Landscape design & build for Cambridge

Home architecture tends toward the traditional, and many landscapes seek to support this style by calling upon traditional landscape features like hedges and evergreen accents. This being said, Cambridge yards are less rigidly traditional than those in other New England communities. Ornamental grasses make periodic appearances, as do loose layouts that seek to evoke the natural landscape, rather than tame it into rows or patterns.

Fall color is a thing everywhere – many regional plants are deciduous or herbaceous to cope with the winter chill. Specimen trees (sized appropriately for the property) are an easy design win, and commonly used throughout the city.

We suggest starting plant selection by browsing natives – having evolved locally, they’ll manage well in Cambridge’s rather extreme climate.

Some popular native perennials include Joe-Pye weed, foam flower, and columbine. Each offers great habitat value to pollinators, and will perform well in Cambridge landscapes.

Maidenhair fern is a fabulous choice to fill shady understory spaces, while a variety of deciduous trees including red maple, sugar maple, and downy serviceberry provide canopy. Northern bayberry is a solid native hedge/shrub species, and a variety of junipers, arborvitaes, and yews make for strong evergreen options.

Designers working in Cambridge should choose plants that can tolerate the significant shift in weather, from summer heat and humidity to winter chill and snow.

Planning for winter interest is in Cambridge gardens is key. Include late-fall and early-spring bloomers, along with species with colorful or sculptural branches, attractive bark, or bare branch blooms (like a Redbud). Place evergreens such that they can confidently command a winter scene when other plants are in winter dormancy.

As for the people using outdoor spaces, provide to keep people dry and shaded during rainy summers, and, when possible, incorporate heat sources like fire pits or mounted infrared heaters to keep outdoor spaces viable a little later into the year.

Now! Any time of year is great to begin work on a landscape project.

Utilizing the winter to work through the design phase sets you up to get on contractors’ books early in the build season, so you can have your design installed and ready to enjoy in time for summer.