Meeting in the Middle: A Comprehensive Plan for Meetinghouse Farm in North Scituate, RI

Meeting in the Middle A Comprehensive Plan for Meetinghouse Farm NORTH SCITUATE, RHODE ISLAND

This project was made possible by generous donations to the Conway School’s Community Project Fund, the Blue Yak Foundation, Lisa Cyr and Joe Flueckiger, Roxanne Finn, Ellen Senghas, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Zoar Outdoor Adventure Resort, and eight anonymous donors.

INDEX Project Summary ....................

2

Existing Conditions .................

3

Project Criteria ........................

4

Access & Views ........................

5

Geology & Soils .......................

6

Historical Disturbances ...........

7

Topography & Drainage ...........

8

Wetlands & Watershed ............

9

Vegetation ...............................

10

Legal Restrictions ....................

11

Summary Analysis ..................

12

Design Alternatives I ...............

13

Design Alternatives II ..............

14

Design: Overall ........................

15

Design: Home Area..................

16

Design: Farm Area ..................

17

Design: Retreat Center ............

18

Design: Flexible Event Space ...

19

Design: Garden and Pond ........

20

Invasive Species Plan ...............

21

Plant Palette I ..........................

22

Plant Palette II ........................

23

Plant Palette III .......................

24

Plant Palette IV .......................

25

Grading Details .......................

26

Cost Estimation.......................

27

PROJECT SUMMARY

ACKNOWLEDGMENT As settler people on the unceded lands of the Narragansett, Nipmuc, Pokanoket, and Wampanoag, the Meetinghouse Farm collective intend to work closely with the local indigenous communites in navigating their relationship to the land and its stewardship. They also plan to partner with local organizations working on social, racial, and economic justice.

Worchester

Providence

CHOSEN FAMILY

Meetinghouse Farm is located in north central Rhode Island within reasonable driving distance to places and organizations that will purchase their produce.

Ash, Gray, Kate, and Liz are a group of friends and family who are dedicated to communal living and collective decision making. About two years ago they decided to start searching for a property that they could purchase and live on collectively. They were looking for a place that had an existing home for around six adults, and a place that could offer privacy. This group of folx identify as queer and would like to foster a safe space for queer and BIPOC community on their land.

They enough land to support the small CSA operation that Gray and Liz had been previously operating on rented farmland, and enough space for a one-acre medicinal herb farm. They also wanted room to build a retreat center to offer a place for activist organizations to gather and reconnect with the land.

Essek Hopkins Park

PROJECT GOALS Plesac ot wogr anul es.tablgv

Scituate has a population of 10,300, and the neighboring towns have similarly low density populations. One major asset is that this property offers abundant privacy, with little visibility from the bordering neighbors. These include suburban homes, the Scituate high school, the school’s playing fields, and Esek Hopkins Park.

PROJECT SUMMARY

“We are a collective of multi-racial, queer and trans-identified farmers, organizers, and healers. ...Our vision is a land-based community space for queer and trans people, BIPOC, and justice movement organizers to heal, nourish themselves, and connect with the land and each other.”

siet Csa tions:aper

PLACE A year ago, they found a 43-acre property in North Scituate, Rhode Island, that has promise for their collective visions and goals. The property is close to Providence (25 minutes) and Boston (1 hour) where they have a community of friends, relationships with organizations, and in Boston, connections with restaurants where they formerly sold their produce.

Meetinghouse Farm is located near the local high school and the high school sports/playing fields. The farm is next door to a the Essek Hopkins Park.

Ash, Liz, Gray, Sasha Quinn, and Kate

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

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DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

2/27

WOODLANDS AND OPEN SPACE.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

EXISTING CONDITIONS

The clients fell in love with the character of the undulating hills, deciduous woodlands, forested wetlands, and open pasture of this 43-acre property. The somewhat square-shaped historical farm has a 1785 farmhouse, four existing barns, and several small outbuildings. A small boggy pond south of the home supports many birds and wildlife and feeds a stream that runs northward along the eastern border of the property.

Electric Fence Stone Wall Farmhouse and Barns Unpaved Driveway Property Boundary Ponds Stream Forested Areas Residential Development

G

The riparian woodlands along the eastern stream provide privacy for the residents from the road and neighbor to the northeast. Infrastructure, including the well and septic are concentrated in the central area where the various buildings and barns are located.

F E G Sloping hill with a view of red maples, alders, and poplars. (see larger map)

THE CLIENTS APPRECIATE THE PRIVACY THE PROPERTY OFFERS. Woodlands surround the home area, blocking views from the neighbors and road. Trees block views from the lightly trafficked Battey Meetinghouse Road, which is 400 feet away from the house. The 400-foot long unpaved driveway goes over a culvert and passes 10 feet away from the home. A small, unnamed brook passes under the driveway through a culvert, connecting the water flowing northward from the bog. Some of the residents park in front of a garage along the driveway, adjacent to the culvert, while others park by the barns just west of the home area. The clients are excited about the right-of-way that connects the western part of the property to a nearby culde-sac to the southwest, offering a second point of entry to the property that is distant from their main entrance.

A Two red barns constructed in the 1980s. The clients hope to use them for some of their infrastructure needs.

HOME AREA

B

The addition is planned to go between the house and barn.

barn

B home

barn

barn

C

A

INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE PROPERTY IS CONCENTRATED IN THE CENTRAL AREA

C

D

The driveway passes directly in front of the home.

D storage barn

The well is located between the house and an old barn, with a former cesspool north of the well. The cesspool is being drained and capped in the coming months, and a new septic tank will be dug just north of the current cesspool. The leach field will be located north of the red barns in the former horse yard. The new septic system will accommodate waste from up to eight people, since part of the clients’ plan is to build an addition to the house. An architect is currently designing an addition between the house and the barn to the north.

Shed

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Barn Cesspool

Driveway House

Pond

Wellhead

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

E

A barn just south of the home is currently used for storage and a parking area.

F

The right-of-way connects the western side of the property to the cul-de-sac to the south.

The bog in the southeast supports a variety of vegetation and wildlife.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

3/27

PROJECT CRITERIA .

FARM CRITERIA

MEDICINAL HERB + KITCHEN GARDEN CRITERIA

A RETREAT CENTER CRITERIA

Gray and Liz would like to operate their CSA operations, Bramblenook Farm, on the property. They are in the early stages of preparations, including applying for grants. They were awarded a grant from the RINRCS to build two hoop houses and receive an irrigation system (including a well) for their business. Specific needs include:

While the residents’ vision of a retreat center is still very much in the development stage, one of the purposes of this document is to help the clients identify constraints and the feasibility of siting a retreat center. They’d like the retreat center to serve the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and activist communities they are connected to.

•

Cropland for annual vegetables for the CSA farm.

5 acres, non-contiguous is acceptable

They’d like to host year-round overnight retreats for 20 to 25 people that have the following elements:

•

Garden medicinal plants and additional vegetables 1 total acre, non-contiguous is acceptable

•

Privacy: the retreat center will be separate from the residents’ home spaces.

