living — 2020 — Barnesville, Maryland
Threaded Ecologies
The rolling hills of Threaded Ecologies are part of the designated Agricultural reserve in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Rural landscapes, such as this one, perform vital ecological, economic, and cultural functions. Cropland, forests, pastures, and rivers that sustain wildlife corridors and provide critical habitat define the agricultural reserve that cradles the project site.
The house on the 16.75-acre property is sited on axis with Sugarloaf Mountain to allow for vast, magnificent views. The landscape design was inspired by the complex ecological systems of the Piedmont Physiographic region, the stunning views of Sugarloaf Mountain, and the field with ‘floating’ cylindrical hay bales.
The client’s vision was a place for respite with land stewardship in mind to support biodiversity and connect wildlife corridors.
The use of local materials, native plants, and a carefully considered foreground, middle-ground, and background blends the project site with the rural context. The garden provokes a meaningful interaction with nature built on curiosity, discovery, and mystery...
Design Process
Listening to the clients to understand their vision was instrumental in the design process. Simultaneously, we analyzed the site and listened to the land. Through the collective efforts of our cross-disciplinary collaboration and regional knowledge, the design team threaded the garden into the local landscape.
The Garden Zones
The design team threaded a tapestry of layered plantings into the existing Piedmont Province. Ribbons of meadow weave throughout the landscape to create a transition between the domestic landscape and the property’s surroundings. Plant beds, filled with native plants, wrap the house to define the anthropocentric garden.
The Anthropocentric Zone: Every walk is a discovery. The garden colors, textures, forms, and atmosphere change as plants wax and wane throughout the seasons in this foreground layer.
Restoring the Hedgerow: The hedgerow, a living fence separating livestock from crops, evolved over the years. These landscapes provide valuable food and refuge to local wildlife. Restoring the hedgerow and planting a wide ribbon of native plants knits the property’s boundaries into the surrounding landscape and creates a wildlife corridor.
The Meadow Zone: Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, the team ensured a synchronized species selection for the meadow and the native garden to create distinct habitats.
The Arrival. The carefully curated entry transitions through different landscape typologies. The soft bristles of the meadow capture the light and invite you to move under the majestic grove of densely planted oaks and hickories (inspired by the Sugarloaf flora) before views open to the anthropocentric garden and the rural landscape beyond.
Engaging Every Sense. Visiting the site the summer after its fall planting was transformative: The sweet nectar of the blazing stars complimented the smell of fresh-cut hay, and the clients were intoxicated…
Time and Evolution. Gardens are never complete; they continue to grow, change, and evolve. This vertically layered native garden habitat will expand as plants mature, set seed, and welcome migrating birds, native insects, and additional pollinators.
During the darkness of the COVID-19 pandemic, the clients discovered respite in their garden. It became a place of healing- for themselves and the site’s rich ecological potential.
Type
Living
Project Team
Architect: Stoiber+Associates
Civil Engineer and Site Survey: Snider & Associates
Meadow Consultant, Installation, and Maintenance: Larry Weaner Landscape Associates
Builder/General Contractor: Summit Design & Construction, Inc
Excavation and Grading: Gebcon Corporation
Planting Installation: Oldetowne Landscape Architects
Willow Panels: The Willow Farm
Garden Maintenance: Hedge Garden Care
Hardscape Contractor: Neto Construction
Awards
Honor Award, American Society of Landscape Architects, Maryland Chapter and Potomac Chapter
Location
Barnesville, Maryland
Have a project in mind?
609 H Street NE
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 543-1286
info@moodyarchitecture.com
1318 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 543-1286
info@moodyarchitecture.com
Moody Graham Landscape Architecture
Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.
Moody Graham Landscape Architecture
Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.
