressive bulb and perennial species hailing from South Africa, a similar climate. To skirt challenges posed by typical, loose bark mulch, which would require multiple top-ops seasonally, the landscape architect instead used gravel and shells to suppress opportunistic weeds.  

In the front yard, the perennial palette relies on plants that perform year-round, and its caretakers celebrate the beauty in the senescence of the plantings. At the groundplane, plants with a mature height of three feet and under were selected to complement the boardwalk and to give the user a feeling of floating above vegetation. 

The backyard boasted a separate set of constraints and opportunities. Given the privacy benefits of keeping the existing bamboo, along with the high demand of both cost and labor that would come with its removal, both the client and landscape architect opted for it to remain—with the condition that the root barriers would be retrofitted to ensure none of the existing bamboo would imperil the native plantings.The backyard garden is an extension of the indoor living space, and vines, sedges, and shrubs are the green backbone that softens the transition from interior to exterior. Blooming plants for the backyard were selected with an eye to foreground each individual species amidst a mass of green ferns and Pennsylvania sedge.

Cohesion across the backyard and frontyard spaces is accomplished through sensitive material selection. Hardscape typologies repeated across a number of permutations: native seashell-studded gravel was used as mulch in the front as well as for the patio in the back, and pine boardwalks, echoing the vernacular of the surrounding region, were implemented as both walking surfaces as well as planters. Several sculptures, provided by the owner and sited by the landscape architect, are thoughtfully curated and placed throughout the site, embracing weather and wear, serving as visual representations of time and change and honoring both as major actors within the garden.

Architect: Hein + Cozzi

General Contractor: Bannon Builds

Landscape Contractor: Prince Landscaping

Kyle J. Caldwell