Redstone Lane is more than a project—it is Adam Woodruff’s private garden, a space where art and ecology converge, shaped by years of observation, experimentation, and a pursuit of balance between design and nature. Lessons from important gardens and ongoing dialogue with mentors and colleagues in planting design have all influenced its creation, weaving together insights that continue to shape the landscape.

Designed in collaboration with noted landscape architect Matthew Cunningham, Redstone Lane balances structure with naturalistic planting, embracing the dynamic tension between order and spontaneity. Unlike client-driven commissions, this garden is a laboratory for unrestrained experimentation. Some plantings thrived, others faded, each revealing something new about adaptation, patience, and resilience. Here, design unfolds as an ongoing conversation with the landscape rather than a fixed blueprint.

A central ambition of the garden was to address a common question in naturalistic design:

• How can a garden feel both intentional and well-kept without losing its inherent wildness?
  
• I admire this style in public landscapes like The High Line and Lurie Garden, but how does it translate to a more intimate scale?

The garden is composed of two distinct but complementary spaces. The front garden suggests a woodland edge, its layered plantings creating a shaded, immersive retreat. In contrast, the rear garden opens into a sunlit meadow, where expansive sweeps of grasses and perennials evoke a looser, more expressive character. These spaces are shaped by the principles of plant communities, where species grow in dynamic relationships rather than as isolated elements—an approach that ensures the planting remains immersive, connected, and ever-evolving.

A strong spatial framework was essential from the outset, and Matthew Cunningham’s expertise played a key role. His ability to integrate built elements with plantings helped anchor the design in place while leaving it open to change. His approach ensured the garden felt rooted, yet adaptable—able to evolve with time rather than resist it.

The site, adjacent to a Marblehead harbor and a public boatyard with access via a shared right-of-way, posed both challenges and opportunities. The goal was to create a garden that felt integrated with its surroundings, intimate in scale, yet open to expansive views. The design aimed to blend the garden with the landscape, allowing it to feel part of the greater narrative of the environment. Rather than standing apart, the garden had to embrace its context—responding to the surroundings with sensitivity and openness.

The experience of the garden is intentionally multifaceted, engaging visitors from multiple perspectives. From above, it reads as a textured tapestry; within, it unfolds in layers—grasses catching the wind, shifting light revealing hidden compositions. Adjustments to the grade created a level planting area, inviting seamless circulation. Hedges of Hick’s yew and Frans Fontaine hornbeam introduce structure, providing contrast to the fluidity of the plantings.

Material choices reinforce the balance between structure and wildness, grounding the garden within its environment. Reclaimed granite curbing subtly defines paths, lending permanence without rigidity. The weathered herringbone-patterned brick terrace, with its deep black sheen, offers a grounding counterpoint to the plantings—an invitation to pause and absorb the surroundings.

At the heart of Redstone Lane is the planting design, inspired by the concept of designed plant communities—groups of plants that function together as part of a cohesive, self-sustaining ecosystem. The planting is organized into two layers: a design layer consisting of visually dominant species and a functional layer of ground-cover plants that help regulate growth, suppress weeds, and maintain ecological balance. This structure ensures the garden is not only aesthetically engaging but also ecologically resilient, capable of adapting and thriving over time with minimal intervention.

The site conditions and plant requirements are carefully considered—how the plants would respond to the coastal environment, their seasonal rhythms, and their long-term role within the garden. The selection process focused on creating a specific atmosphere, with attention to texture, movement, and color, rather than merely the plants' ability to survive.

Sweeps of grasses and perennials unfold in diagonal bands, their movement subtly framed by the quiet presence of reclaimed granite pathways. This technique brings clarity to the design, enhancing legibility while allowing for a freer, more expressive planting style. As the seasons shift, these bands retain their role as a structural thread, balancing the wildness of the garden with an underlying sense of intention.

Redstone Lane is a garden shaped by time and insight, a place where observation and care guide its evolution, ensuring it remains dynamic and deeply connected to its place.

Before & In Process Photos