SHEPARD BUTLER LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES   vermont landscape architects

Mesmerized by the expanse of the gentle rolling hay fields, distant mountain views, and the untouched ancient farm walls restraining the untamed secondary succession forest growth, SBLA composed a series of thoughtfully interconnected garden rooms within the Peterborough Garden. The entry procession, parking court/ entry garden, north play lawn, east ephemeral woodland garden, and the south formal lawn and perennial gardens quietly rest within the new composition of structures by Sheldon Pennoyer Architects. An Apple Orchard, Grape Vineyard, Vegetable Garden and Berry Patch, and Livestock Paddock spaces have also been planned for in future construction phases. Though the existing stone walls acted as a catalyst for the underlying structure of the new gardens, the forms, textures, colors, and moods experienced from within and the encompassing landscape played an integral role in the garden’s planning and design. The finish materials and plant choices are understated and deliberate  which allows for conscious and unconscious connections to the land.

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The tree and path alignment of the south garden take on a formal, playful approach playing off the agrarian history of the site. The space which is bordered by a new Barn to the west, the residence to the north, existing hayfields and stone walls to the east, and a new stone wall capping the augmented woodlands to the south create an open and expansive "square" within. An allée of American Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) trees, flanks the west edge adjacent to the barn. At the ends of the allée are two massive granite boulder benches selected by SBLA at a Maine stone quarry.  A single row of Yellowwood turns off the west end of the allée and along with a new stone wall, dramatically directs one’s view towards North Pack Monadnock Mountain

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Peterborough Garden is a New Hampshire Home Magazine 2019 Excellence in Outdoor Design Award recipient.