•

•

Barn and pasture for 20 sheep or goats 800-square-foot livestock yard, 6 acres ofpasture

•

One main building for gathering and sleeping 1200 square feet

Coop and run for 25 chickens 500 square feet

•

•

72’ x 30’ hoop house

•

•

48’ x 30’ hoop house

Campsites or small cabins for additional accommodations; 400 square feet each

Medicinal garden and additional vegetables 1 acre

•

•

Parking for 12 vehicles within a short walking distance (100 feet) to the retreat center’s main gathering spot.

Drying space for medicinal herbs 72 square feet

•

An area for a garden and enough outdoor space to play soccer

•

A half mile walking trail for guests to take in different views and areas of the property

Additional considerations •

Tractor storage

•

Business office

•

Wash and pack station for vegetables

•

Tool shed and workshop

These spaces will include communal growing areas for the community of residents, and concentrate locations for medicinal herbs and annual vegetables for home use and Ash’s projects.

• •

Kitchen garden near the home 800 square feet Orchard for 12 fruit trees 2250 square feet

ADDITIONAL DESIGN CRITERIA The criteria listed below have been supplied directly from the clients, have been compiled from standard sizing needs, or were developed from discussions with the clients about their goals.

•

Privacy for residents of the home

•

Two private campsites for guests 400 square feet each

•

Solar panels to supply electricity needs of the home and farm operations

1100 square feet

•

Location for 28’ x 8.5’ tiny home, preferably with summer shade and winter sun

Infrastructure requirements to consider •

Heat source

•

Electricity

•

Well

•

Traditional septic system OR

•

Composting toilets with a 60% capacity leach field

PROJECT CRITERIA

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

4/27

ACCESS + VIEWS The clients’ would like to prioritize the goal of privacy and separation between the home and the working farm, and their home space and the retreat center. Similarly, Liz and Gray would like the farm to be separate from the home area and retreat center, and the clients’ would like the retreat center guests to have privacy and seclusion.

PRIVACY & VIEWS The woodlands surrounding the property act as a visual privacy buffer from neighboring properties and local roads. Only one spot on the property, which is east of the home by the riparian area around the creek, has a clear view of the neighbor in the northeast corner B .

Some views on the property are vast and expansive, while wooded areas feel enclosed and private. The clients enjoy taking in the views and they all agree the best vista overlooks central field on the property C .

B A buffer of vegetation would increase privacy from the neighbor.

A The grassy farm road passes between the fire pit and farm fields.

C View from the vista, looking north.

PEDESTRIAN ACCESS

A

The clients enjoy walking on paths that crisscross the property, and sometimes continue their walks on trails that extend into the town-owned property to the north. The most frequently used entrance to the home is along the north wall opposite the barn.

C

E

B D

VEHICLE ACCESS A long 400-foot unpaved driveway leads westward from Battey Meetinghouse Road to the home and barns. The residents park in front of a two-car garage along the driveway and within the cluster of barns. They appreciate these centrally located buildings which they plan on using for farm operations and storage.

D

F

Delivery drivers speed up the long straight driveway, a hazard for pets and children.

A narrow grassy farm road leads northward from the barns seen in A allowing easy vehicle access to the lower fields.

This road could provide access if the retreat center is located in these lower fields. However, this would conflict with the residents privacy as it would direct traffic along the main driveway that passes close to the home.

At the southwest corner of the property, a rarely-used dirt road connects to a right-of-way at a cul-de-sac. The clients hope that this could become a second entrance to serve the retreat center if it is located on the western field as it would maintain privacy from the home and farm operations.

TAKEAWAYS

E

▷

The addition to the home may change pedestrian access and circulation around the home area

▷

Analysis shows that using the right-of-way as a retreat center entrance would provide the most privacy from the home and farm.

▷

Farm operations could use already established farm roads for centralized access to buildings and fields

The driveway passes just a few feet from the house.

F The right-of-way road extends from a neighbor’s driveway.

ACCESS + VIEWS

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

5/27

GEOLOGY + SOILS REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF GLACIAL DEPOSITS

The glacial activity in this region deposited a mix of rock, sand, and gravel. Soils on the site range from very well draining sandy soils to slowly draining mucky soils. Rocky soil across the site will need soil building and rock removal to prepare for annual crops.

SOILS

C

A An exposed bank near the old riding ring shows a mix of sand, gravel, and rocks.

B A

The green areas on the map show that Meetinghouse Farm and much of the land surrounding the Scituate Reservoir is underlain entirely by glacial outwash (shown in green), a mix of sand, gravel, and rocks. The pink areas are glacial till. Historically places with glacial till were used for pasture. ((Pollock, S.J., 1960, U.S.G.S.)

SHALLOW ROCKY SOILS

GEOLOGY Geologic forces helped create soil and other conditions on the Meetinghouse property. The Wisconsin Glacier retreated from New England around 14,000 years ago and deposited vast amounts of material in the region. Glacial outwash is a mixture of sand, gravel and water-worn rocks, often with fine sands, silt, and clay mixed in. Many parts of North Scituate are underlain by this outwash (shown in green on the map on the right). A good example of the layers of glacial outwash deposits can be seen on the Meetinghouse property along a ditch beside the old riding ring A . Glacial till, a mixture of angular boulders and rocks, fine silts and clays, underlays much of North Scituate (seen in white on the map above). Bedrock is the solid rock that lies underneath these deposits. The property has a few areas of exposed granite bedrock which can be seen on the eastern part of the property along Battey Meetinghouse Road, see B .

The outwash underlying the property left plenty of rocks, shallow soils, and sand and gravel, and helped shape the topography which influences the water table on the property (see drainage section, page 6 for further details.)

With the clients’ goal to farm five acres of land, soil conditions are particularly important. Assessing soils with an auger showed many areas have only four to six inches of soil before hitting a layer of rocks. These shallow and rocky conditions present some hurdles for farming crops that need deeper soils; and when using equipment such as plows or tilling discs. Fortunately, soil depth and fertility can be built over time with the addition of organic matter, and no-till farming methods could be a helpful practice to eliminate the need for plowing the rocky soil.

B Bedrock is visible in the field along Battey Meetinghouse Road.

FAST DRAINING SOILS

Sandy soils in the lower northern field. See

GEOLOGY + SOILS

C

on the Soil Map.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service soil map shows the central field areas closer to the home and barns has “somewhat excessively well-draining” stony sandy loam.

While it is important for growing crops to have soil that doesn’t become too waterlogged in wet weather, soil that drains too quickly can create issues during times of drought.

Test holes showed this area to have about eight inches of soil before hitting a rocky layer (deep soil for this property.)

These were also a bit higher organic matter relative to other soils on the site making this the most promising site for initially growing annual crops. Areas with quickly draining soil will be more susceptible to drought.

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

Soils farther downhill to the north are variably sandy and loamy. The northern fields, which the clients are planning to cultivate once farm operations expand, are sandy with some pockets of clay. The water table was high in the winter of 2022, it was saturated at a depth of one foot. Building soil by adding organic matter will also add fertility and help retain even moisture levels. This could help decrease the dependence on irrigation.

