Oak Woods

The client was building a new year-round home on their 12.4-acre property in the Boldwater area of Edgartown, MA. Along with the new building design and construction, the client sought a comprehensive landscape master plan to develop a new driveway approach, parking area, swimming pool and patio, walkways, steps, and vegetable garden.

The primary challenge was to sensitively design landscape features that were in harmony with the distinctive landscape character of the site – mature oak woods and meadow clearings. The property is bound by conservation land regulated by a local land trust. Additionally, building and landscape construction was limited by a development envelope, protecting natural habitat and ensuring conservation measures.

The landscape design strategy was driven by complementing the beauty of the surrounding oak woods and maintaining views to the natural meadow. A meandering gravel driveway approach concludes with an island grove of preserved oak trees in front of the house. Native tree, shrub, and perennial plantings are incorporated into the woods. Groves of beetlebung trees are planted to frame the views out to the meadow from the back porch. The earth tone colors of the full range color bluestone pavement blend with the meadow palette. The mahogany and wire mesh fencing around the pool and vegetable garden creates transparency, further reinforcing the connection to the meadow and woods.

Team

Landscape Contractor: Teles Landscape
Pool Contractor: Easton Pool & Spa
Fence Contractor: Good Neighbor Fence
General Contractor: Laurence Clancy
Architect: Sherman Associates