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Work in Progress:
We understand that with our weather changing and in influx of invasive insects and plants we need to diversify our plantings. We also have learned that because our trees are maturing the canopy is very high and our birds and bird lovers would love to see more understory along the edges of our sections. As a result you will be seeing more trees, shrubs and bushes being planted in most of our sections. This work is also incorporated into our arboretum work. Stay tunes and if you feel strongly about this work, please consider donating to our Garden Fund. (See the black button to the right.) Front Entrance Garden In August 2023 The Lorber Foundation gave the Friends of Wildwood Cemetery funding to preserve the main entrance stone wall and design and plant a native garden at behind the stone wall. The intention of this project was to create a design plan for a garden at the front entrance of Wildwood Cemetery. The initial design was inspired by the rural cemetery style and it is meant to enhance the cherished woodland conservation areas which characterize the landscape. To emulate these aspects, the first design focused on framing viewpoints into the cemetery while providing some sort of privacy for a seating area using evergreen shrubs and an understory tree layer. Additionally, the understory and ground cover plantings are placed within an organic manner similar to that of a woodland, but in large swathes for greater readability. As the site selected for a pollinator garden is located under oaks and maples, the planting beds are limited to natives that flourish in heavy shade. Foundational plants that provide structure to the garden such as flowering dogwood, witch hazel, roseshell hydrangea, and oakleaf hydrangea supply a plethora of seasonality. Understory plantings that cover the grounds in finer textures include astilbe, foamflower, common ginger, and black cohosh with consideration for the color white often associated with peace and reflection. Additionally the plantings contain a variety of ferns to create an array of autumn colors and textures that carry into the colder seasons. Many thanks to UMass Senior Intern Kayleigh Lin, garden designer for her work on the design. Click here for a full description of her work.
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The Memorial Garden is Proud to be nationally recognized as a Habitat Garden
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