SLOWLY DRAINING, WET SOILS Some of the soils on site are mapped as hydric, including the northern central zone. Hydric soils are often associated with wetlands. When soils experience extended periods of saturation and drain slowly, they can become anaerobic and only vegetation adapted to these conditions typically grow well there, for example tussock sedges and alders. These soils are generally too wet for some crops.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

6/27

HISTORICAL DISTURBANCES Stone walls throughout the property indicate that this land was previously cleared for agricultural purposes; because of generally poor soils. This cleared area likely primarily used for pasture. Historical aerial photos show that the property has undergone significant clearing and gravel mining in the last seventy years.

1951

1972

2003

town dump

2020

A

In 1951, only fields closer to the home were cleared.

The buildings are concentrated in the eastern section of the clearing. To the north of the property, only a small disturbance is visible. South of the home, the ditches are visible in the swamp, which were often created to drain water away from wetlands so they could be used for agricultural purposes.

By the 1970s, a significant amount of land clearing occurred within the property. The former Scituate town dump is clearly visible just to the north of the property, and prior farm owners may have buried their own household trash in this area as well. More water is visible in the swamp area; the owners were likely no longer maintaining the drainage ditches.

New sheds and buildings are present. Fields in the west and north have started filling in with vegetation, and the right of way has become a bit more forested. The dump is no longer being used and is partially grown in with vegetation. The swamp has more water and is more heavily vegetated.

Dense vegetation has filled in fields in the north and west, particularly invasive species. The right-of-way can no longer be seen from the aerials. The dump is hard to recognize beneath vegetation. Soil testing in the northern field, closest to the old dump, did not have elevated levels of lead. Swamp is very vegetated.

KEY POINTS

A

A

▷

Further testing is necessary to know if the former dump is contaminating groundwater or has impacted the quality of the clients’ well water.

▷

Historical land clearing and ditching has changed the movement and drainage of water on the property, and associated vegetation patterns.

▷

Without the continual grazing of animals in the cleared fields, there has been more opportunity for invasive species to prosper.

The clients have found trash partially buried in the northern part of the site, including glass, tires, and plastic.

HISTORICAL DISTURBANCES

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

7/27

TOPOGRAPHY + DRAINAGE

TOPOGRAPHY

SLOPES

As with the soils and ground water level, the shape of the terrain was also influenced by the glacial history of the property. The hills are essentially mounds of glacial outwash left behind by the glaciers as they moved through the area.

The home and barns occupy the higher, more level part of the property where the hills slope down southward toward the bog, eastward to the stream, and northward to the lower hills and wetlands.

Nearly a quarter acre of the central open field has a 15 to 25% slope; this area would be hard to cultivate as annual vegetable crops in a traditional manner, but could support perennial crops such as orchard trees, fruit or nut bushes, or open pasture. Swales and berms here would slow water runoff and help build soil fertility and organic matter. The north-facing slope of the western field has a 12 to 15% slope at the southern end of the clearing, and tapers off to a slope of 5 to 7% slope for the northern section of the field. If a retreat center is sited here, any buildings would likely require significant earth moving to create a foundation.

Water from the neighboring properties flows into the lower-lying Meetinghouse property and settles at the northeastern corner where it’s quite flat. Despite the fact that most of soils are coarse and rapidly draining, there are layers of clay acting as a barrier which holds the water table higher. Where topography intersects the water table, surface water features such as ponds, wetlands, swamps, and standing water.

A The old riding ring forms a massive puddle after a spring rain.

DRAINAGE RELATIONSHIP OF TOPOGRAPHY + HYDROLOGY

GROUND WATER The water table underneath glacial outwash is generally high. North Scituate is mapped with an average water table depth of 13 feet (Pollock, S.J., 1960, U.S.G.S.). This fluctuates seasonally and drainage characteristics will cause localized variations. For instance, the high water table at the Meetinghouse property is increased by the groundwater draining into it. The clients have observed very wet conditions in the lower parts of their property in the winter and spring, indicating a seasonally higher water table.

Rhode Island requires new leach fields to be sited in soils with a seasonal high water table no higher than two feet from the ground surface.

This reduces the risk of groundwater contamination because high water tables inhibit the leach fields from draining properly. Siting a leach field for the proposed retreat center will depend upon testing for a seasonal high water table.

Seasonally high ground water

LOW POINT

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land form

ground water When topography intersects the water table, various conditions can take shape depending on soils that influence the presence of wet conditions and associated vegetation.

WATER MOVEMENT The water from surrounding properties flows onto the Meetinghouse Farm site. The majority of the water on site flows northward, settling at the toe of the slopes in wet meadows and forested wetlands.

The water quality of the runoff from within the property can have a direct impact on the drinking water supply. The clients want to be conscientious stewards and be sure their land use doesn’t negatively affect the watershed.

TOPOGRAPHY + DRAINAGE

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waert in the southern portin fo the operty ainsdr otin the yampws pond, whic swofl north otin the ekcr and ytualenv otin the scetiua re. oirsev

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

A

HIGH POINT

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

8/27

WETLANDS + WATERSHED The Meetinghouse property has 21 acres of wetlands, which are ecologically important features of landscapes that store and filter water. Wetland locations are important to consider in terms of siting components of the clients’ goals, including siting new buildings, septic systems, and livestock yards.

WETLANDS + DRAINAGE LOW POINT

HIGH POINT

WATERSHED Meetinghouse Farm sits less than a mile west of the Scituate Reservoir in the Maswanisuct sub-basin of the Pawtuxet River watershed. Water from the property eventually flows northward via a small creek on the eastern edge of the property. Water flows through locally protected woodlands lands before eventually flowing into the Scituate Reservoir.

The reservoir was created in 1925 when a dam was constructed across the Pawtuxet River. Multiple villages and towns were flooded in order to create the largest reservoir in Rhode Island, which presently supplies drinking water to more than 60% of the state’s population. Meetinghouse Farm’s proximity to the reservoir means that actions within the property could directly impacts its water quality. The clients want to have a positive impact on the health of the watershed, and want to be sure that no chemicals or livestock runoff negatively affect the reservoir.

Wetlands

PAWTUXET RIVER WATERSHED

Water Flow With drainage arrows overlaying the mapped wetlands, it becomes clear that wetlands often occur where the topography is lower and flatter.

Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

WETLANDS ON SITE Twenty-one acres of wetlands are mapped on the Meetinghouse Farm property. These wetlands are not yet delineated by the Department of Environmental Management.

This will be an important step as the clients move forward on their projects in order to protect wetlands. Regulated 50-foot restrictive buffer on wetlands will require DEM approval for any buildings within this buffer, and keeping livestock yards 200 feet away from wetlands is preferred.

WETLANDS Wetlands protect and improve water quality by providing filtration of sediments and pollutants. They provide wildlife habitat and biodiversity, including habitat for amphibians, birds, and insects. They reduce flooding by temporarily storing rain and surface

Meetinghouse Farm sits within the Moswaniscut sub-basin of the Pawtuxet River Watershed, which leads to the Narragansett Bay.

water during storms. The forested wetlands on the property slow and store water, and filter sediments and potential contaminants.

This adds significant protection for the water quality as it leaves the property flowing through conserved forested lands into the Scituate Reservoir. Wetlands also store a significant amount of carbon as their anaerobic conditions slow down the decay of organic material.

