“Where we once had only cement, gravel, weeds and a disgrace of a fence, we now have a stunning backyard that has transformed our lives and is the envy of the neighborhood - all thanks to Cheryl Corson's magnificent design and management.”
- JF, Capitol Hill
The designer's own home is the site of this multi-year project. She and her husband recently moved from a Capitol Hill row house to a 4.6 acre property 20 miles from town, near the Patuxent River. The 1970 blond brick house features a dramatic 32 foot long balcony overlooking a field and the woods beyond. The property had been unoccupied for several years and the gardens had become a thorny tangle of blackberries and poison ivy. The field was overrun with the nasty invasive tree, Ailanthus, jokingly named, 'Tree of Heaven.' This land was previously tobacco farmland dating back to the 1600s, included in the "Eversfield Tract" granted by the King of England as part of the Episcopal church's first Maryland diocese.
Although the previous owner had lovingly planted dozens of specimen trees and a small orchard, none had been maintained. To date, two mature Norway maples have been removed as well as other trees planted too close together or in inappropriate spots. Many other trees have been pruned and their canopies lifted. The orchard and 100 feet of grapevines have been restored, and a 1,000 square foot vegetable garden created. Some perennial beds have been reclaimed, some added, and dozens of peonies rejuvenated. One of the biggest accomplishments has been clearing the field of Ailanthus with the help of a 1971 Massy Ferguson tractor with a front end loader that pulls them out of the ground, roots and all. In time, some of this field will become a native wildflower meadow.
Working on a larger property close to a major river has made ecological restoration and sustainable landscape development a very real concern and the subject of much new learning. Also, the need to phase the development of this special landscape has provided an opportunity to balance restraint with strategic interventions. It is a frustrating, enlightening, humbling, and deeply satisfying experience.
