sweet auburn | 2021 volume ii
Landscape by Larry Weaner Landscape Associates ( photo : Larry Weaner )
The ground layer plantings for Indian Ridge mean this historic landform will once again feature the structure of natural habitats , from canopy trees to understory trees and shrubs to a rich herb layer . Although the species may depart slightly from those present at Mount Auburn ’ s inception , this layered community will provide enhanced wildlife habitat , among other critical functions , and reduce maintenance associated with turf . Yet this project is not about ecological services alone . It is designed to offer the kind of evocative experience envisioned by the Cemetery ’ s founders . A new layer of meaning thus emerges from a project dedicated to restoring vegetative layers : the need the founders saw for memorial spaces with natural beauty is now complemented by our twenty-first century understanding of the need for habitat . And so continues the layering of this special landscape .
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