Some considerations for the clients to have about wetlands and their goals include observing which areas have a seasonally high water table. Careful planning for a rotational grazing schedule will be needed to protect the soils, vegetation, and the animals. Slowing and filtering water on the property with swales, berms, and organic matter can reduce negative impacts on water quality.

WETLANDS + WATERSHED

CONSERVATION LAND AND WETLANDS

CONSERVATION LAND Scituate Reservoir is surrounded by conserved land to protect the drinking water quality. Most of this land is forested and helps to filter pollution through soil and plant roots before runoff enters the Reservoir.

Wetlands Local conservation

Meetinghouse Farm is neighbored by these conservation lands and the residents want to look into alternative types of conservation and cultural easements for their property to protect it from future development.

State conservation

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

9/27

WETLAND TYPES + VEGETATION

WETLAND TYPES

The vegetation patterns reflect the long history of disturbance on the property.

Many acres that were previously cleared have wetland vegetation growing.

FORESTED WETLANDS

POND EDGED WITH DOGWOODS

WETLAND TYPES The property has several types of wetlands (see map at left), including forested wetlands and wet meadows.

Different wetland types support different vegetation and associated animal species.

SMALL POND WITH ASSOCIATED SWAMP

The composition of the soils, topography, and drainage patterns likely supported forested wetlands. The history of land clearing, mining, and logging has created open spaces that support different wetland species compositions that tolerate full sun. For example, the small pond and associated swamp has many tussock sedges. These will continue to grow and build organic matter. If the red maples continue to fill in, they’ll eventually shift this area into a red maple swamp.

If left untouched, the herbaceous first succession wet meadow species will be succeeded by increasingly large and shade-casting species, the wetlands are likely to revert to forested wetlands. Saturated soils generally do not support agricultural crops.

Information on this map is adapted from the Department of Environmental Management Wetlands (DEM).

WETLAND SPECIES

FOREST AND TREES

The pond provides optimal conditions for several native sedges and red twig dogwood shrubs that line its edges.

Wild grapes and multifolora rose have wrapped around many of the shrubs established at the edges. A stately old weeping willow stands by the shore and next to a thirty-foot tall Norway maple.

The dominant deciduous trees on the property are red maples, bigtooth aspen, cottonwoods, and speckled alders.

These species tend to favor moist or wet conditions, and the poplars and alders spread by suckering roots, helping these species to vigorously spread into open fields.

Moisture loving species flourish along the edges of wet fields, including meadowsweet, high bush blueberry, sedges, and some species of goldenrod.

HERBACEOUS PLANTS Native grasses such as little bluestem and various species of the asteraceae family, like yarrow and goldenrod, grow in several of the open meadows and fields. Sweetfern, a nitrogen-fixing member of the bayberry family, is growing on the sandy edges near the disturbed edges of the central field.

AGGRESSIVE PLANTS

In the drier areas on the property, including the higher elevation southwestern edges, pockets of healthy shagbark hickory, red oak, and black cherry grow tall. A sprinkling of white pines and junipers grow in the eastern field along Battey Meetinghouse Road, as well as along the westernmost field edges where there are ledges with fast draining sandy soils. Nine Atlantic white cedar trees line the driveway and hug the home, providing shade from southern and western sun; and an old sugar maple casts shade along the western side of the house.

VEGETATION

AGGRESSIVE PLANTS Many parts of the property have a proliferation of nuisance vegetation, particularly in areas with a history of disturbance. In some of the pastures poison ivy grows thick and dense along the paths; and it’s growing along the many forested edges. An abundance of large autumn olive bushes occupy vast swaths of open fields along with multiflora roses. Bittersweet is starting to creep into the fields from the forest where it’s strangling many trees. Poison ivy is a problematic issue for humans, and it is spreading in many of the fields.

Autumn olive Bittersweet Multiflora rose Poison ivy Garlic mustard

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

The clients want to tend their land and encourage native plants that are beneficial to wildlife and the local ecology. They have started manually removing bittersweet and would like help with a management plan that feels sustainable and ecologically sound. They hope to use their livestock to control some species that need continuous removal and cutting to reduce the population.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

10/27

LEGAL RESTRICTIONS WETLAND BUFFERS

DRINKING WATER

In Rhode Island, ybuilding is not permited within 50’ of a wetland edge. Until the Department of Environmental Protection (DEM) delineates wetlands on the property, no boundaries are confirmed; the wetlands maps are the best available for approximation. Any new building for the retreat center will need to be sited outside of the 50’ buffer once the DEM legally delineates the wetlands.

To provide water to a retreat center that serves the public, a public well is likely to be required. A public well is used to supply water to more than three dwelling units or for the preparation of food or beverages. Water quality must be tested annually, and a bedrock-drilled public well must be 200 feet from any components of a septic system, or 400 feet away if it is a gravel-packed well.

The Northern Rhode Island Conservation Commission advises that livestock yards (where animals are housed at night for extended periods) and manure piles be located at least 200’ from wetlands and waterways. This is not a legal restriction, but an advised limit in order to best protect watershed health. Fortunately, the west-most barn is right along this boundary: so this may bea reasonable location for keeping livestock when they’re not at pasture.

WETLAND BUFFERS

ZONING Meetinghouse Farm is zoned as ‘single family residential.’

This means a special permit to carry out many operations, including the following which may pertain to the clients’ desired uses may be needed.

•

keeping animals and fowl for home uses

•

selling produce raised on the premises

WASTEWATER SYSTEM

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building lodging, a guest house, or dormitory

Building a retreat center will require some system of wastewater management. The size of any leachfield is determined by the number of people and type of use. A traditional leach field is used with standard flush toilets, but alternative toilet systems are permitted in Rhode Island as long as they meet requirements set by the National Sanitation Foundation.

Even with composting toilets, graywater from sinks, baths, and laundry facilities must be dispersed through a leach field, although it can be 40% smaller than a traditional leach field.

•

building an accessory dwelling unit

• a general purpose hall leased for recreation, social or other intermittent functions

WETLAND BUFFERS

Leach fields must be at least 50’ from a wetland edge, 150 feet from the edge of any pond or stream, and must be situated where the seasonal high water table is at least two feet below ground surface. The seasonal high water table can be tested between January 1 and April 1 of any year. Because Meetinghouse Farm does have areas with a seasonally high water tables, this might impact where a leach field can be sited.

• New buildings must be at least 50 feet from a wetland.

• New leach fields must be at least 50 feet from a wetland and 150 feet away from a pond or stream.

• Drinking water supply watershed critical resource area have larger jurisdiction buffers; new laws are coming into effect July 1, 2022 and may or may not affect the buffers on this property.

SPECIAL PERMITS The Meetinghouse property is zoned as ‘single family residential’.

This means the clients will need to apply for a special permit (sometimes called a variance) from the town of Scituate to build a retreat center anywhere on the property. The town will notify any abutting landowners within 300 feet of the perimeter of their property regarding the application, and any party may appear at the hearing for the special permit to voice support or resistance to the variance. Four out of five members of the zoning board must vote in favor of the variance in order for it to be approved. If the placement of the retreat center requires the use of the rightof-way in the southwest corner of the property, neighbors living on the cul-de-sac may feel that would interfere with their privacy and might object, so conferring with neighbors may be critical to the approval of a special permit.

