Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends A Landscape of Remembrance and Reflection | Page 11

sweet auburn | 2020 volume i
are embedded in hillsides, under trees, along paths, and
free-standing. Like the people that will be remembered,
no two stones are alike. Varied in size, some are lichen- or
moss-covered while others have streaks of color, interesting
geologic folds, or distinct silhouettes. Arranged in tumbles or
individually, they offer the illusion of having been dropped in
place by receding glaciers. Other ways to be memorialized at
Hazel Path include inscriptions on ten tall granite monuments
(three were installed with the project) and new granite steps
that were added between the Fuller obelisks to make them
feel part of the overall composition and to improve general
circulation.
Blending Hazel Path with its context was just as important
as making it a place of beauty and enjoyment. Shade and sun
meadows at Mountain Avenue (for shade: Sedge, Wood Fern,
Prairie Dropseed; for sun: Poppy Mallow, Bluebell, Sedge,
Goldenrod) complement the mature meadow at the base of
Washington Tower. Myrtle Path, the corridor leading to Hazel
Path but also an important route for maintenance vehicles,
was kept wide but its borders are now densely packed with
plants and boulders. Uphill from Myrtle is a sunny, steep slope
shared with Hazel Path, where some of the woodland plants
spill over and then subtly transition to sun-tolerant species.
Fast-growing Fragrant Sumac, Japanese Plum, and Pepperbush
will quickly help to stabilize the hillside. The base of the slope
is lined with American Hop Hornbeam shade trees, which will
someday make a light canopy over Myrtle Path.
The design wouldn’t feel complete without a respectable
showing of its namesake plants from the Hazel family,
Hamamelidaceae. Ten types of Hazel shrubs are clustered
along the length of Hazel Path, making a spectacular display
of flowers on winter’s bare branches, when least expected but
most dearly needed. From January through mid-April, the
yellow-gold-rusty pink flowers of Winter Hazel (glabrescens
and spicata), Witch Hazel (Ozark, Arnold Promise, Pallida, and
Jelena), and Hazelnut (American, Beaked) bloom and spread
a citrus-like fragrance that infuses the chilly air. These Hazel
selections were made to please year-round, but particularly
on a visit between mid-February and mid-March, when
overlapping bloom times are at their peak and the low sunangle
intensifies the frilly flowers. Fall-blooming Common
Witch Hazel helps round out the growing season on the other
end, appearing from mid-October to mid-November.
Although Hazel Path has a specific purpose, it is also a
functioning ecology, meaning that it will change and adapt
over time as plants and soils develop, and weather, light, and
water shift. This process will rightfully be guided and tweaked
by the extraordinary horticultural staff that care for the
Cemetery and whose presence is felt in the sustained beauty
of the grounds. Smartly, the Cemetery gives them a voice in
the design, and I have confidence that they will respect and
improve upon the long-term vision for the project. It will be
fascinating to watch.
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