Burdick & Associates Award Submission

Woods End, Maine

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Woods End, Maine

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Woods End, Maine

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Woods End, Maine

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Woods End, Maine

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25. Guest cottage from the north; summer, morning. The velvety lawn makes a marvelous screen for the ever-changing shadows. The round stained glass window in the gable shows a white sailboat on a blue sea.

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26. Construction: lawn from north. Blasting was never an option for the retaining walls, as we would have lost all the existing trees. Here a hammer-hoe is excavating ledge to make room for the wall footing.

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27. Drainage was an issue from the beginning. Here an unusually fierce winter storm is washing out the carefully graded base for the stairs, the finished path, and the loamed planting beds.

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28. The site contractors removing ledge with a jackhammer to make room for the stairs.

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29. Stairs to drive; summer, late morning, surrounded by Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ and Astilbe x arendsii ‘Bridal Veil’.

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30. Detail of railing showing the leaf-shaped copper latch.

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31. Detail of the railing showing the gate open and latch raised. A mass of Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’ covers the ground behind.

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32. The top of each cap and paving piece was hand worked with a bush-hammer and then flamed to appear rough-split and weathered. Here a mason grinds the front edge of the cap to soften the angle. He will flame the edge after grinding it for an age-worn look.

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33. Detail of wall cap showing worked edge and top. Lilies and astilbe glow as the morning sun lights them from behind.

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34. Shower enclosure: to minimize space required for the retaining wall and wooden enclosure, steel brackets were set into the concrete when it was poured. The stone cap pieces were cut to fit over the brackets. Each post was slit and set over a bracket, then bolted through.

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35. View of lawn and main house from south; summer, afternoon. Bright red Coreopsis x ‘Limerock Ruby’ and the clear yellow rose ‘Charlotte’ play on the building trim colors. Other plantings include Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice,’ Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’, Brunnera ‘Jack Frost,’ Tiarella cordifolia andHydrangea arborescens ‘Grandiflora.’

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36. Lower stairs; summer, late morning. The cap on the stair cheek-wall proved unexpectedly tricky. Crafting a natural relationship between the changing widths and angles at the turn required tremendous patience and a willingness to experiment. The steps are dry-laid, and the joints are planted with mosses, miniature sedum and creeping thyme.

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37. Guest cottage from the east; summer, late morning. Masses of hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) sweep across the slope of the leach field. Beyond, Viburnum opulus and Hydrangea arborescens ‘Grandiflora’ are beginning to fill in along the wall.

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38. View from the main house living room; summer, late morning. Although the lawn is central to the life of the house and visible from all of the public living spaces, it does not intrude on the spectacular view of the bay and the islands.

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39. The play of light and shade in the landscape adds interest to the interiors, as do the beautifully crafted exterior details visible from within. Knautia macedonica is in bloom just outside the window, with Achillea x ‘Martina’ and Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ beyond.

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40. Guest cottage from the south; winter. In the warmer months this view is not possible, as the deciduous vegetation screens the compound. The mooring-buoy swing delights young visitors and continues the nautical theme.

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41. Plantings at the compound perimeter stand in stark contrast to the well-groomed central lawn. Tousled masses of Helianthus x 'Lemon Queen,’ Heliopsis helianthoides scabra 'Summer Sun', Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder,’ Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind,’ Silphium perfoliatum, and Eupatorium maculatum 'Atropurpurea’ make a natural transition to the meadow.

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42. Guest cottage entrance. When we joined the project, this porch had been constructed with a bluestone-capped concrete wall. The masons eased the 1.5”bluestone cap out, installed a 3” thick granite cap, precisely matched the height of the existing wall, then feathered the new curve seamlessly into the straight segment.

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43. Guest cottage entrance; autumn, after a recent rain. Sagina subulata, S. subulata ‘Aurea,’ Lamiastrum galeobdelon ‘Hermann’s Pride,’ and Chrysogonum virginianum are spreading rapidly in the paving joints. The copper rainchain weathered to a dark patina after one winter.

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44. A change in the kitchen floorplan meant a window had to be removed. One of the carpenters carved this panel to replace it, in keeping with other sailboat-themed details on the house. The clients call this the ‘Ghost Ship,’ as there is no pilot.