LEGAL RESTRICTIONS

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

KEY POINTS ▷

Official DEM wetland delineation is required before any further steps are taken to build the retreat center.

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Buffers around wetlands determine where retreat center can be built.

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Seasonal high water tables and wetland buffers will determine where a new leach field can be located; many open areas have a small margin for positioning a septic system.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

11/27

SUMMARY ANALYSIS PRIVACY

WETLANDS

The clients value privacy. They want a sense of separation between their living area and the farm operations, and between their home space and the proposed retreat center. The analysis shows that moving vehicular traffic away from the home could help achieve the goal of privacy.

Shifting their gathering spaces away from the driveway, as well as adding vegetation buffers around the house and between the home and farm operations, would help ease friction in the private spaces.

The 45-acre property is mapped with 21 acres of wetlands, the majority of which are forested. After walking the property with a wetland biologist it seems that some of the mapped areas might be inaccurate. Knowing the locations of the wetlands is necessary for some of the client goals, including siting a retreat center and corresponding utilities, as there are legal restrictions within wetland buffers; and siting a livestock yard.

The best place to house livestock during the wet and cold season that also protects water quality is near existing barns, 200 feet away from the creek and wetlands.

A right-of-way in the southwest corner of the property connects a neighborhood cul-de-sac with the property’s western field. It passes over a decrepit culvert and is currently mowed by neighbors. Using this road more frequently would impact the privacy of the neighbors living on the cul-de-sac but provide privacy between the clients’ home and the western side of their property.

FARM OPERATIONS The clients need about 11 to 12 acres of open space to meet their ultimate requirements for running a 5-acre CSA farm, hosting a one-acre medicinal herb garden, and grazing 20 goats and sheep. With 10 acres of undeveloped open land, there is enough cleared space to start growing crops and raising livestock. Some of the unforested areas are seasonally wet, which might pose problems for livestock and early season farming, and there are forested areas that could be used for some medicinal crops and livestock grazing. Soil quality may also be a challenge.

The property has a high water table and collects runoff from adjacent properties. The soils are very rocky, some being well drained and others having more hydric conditions. The soil most suitable for crops (shown in green) is located close to infrastructure, including access to water and barns.

3

2 1

RETREAT

4

Four locations that could support a retreat center are shown in pink. These areas are outside the mapped wetland buffers, could be accessed by improving existing roadways, and are relatively separated from the home.

Each location has benefits and drawbacks.

The utilities and infrastructure for roads, parking, and septic will be more costly in the areas further from Battey Meetinghouse Road and existing infrastructure; however these locations would provide the most privacy for both residents and guests.

POTENTIAL RETREAT CENTER LOCATIONS

2

1 ▷

Maximum privacy from home and farm operations.

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Less privacy between the residents and retreat guests.

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Right-of-way offers access to the site, but crosses wetlands, which may pose regulatory issues.

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More flexibility for siting a leach field.

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The right-of-way extends from a neighbor’s driveway.

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Existing farm road can be fortified to serve as an access point.

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Siting a leach field at this location may be difficult due to wetland regulations.

SUMMARY ANALYSIS

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Possible to connect electric to the proposed solar panels planned for the home.

4

3 ▷

Offers enough distance from the home for privacy for both guests and residents.

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Would likely require guests to drive past the home and farm area.

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Located far from a connection to electricity..

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Siting a leach field might be possible if the water table isn’t

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

▷

Creates privacy for the residents.

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Retreat guests would have less privacy because of proximity to the road and neighbors, reducing sense of safety and seclusion.

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Connecting to electricity at the street would be inexpensive.

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Siting and building a leach field at this location may be prohibitive because of the bedrock ledge.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

12/27

DESIGN ALTERNATIVES

WESTERN RETREAT

FLEXIBLE EVENT SPACE

Locating the retreat center in the western field creates the most privacy for the retreat guests and for the residents, accessed by the right-of-way entrance. The western field is almost completely encircled by mapped, but not delineated wetlands; if they are determined not to be wetlands, there will be more options here for siting infrastructure. This includes building footprints, utilities, a well, and leach field.

A flexible event space for gatherings, small events, and retreats in milder weather is sited in the open field northwest of the house. Tucked into woodlands to the east, this location is out of sight of the home area, and feels protected by the vegetation. This site is large, flat, and has space for various temporary or semi-permanent structures. This area is outside of the wetland buffers and within reach to connect to utilities if the clients wanted to build more permanent infrastructure in the future.

PROS

CONS

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This is a quiet and beautiful location, surrounded by woodlands and wildflowers, and feels private from neighbors.

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Retreat center is far from the home, maintains the most privacy for the residents.

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Retreat uses the right-of-way entrance for maximum privacy from the home. ▷

The right-of-way goes through the entrance to a neighbor’s driveway, and a building permit variance will require the neighbor’s approval.

The right-of-way passes through a wetland and needs fortifying for year-round use. The disturbance might impact the ecological integrity of the wetland and it will need permitting approval by the Department of Environmental Management.

A 12-car parking lot requires clearing some trees and creates compaction and impervious surfaces which will shed more surface water runoff.

DESIGN ALTERNATIVES I

PROS

CONS

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A flexible event space incorporates places for a tent or pavilion, outdoor kitchen spaces, and camping areas.

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Flexible event space uses driveway going past the home, disrupting privacy for residents.

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Ground-mounted solar panels already planned near the home are potentially close enough to provide electricity.

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Guests must walk through the farm operations to reach the event area from the parking area.

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Vehicle access uses existing farm road and parking takes advantage of already-developed areas.

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Walking arrival brings guests through alleys of vines and trellises to the main view, and guides them through a medicinal woodland garden along the path.

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Has a lighter touch ecologically, and is less expensive.

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

13/27

DESIGN ALTERNATIVES AROUND THE HOME PRIVACY PRIORITIZED

EXPANDED HOME SPACE

This design uses a vegetative buffer to separate the home from the farm road to create privacy, and focuses gathering spaces with views to the north and east. Although removing the barn has a few drawbacks, including losing storage space and potential areas for drying herbs, it opens up views to the north and makes a more expansive outdoor living experience for the residents.

This design places the high tunnels and propagation house near the former riding ring, separate from the home.

In this design, the living area is expanded by relocating the farm road westward. Creating a border with orchard trees and a hedgerow adds privacy between the farm operations and the residents at home. The barn is removed in this design as well, making more space for gathering and outdoor living close to the house. An outdoor kitchen is built into the hillside and folks can easily harvest from the kitchen garden.

PROS

CONS

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The initial phases will require intensive labor

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Removing the barn north of the home reduces storage capacity.

Vegetation is added around the home and gathering areas to add privacy from the driveway and farm operations.

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Centralizes zones of use and chores close to the home.

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The orchard is a place for play, and integrates chickens for fertility.

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Removing the barn opens up space for views, trellises, playscapes, and a larger outdoor living and kitchen area. (Also provides wood for building projects.)

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Does not incorporate the views south to the bog

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The chickens are closer to the woodlands and therefore wildlife predation

Easy access to the agroforestry/silvopasture in the eastern field.

DESIGN ALTERNATIVES II

PROS

CONS

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Home living area is expanded by moving the farm road westward.

