Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Mount Auburn: Pathways of Connections | Page 7

The encroachment of monuments on the natural landscape
and natural landscape on built structures has presented a
persistent dilemma since Mount Auburn’s beginning. Our
monuments are threatened by fallen branches, biological
growth, and fast-growing vines that can consume a headstone
in a relatively short period of time. Conversely, monuments
are an impediment to efficient ground maintenance; un-
derground tombs must be tread on lightly and tree limbs
are cut back to prevent possible damage to fragile marble
sculpture. Over the course of Mount Auburn’s existence,
precedence of the man-made and natural world has varied.
Today we seek a well thought out and considered balance.
A concerted effort by the Horticulture Department and
the Preservation staff means decisions are not made in a
vacuum, but are decided upon after much deliberation and
discussion. Two of our Institutional Strategic Initiatives are
to: Ensure the Preservation of Structures and Enhance the
Natural and
Ornamental
Landscape.
Using these
as our guide,
informed
debat e can
take place
resulting in
compromise
problems for the monuments.
Trees are pruned at Mount
Auburn year-round, removing
hazards that threaten vulnerable
structures. Shrub pruning is
conducted for two months
in the summer and similarly
attempts to eliminate problems
for monuments before they
occur.
The mowing equipment
used at the Cemetery has been
modified to better protect
Archival image of hurricane damage,
monuments. Custom-made
1938.
plastic bumpers have been
added to minimize damage in the (unlikely) event of an
accidental collision. Whenever possible, plantings other than
grass are installed around the more fragile monuments,
serving as buffer zones for equipment and vehicles. Good
examples of how grass can be replaced by alternative
groundcover plantings within lots with wrought iron fences
or vulnerable masonry can be seen at the Norcross Lot
(2239, Elm Ave), the Sprague Lot (786, Yarrow Path), and
the Armstrong Lot (1472, Sedge Path).
Our natural landscape and man-made structures have
coexisted on a delicate equilibrium, complementing and
mirroring each other, and creating the beautiful symme-
try that makes
Mount Auburn
so captivating. It
is our intention
to continue the
quality of care
and attention to
preserving both
facets of this
unique landscape
as we steward it
into the future
and a new era in
its history.
benefiting the “wholistic”
philosophy of the Cemetery.
Examples include the removal
of some sections of curbing at
Lawn Avenue to allow for the
regrading of new burial space
and the removal of a weeping
European beech tree that posed
a hazard to the restored stained
glass window at Bigelow Chapel.
A confluence of the “preserva-
tion mindset” is essential for
Through Mount
all our work, whether it is
Auburn’s equal
Horticultural Curator Dennis Collins addresses a group in Norcross Lot.
created by the hand of nature
preservation of our
or man.
landscape and built
Decades ago, our monuments were cleaned with acids,
structures, we are able to ensure the highest standard of service and
“Comet,” and bleach. These harsh chemical products were
maintenance. This commitment to excellence is the very quality
replaced at Mount Auburn with much more environmen-
that inspires our patrons to buy space here, becoming part of our
tally-friendly alternatives. Today, our granite memorials are
legacy. Mount Auburn continues to serve the surrounding commu-
power-washed with water alone. Marble memorials are
nity as it was intended–as a beautiful place where the living can still
more carefully scrubbed with an organic product called
feel connected to the dead.
D-2 Architectural Antimicrobial. The plantings that surround
our memorials, now better protected with these alternative
cleaning methods, are also managed in a way that minimizes
Spring/Summer 2011 | 5