The historic 1880 mansion rests atop a steep glacial knoll in Woods Hole Village with commanding views of Vineyard Sound, Little Harbor, Great Harbor and Nonamesset Island. The Owners hired Landschop and Little Harbor Gardens to design a thoughtful, timeless landscape scheme surrounding the renovated mansion. These historic coastal landscapes require a nuanced approach, balancing historic integrity with ecological sensitivity and the effects of climate change. The design and construction process were fast paced, highly collaborative and engaging.
Fragrance is important to the Owner and is woven throughout the garden and wafts through the house. The guiding design concept was to form a gradient between a classic landscape treatment at the house and a wild, native landscape at the lower elevations and edges of the site. The sculptural centenary yew hedges at the west side of the house are preserved, while the sprawling historic lawn was pared down to allow for additional native planting areas. This antique lawn was also replaced with a native drought tolerant fescue turfgrass with micro-clover that requires minimal irrigation and fertilization, which helps protect ocean water quality.
The entry drive ascends a steep gradient through a native garden on the east side of the house to arrive to the upper parking court and entry garden. The parking areas are native crushed quarry stone which help reduce stormwater runoff and complement the historic bluestone paving. A new bluestone staircase, which replaces the historic main entrance, ascends from the lower parking court up through a steep woodland garden to the west porch.