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Privacy is more porous

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Edible hedgerows and orchard trees separate the home and farm, creating a gateway between the spaces.

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Removing the barn north of the home removes storage capacity.

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Propagation house is a bit far from the home.

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Farm infrastructure and solar panels are centrally located.

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Livestock can use shade from solar panel and high tunnels, chickens are close to livestock.

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Removal of a cedar trees along the driveway creates better views of the bog.

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

14/27

FINAL DESIGN: OVERALL The final design of the property sites the farm and retreat center using a combination of the client’s goals and request, while also considering the site conditions of the property. After much deliberation by the clients, they would prefer the retreat center in the western field, as the space maintains privacy for both the guests and residents. For more immediate use, the flexible event space is included in the design, placed in the north central field. The CSA farm operations will center in the southern central area of the property because of soils, ease of access, and its proximity to the existing buildings. The home area is bordered with vegetation for privacy and consolidates many of the daily chores and outdoor activities close to the house.

A

B

C

D

The 20 goats and sheep will have about 6 acres of pasture in phase one of this design.

As livestock build soil fertility and the farm is able to expand operations, some pastures will be shifted to crop space in subsequent phases. These later phases will offer less acres of pasture for the goats and sheep and the clients may need to decrease their herd number as conditions require.

E

F

The 800-square foot livestock yard is located next to an existing livestock barn, allowing outdoor space and indoor shelter for 20 goats or sheep while keeping the manure out of the 200-foot wetland buffer zone.

The hoop houses are sited in the annual fields, where the soil is well drained. They’re close to the existing access road and the wash and pack station. They are sited on mostly level ground, and might need slight grading before they are erected. The hoop houses will be used for season extension and propagation for CSA crops, kitchen garden plants, and medicinal herbs. The larger one is placed 90 feet from the woodland edge, allowing for plenty of sunlight per day in the early and late seasons months.

Developing a flexible event space in the north central field offers a gathering place for special events and helps to achieve some of the retreat center goals in the near term.

The 1100-square foot ground-mounted solar panels provide 11 kilowatt hours of energy, enough to support the current home electricity use and an additional 3 kilowatts for the expected energy use from the CoolBot refrigeration for the farm’s walk-in cooler.

A E

G

F

D

B G C

The main growing space for Ash to tend an acre of medicinal herbs and annual vegetables is in the eastern field that sits between the creek and Battey Meetinghouse Road. This space has the potential for a mixture of permaculture inspired garden techniques, agroforestry, and medicinal gardens; and will create an inviting entrance to the property. Additional growing space is located between the creek and the home, and uses the micro-climate for appropriate medicinal herb species.

The retreat center in the western field offers guests both prospect and refuge. The gently north sloping field creates a dynamic view shed over the field bordered on all sides by densely forested woodlands and wetlands.

The entrance via the right-of-way road enables privacy and separation from the home and farm.

DESIGN: OVERALL

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

15/27

SCHEMATIC DESIGN: HOME AREA By defining gathering space and siting gardens north of the home and barn, the focus of the outdoor living space pivots northward, leveraging the tucked-away feel in this location to create a private realm for the residents. The farm road remains in place, but an edge is created between the farm road and the outdoor living space, visually buffering the home space from the farm area.

A

A kitchen garden located north of the outdoor living space provides convenient access and connects with the terraced orchard. The fruit trees are planted on contour along the hill north of the home. Swales and berms form earthen terraces that slow and spread water as it flows down the slope toward the pond.

The 800 square foot kitchen garden uses the level section of the field and continues down the sloping hill in terraces. Deer will be excluded from the entire orchard, kitchen garden, and pond area with the existing electric fencing. Chickens can run within the orchard and gardens, adding to soil fertility while eating slugs and grubs.

B

Grapevines form a fast-growing border between the outdoor living space and the farm operations to the west. The vines preserve the view to the farther fields while offering a sense of separation and privacy. An outdoor living area with a fire pit provides both shady and sunny spaces for gathering and rest.

F A

B

C G

C E

D D

The west end of the barn is opened up by removing two walls, revealing a view of the orchard and woodlands from the home. A wraparound deck and seating counter connects an open-air kitchen to the outdoor living space, allowing food to be processed or preserved for home use in a range of weather conditions.

The slope south of the driveway and adjacent to the swampy pond is transformed into a perennial pollinator and cut-flower garden, providing a space for quiet relaxation and contemplation. A small dock extends into the water for better wildlife viewing. Two cedar trees are removed along the driveway, revealing the view from the house out toward the swampy pond.

E

Garden beds flanking the driveway increase the sense of arrival. The trellises provide vertical edge friction that visually narrows the road that slow cars as they approach the home.

F

A small pond below the orchard offers a private place to swim and relax, and serves as an additional gathering place away from the immediate home space. Native vegetation is planted along the west side of the pond to slow and filter water flowing into the pond.

G

A patio on the eastern edge of the home is enclosed with vegetation allowing the residents to take in the views of the pond in the northeast corner while being screened from the driveway

PLANTING SUGGESTIONS Elderberry Sambucus canadensis Red-twig dogwood Cornus sericea Serviceberry Amelanchier laevis Raspberries Rubus idaeus Blackberry Rubus fruticosis Aronia Aronia arbutifolia Spicebush Lindera benzoin

A porch extends from the barn, bringing the outdoor living space northward toward the orchard and kitchen garden.

DESIGN: HOME AREA

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

16/27

SCHEMATIC DESIGN: FARM AREA The central southern fields and adjacent barns support the initial phases of the CSA operations. The soils are deep enough for shallow tilling, the slopes are gentle, and there is ample sunlight. A farm road cuts through the central area of the field to give access to the area for setting up infrastructure including the hoop house and irrigation systems. Most of the annual operations will not be visible from the home area, thus keeping a separation between home and work, and a privacy hedge in the southern corner of the field blocks potential views of the neighbors.

A

E

F

B

A

A simple pole-construction pergola offers a shady area to rest and enjoy the view from the crest of the hill. This space is close to farm operations but far from the home area, providing a space for farmworkers, residents and visitors to enjoy a picnic.

B

The hoop houses are located west of the old horse ring on a newly graded surface. Level enough for the structure with enough slope to shed water eastward. The hoop houses are enough from the southern tree line to receive full sun into the spring and fall. Oriented north to south, they will be passively ventilated by winds blowing from the west.

D C G

C

D

E

A swale in the ditch along the western edge of the old riding ring slows water runoff and vegetation planted along stone check dams helps settle out sediments before they reach the pond/swamp.

Preventing sediments from reaching the bog will benefit aquatic wildlife and plant communities by reducing runoff pollutants and rapid sediment infill.

Graded to improve drainage, the old riding ring is transformed into a native tree and perennial plant nursery, taking advantage of this flat space and its proximity to the existing water spigot. Wooden fencing already surrounding this area can be electrified to prevent deer browse.

The 800-square foot livestock yard is located next to an existing livestock barn, allowing outdoor space and indoor shelter for 20 goats or sheep while keeping the manure out of the 200-foot wetland buffer zone.

