The Garden of Remembrance is a hidden gem of a public garden at the base of the Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City. Tucked behind Mission Hill Church (formerly First Congregational Church), the garden is a peaceful place of respite. Anyone is welcome to visit the garden at any time, but it is an extra special place for many church members. The garden is an interment garden where ashes from the deceased are buried among the plants.
Goals of the Master Plan Design
Volunteers tend the garden weekly, keeping the space in tip-top condition. Volunteers also manage the business of the garden. So, in early 2020, the volunteer Garden and Landscape Board approached us to develop a master plan for the Garden.
The Board wanted to have a clear vision of how to proceed with future improvements to the Garden. They wanted to clearly define the boundaries of the garden. The Board saw a need to create a separation between the garden and the childcare area of the church’s property. They were also considering adding a labyrinth, a woodland stream, and a children’s garden. They asked us to evaluate the existing tree canopy to recommend tree removal and tree planting locations. A constraint to improving the Garden is that the existing planting beds must remain largely as they are. This is necessary to preserve the garden’s integrity as an interment garden.
We could see that the Garden and Landscape Board had a lot of great ideas of how to improve the Garden. But, they needed assistance bringing the ideas together in an orderly way. That’s where Elements Studio was able to help!
Developing a Master Plan for a Public Garden
First things first, as with all of our projects, we visited the site. We spent a cold, rainy day in the Garden evaluating trees and experiencing the space. Then we noted the locations of the existing garden entrances and their proximity to other site elements, such as the youth play zone, the church building and the parking lot. Finally, we considered how people move through the garden and how to clearly define the edges of the garden.
Then, back at the office, we started sketching. We worked through different ways to address the design goals. We decided to recommend using piers and fencing to define the Garden’s boundaries that are adjacent to other uses. To the north, the fence and piers define the Garden from the youth play zone. To the southeast the fence and piers define the Garden from the parking lot.
We expect that most visitors will enter the Garden at the southeast entrance. Because the entrance to the Garden is about 125′ from the edge of the parking lot, we proposed a first set of brick piers at the parking lot sidewalk. The brick for the piers will match the brick on the church building. Annual planters are positioned on top of the piers for seasonal displays. A serpentine path, planted on both sides with shade trees will lead visitors to a second set of piers located at the threshold to the garden. The ornamental fence will extend from the entrance piers to the garden corners. There, another pier will be located to define the edge of the garden. Beyond the corner piers, plant material, rather than fencing, will define the boundaries of the garden.
We located the labyrinth near the south entrance to make it visible to visitors as they enter the garden. Surrounding it with a backdrop of evergreen trees will create a distinct outdoor room. This room provides serenity and makes the labyrinth a quiet area for reflection and meditation.
To define the western boundary of the Garden, we proposed a West Buffer Planting. This garden area will provide a backdrop for the Garden. It will screen views of off-site homes, overhead electrical wires and the Garden’s “back of house”. (Back of house being the Garden’s compost pile, mulch and soil staging areas, etc.). Though we didn’t develop a planting plan, we recommended a plant palette for the West Buffer that consists of large evergreen and shade trees as well as ornamental trees and large shrubs. Our intent is that this area will not need a lot of maintenance despite being large in scale. We expect that large plants can fill in the area and create the backdrop that we are intending.
The Woodland Garden is the newest area where loved ones can be interred. We defined a new walking path for this area. For consistency of materials, we recommended that the path be comprised of flagstone. We also conceptually located a woodland stream that would trickle down the hillside before disappearing under downed tree limbs. The sound of moving water in this private space is sure to create opportunities for peaceful reflection and contemplation.
Woodland Garden Stream Inspiration Images
Overarching Design Guidelines
In addition to making design recommendations for specific areas of the garden, we provided recommendations for the Garden as a whole. During our site visit, we noted that there are several mature Austrian Pine and Blue Spruce trees in the Garden. These trees are likely to be nearing the end of their lifespan. Therefore, we recommended planting new evergreen trees to maintain the current aesthetic of the Garden in years to come. There were a few areas in the garden where the grassy walking paths were too narrow. In these locations, we recommended that the Garden and Landscape Board look into widening the path, assuming there are no interments in those locations. We also recommended planting more groundcovers in bare mulch areas where there are no plants to reduce the need to regularly remove weeds.
The Garden and Landscape Board will likely make future hardscape improvements and renovations. So, we provided design guidelines that will create continuity through a repetition of materials. For example, we recommended that turfgrass should be the primary walking path material. In high traffic or shady areas where turfgrass will not thrive, we recommended Chilton flagstone, brick pavers to match the existing outdoor worship patio or concrete. For walls, we recommended using Chilton wall stone, brick that matches the building or granite boulders that match the stones where the interment plaques are mounted.
The Garden and Landscape Board has found the Master Plan document to be a very useful tool as they continue to make improvements to the Garden of Remembrance. Since the completion of the Master Plan, they have installed:
- The southeast entrance walk with piers and fencing,
- The northern boundary piers and fencing, and
- The labyrinth.
The Garden of Remembrance is a beautiful and cohesive public garden. It will remain a community asset in Traverse City for years to come, thanks, in part, to the Board’s foresight in developing a Master Plan for the Garden.