Water Oak

Compost

Tree Work

Tuffy's Deck - Part 2/3

Tuffy's Deck - Part 1/3

Tuffy's Backyard

Moss Acres

I visited Moss Acres in Honesdale, Pennsylvania last week for a moss workshop.

We learned about moss biology and ecology, green-roofing with moss, and planting and designing landscapes with moss. Here's Dave Benner (who first ripped out his grass lawn in the 60's to discover that moss would grow well on his shady property) weeding the green roof.

There were all kinds of mosses growing around the property.

Moss leaves are only a single cell thick; it was breath-taking to examine them under a lens.

I think moss is so enchanting because it gives a feel of untouched, virgin landscape--but you can recreate the effect in your own backyard.

Teardrop Park

part of Battery Park City

layout - microclimatic assymetry (lawn on sunny side/play on shady side)

Michael Van Valkenburgh and associates were inspired by Olmstead: "For a park to be great, it has to have range."



aerial view of shady half

sand lot



slide/sand pit

alternate route to top of slide





portal through wall

27-foot bluestone wall

aerial view of sunny side

shadbush hill loooking towards witchhazel dell

marsh

secret marshy path

helleborus, halesia, shadbush, chokeberry, redbud, beech, birch, witch hazel, viburnum, fern



path down from...

and up to...

reading circle




view from lawn to wall and hilltop reading circle