F

The wash and pack station and walk-in cooler are housed inside the larger 4-stall barn. Excess water from the wash and pack operation is directed into a rain garden beside the barn, which treats and infiltrates runoff, provides pollinator habitat, and creates an inviting entryway to the farm area.

G

A new driveway allows a tractor to be parked in the drivebay below the barn. A vegetated buffer of shubs and grasses along the driveway filters runoff from the driveway, protecting the nearby pond.

RAIN GARDEN PLANTS Blue flag iris Iris versicolor Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis Fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass-leaved goldenrod Euthamia graminifolia Heath aster Aster ericoides Interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana Joe-Pye weed Eupatorium pupureum Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis Ohio goldenrod Solidago ohioensis Prairie blazingstar Liatris spicata Milkweed Asclepia sp.

Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia sp.

Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Shadbush Amelanchier canadensis Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Tussock sedge Carex stricta Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum Red osier dogwood Cornus sericea Switchgrass Panicum virgatum

E

New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis

Rendering of the rain garden adjacent to the barn that will help capture runoff from the wash and pack station for the CSA operations.

DESIGN: FARM AREA

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

17/27

SCHEMATIC DESIGN: RETREAT CENTER The analyses for slope, wetland buffer locations, access, and ease of connection to utilities pointed to the central field as the most suitable location for the retreat center. The clients ultimately chose to site the retreat center in the western field because of its maximum privacy from the home and farm.

This field provides a secluded feel for retreat center guests and the sloping hill offers dynamic views from multiple vantage points. As mentioned in the zoning analysis, this design will require approval and permitting from the Department of Environmental Management and local authorities.

D C

C E A 30’ diameter yurt serves as a bunkhouse and all-weather gathering space.

A

A

Arrival An accessible path begins at the parking area and guides guests through a planting of native shrubs where they emerge to take in their first view of the beautiful landscape. The path leads to the main event and sleeping space, a yurt tucked into the woodland edge along the western slope. Retreat guests use a wooden deck to enjoy and drink their morning beverage in the morning sun. A wide staircase leads guests that can use stairs down to the main paths that wander through the outdoor space.

B

A 25’ x 30’ pavilion provides a covered gathering space, while solar panels provide electricity to the retreat center.

DESIGN: RETREAT CENTER

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

Looking from the parking lot onto the yurt from the south end of the field.

B

Parking Guests arrive along the right of way extending from Esek Hopkins Road and use parking spaces along both the east and west sides of the right of way to park under the shade of existing trees.

C

Camping Multiple platforms provide guests with private places to pitch a tent, stretch, and relax in the shelter of the surrounding woodlands.

D

Leach Field The flat open field at the northern end of the slope provides a space for recreation and the gray water leach field. The leach field filters bathhouse water into the field, 50’ away from the wetland edge.

E

Pavilion A wooden pavilion with solar panels and solid floor provides a shady outdoor space for eating and gathering.

The energy from the solar panel could be tied into the grid or used to charge battery powered off grid electricity for the retreat center’s needs. Native perennial plants surround this outdoor gathering space to create an outdoor room, and to replace the former aggressive plants that were growing including multiflora rose and autumn olive.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

18/27

SCHEMATIC DESIGN: FLEXIBLE EVENT SPACE The flexible event space in the northern fields offers a place for Meetinghouse Farm to host workshops, gatherings, or private events. They can initially set up under a tent, hire portable toilets for larger events, and use an outdoor kitchen. Once the retreat center is built in the western field, this space could shift its use to pasture or possibly crop production. If permits are not acquired to site the retreat in the western field, this space could become a permanent location for a retreat center. A yurt or small building could replace the event tent.

A path through the meadow meanders by new hedges of native plants and leads to the event tent.

A

B

C

A walking path leads guests through the central farm fields and guides them to a pergola facing the vista on top of the north facing slope, before descending down the grassy path past plantings of blueberries and other edible shrubs and trees, onward to the event space. These plantings will also serve to replace the stands of aggressive autumn olive shrubs.

20’ x 40’ event tent can hold about one hundred guests.

D

Event tents can be set up on the flattest part of the field, against the tree line and with a sweeping view of the fields and hills to the west. This temporary option allows Meetinghouse Farm to host events or gatherings in the near term, and potentially into the future.

B

The second access point allows vehicles to the dirt farm road that passes between the barns and the home area, and then continues down through the woodlands to the northern fields. This road can be used to deliver portable toilets, event equipment, and people with limited mobility.

D

Camping is available in nearby fields and tucked into the woods on platforms. There’s space for overnight guests to spread out and have privacy amidst existing vegetation.

C

PLANTING SUGGESTIONS Blueberries Vaccinium spp.

Hazelnut Corylus americana Witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana

A

Willow Salix purpurea Elderberry Sambucus canadenis Smooth witherod Viburnum nudum Different sized tents can meet the various needs of guests.

DESIGN: FLEXIBLE SPACE

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

19/27

SCHEMATIC DESIGN: GARDEN + POND A

A’

A small pond in the northeast corner of the property gives the residents a relaxing place to cool off during the summer days. A path that leads from the beach area draws folks to the northeast corner where a hammock is hung between two trees beside a tent platform.

Vegetation is planted along the pond’s outlet that flows east toward the creek. A path over a wooden and stone bridge connects to the eastern field where the medicinal gardens grow.

West

East

Kitchen Chicken coop garden The pond is tucked into the lower corner of the eastern woodlands, providing privacy from the driveway and farm road, with views of the orchard.

Eastern woodlands

Tent platform

Pond

A

B Looking northeast toward the new swimming pond.

C

D An example of swales and berms following the contour of a hill.

Swale and berm orchard

A wooden platform tucks into the edge of the woodlands.

It sits between the eastern edge of the orchard and the northwestern edge of the pond and offers a quiet place for yoga or to pitch a tent. Shrubby vegetation borders the southern edge of the platform to add privacy from the home and the southern beach.

A small outlet for the pond lined with stones separates the beaches on the southern and western edges of the pond. A series of swales and berms featuring raspberries and thornless blackberries slow and filter the rainwater from the roof of the barn using mulch, hugulkultur, and native plants. The pond’s eastern berm is planted with native shrubs and plants to help stabilize the soil.

A A

D B

A tulip poplar is planted on the southwestern edge of the beach to help shade people from the late day sun. This is a tree that grows fast and is expected to do well in the unexpected climate changes.

A’

The kitchen garden and terraced orchard are productive and beautiful. The orchard slows water using the swales to catch water as it flows downhill. The berms have plenty of compost and organic matter to retain moisture and provide nutrients for the trees and plants growing there.

C

swale

berm

Swales and berms slow water and encourage buildup of organic material.

DESIGN: GARDEN + POND

Fruit trees are planted on the berm, with the dotted line indicating the previous slope of the hill.

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

20/27

INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT PLAN It will take time and effort to reduce the aggressive plants on the Meetinghouse property, and complete eradication will likely not be possible. Using multiple techniques will help reduce their spreading, as will vigilance. Replacing disturbed areas with native plants will help increase ecological and habitat value.

Plant Species Garlic Mustard Bittersweet

GARLIC MUSTARD (Alliaria petiolata)

BITTERSWEET (Celastrus orbiculatus)

Garlic mustard is a biennial herb that is aleoopathic, meaning it produces chemical compounds that inhibit the growth of other plants.

