Jenifer Tidwell Lends a Hand at Arlington Reservoir –
Residents of Arlington, MA recently witnessed an amazing transformation at the town’s reservoir with Parks and Recreation’s new beach and native plant rewilding. Now local landscape designer Jenifer Tidwell of Autumn Light Landscape Design is 2023 Lead gardener for the Envision Arlington Reservoir Wildlife Habitat Gardens. Her designs will take parts of the Wildlife Habitat Garden from overgrown to vibrant and inviting. Let’s look at how she plans to do it!
Transforming an aspect of the garden into something beautiful may take more than just a little bit of elbow grease. Tidwell worked with the Envision Arlington’s Reservoir Committee to come up with a design that would bring more native wildlife into the area while enhancing its visual beauty.
The goal was to create an inviting space for people to enjoy and learn while rebuilding a habitat for local wildlife. To do this, the Reservoir Committee incorporated native plants into the landscaping design and introduced several elements of habitat structures throughout the garden – from bird attracting foliage to logs supporting insect life and butterfly puddling stones. The initial garden design, planting and ten years of maintenance was done by Martine Gougault of local Beausoleil Gardens. Furthermore, they have a path so that visitors can explore without disturbing any of the existing wildlife.
A Labor Of Love
Tidwell and the Reservoir team will work on this project this spring and summer, they expect to spend countless hours clearing invasive species, renovating the soil and selecting and planting precious native seeds. The plants Tidwell recommends include Wild Strawberry, Mountain Mint, Butterfly weed and Spotted Bee Balm. (List below) The Envision Arlington Reservoir Committee holds meetings monthly inviting local residents to voice their opinions and share ideas. These considerations help the continuing habitat maintenance and rewilding of the park. In addition, they also hold invasive species weed pulls and talks for children to teach them about conservation and sustainability efforts in our community.
At the end of it all, everyone involved can be proud of what has been accomplished at the Arlington Reservoir. It truly is a testament to what can be done when dedicated individuals come together for a common cause! If you’re looking for Native plant landscaping services in Arlington or surrounding areas, be sure to check out Autumn Light Landscape Design – you won’t be disappointed!