It is often found in shaded, moist soils with a history of disturbance (e.g., roadsides, trail edges, stream banks). It can grow in a range of soil types, acidity levels, and light levels. Areas with large populations of white-tailed deer commonly have higher densities of garlic mustard. Deer avoid garlic mustard, favoring native plants instead.

Oriental bittersweet is a state listed invasive vine that produces fruits along the stems. American bittersweet is a native deciduous vine of conservation concern that only fruits at the end of the stem. Oriental bittersweet is problematic because it can blanket large trees, greatly increasing the weight the tree bears during ice, wind, and snow storms, which kill the trees in the event of a blow down. Deer eat bittersweet leaves and can reduce its populations, but the fruits are readily consumed and distributed by birds and rodents.

High populations of garlic mustard have been linked to changes in nutrient availability and beneficial soil fungi, and lower diversity in native understory plant communities. The leaves, roots, and seeds are all edible and have been used historically in herbal medicine.

In the fall, hand-pull first year growth when the soil is moist and friable. Tamp soil after pulling; disturbed soil may promote germination from the seed bank. In the spring, pull the plants and tamp the soil after they bolt but before they set seed (when they flower is best.) Bag all pulled material and solarize; pulled plants can still develop seeds.

Seed or plant native browse-tolerant understory species as a replacement.

REPLACEMENT SUGGESTIONS Jacob’s Ladder Polemonium reptans Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia Big Leaf aster Aster macrophyllus Northern sea oats Chasmanthium latifolium Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum

March

April

May

June

Regularly monitor new areas for seedlings and thoroughly remove the stem and all roots. Scout for new plants in fall, when bright yellow leaves are visible after other plants have lost their leaves.

REPLACEMENT SUGGESTIONS American Bittersweet Celastrus scandens Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis

INVASIVE SPECIES PLAN

August

September - November

Hand -pull when flowering

Hand-pull new growth when ground is damp

Hand-pull sprouts, removing all roots

Multiflora Rose

Remove plants with weed wrench

Autumn Olive

Hand-pull sprouts, removing all roots

Cut large mature vines near ground

MULTIFLORA ROSE AUTUMN OLIVE

Hand-pull sprouts, removing all roots

Use a torch to burn new growth

Cut mature shrubs after flowering but before fruiting

Hand-pull sprouts, removing all roots

The shrub blooms in May and June and fruits in late summer to fall. In early spring, hand pull or use a heavy-duty weed wrench and remove all roots. Optionally, after stems re-sprout and when the ground is wet, use a propane torch to apply a direct flame to the stems until they begin to glow. Goats and sheep will feed on multiflora rose, and may help to eliminate it from pastures after 4 or 5 years, but continuous grazing is needed to prevent growth from the seed bank. Alternatively, brush hog 3 to 6 times per year.

AUTUMN OLIVE (Elaeagnus umbellata)

To reduce populations in fields, mow frequently (weekly) for several years or pasture goats.

Mowing just 2 or 3 times per year only stimulates more prolific root sprouting. Pasturing with goats for several years will help to eliminate bittersweet in open fields, but bear in mind they will also eat desirable plants.

In July and August, before annual fruiting, cut mature vines near the ground to relieve stress on the tree. Cutting in the summer produces fewer sprouts than cutting in the spring or fall.

July

This deciduous shrub’s nitrogen-fixing roots can disrupt the nitrogen cycle of native plant communities (NRCS). It tolerates a wide range of soils and drought, but prefers soils that aren’t excessively wet or dry.

Invasive autumn olive and multiflora rose in the western field on site.

MULTIFLORA ROSE (Rosa multiflora) This perennial shrub is frequently found in land with a history of logging, mining, or agriculture, three activities known to have taken place at Meetinghouse Farm. It tolerates a wide range of soil, light, and moisture levels but does especially well in bright sun with well-draining soil.

Deer browse multiflora rose and can help to keep populations in check. Multiflora rose does provide habitat value for small mammals (mice, eastern cottontail) and song birds. Wild turkey, cedar waxwing, mice, and eastern cottontail eat the rose hips. The rose hip fruit and seeds provide a valuable winter food source for these animals and thus the animals spread the seeds. A single plant can produce 500,000 seeds per year and seeds can remain viable in the seed bank for 20 years.

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

To reduce vigor, cut trees at ground level with a chainsaw, ideally after they flower, but before they set seed. This species spreads by suckering; so re-sprouts will need continuous cutting for several years. In some cases, extracting the stumps with an excavator or backhoe is suggested, although this may be too disruptive on this site to be advisable. Before mulching debris or adding to a compost pile, be sure the plant material is dead. Dry it out in the sun before chipping or creating hugulkultur berms. Burning the stumps is not advisable as it stimulates growth and vigorous new shoots. Goats will eat autumn olive. Pasturing them in these areas could be helpful in controlling new shoots after initial cutting.

REPLACEMENT SUGGESTIONS Basketry Willow Salix purpurea Silky Willow Salix sericea Aronia Aronia arbutifolia Indian Plum Oemleria cerasiformis Bayberry Morella (Myrica) cerifera

GOAT GRAZING Rotationally grazing livestock while concentrating them in smaller, affected areas, will help to make an impact on the management of some invasive species. Repeated browsing is necessary to truly kill the well-established invasive, plants.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

21/27

SCREENING PLANTS

PLANT PALETTE I This selection of screening plants will provide insectory habitat, wildlife forage, and four-season interest.

Inkberry holly

Red twig dogwood

Trumpet honeysuckle

Pipevine

Winterberry

Doghobble

Common Name

Botanical Name

Height/ Width

Blooms

Soil

Shade Amt.

Notes

Inkberry Holly

Ilex Glabra

10' H x 8' W

White, May-June

Moist soils

Full sun - part shade

Pollinator that provides fall and winter berries to wildlife. Requires M and F for females to fruit, both plants flower white in spring. Can become leggy without sufficient sun.

Red Twig Dogwood

Cornus alba 'Sibirica'

9' H x 5' W

White

Moderate moisture

Full sun - part shade

Red stems come from current year growth - cut back in early spring to get continuous color. Will keep a shrubby appearance if pruned annually.

Trumpet Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Climbing

Orange-red, summer to fall

Moderate moisture

Full sun - part shade

Great climber with dense coverage, will also behave like a ground cover if on slopes or embankments. Attracts hummingbirds, not too aggressive.

Pipevine

Aristolochia macrophylla

Climbs to 25'

April - June

Rich, moist, well draining soils

Part shade

Native to PA south to GA, in rich woods and along stream banks. Has interesting pitcher-shaped flowers. Dense, leaves are deciduous but provide decent screening in winter. Quick growing, annual pruning helpful. Host to pipevine swallowtail butterfly, whose range is expanding northward.

Winterberry Holly

Ilex verticillata

10' H

White , June - July

Wet to medium

Full sun - part shade

Great winter color from red berries, which are a great source of food for birds. Likes wetter areas or where water table is close to surface. Spreads slowly by root suckers.

Witch Hazel

Hamamelis virginiana

15-20' H

Yellow, Oct- Nov

Medium-wet to wet

full sun - part shade

Blooms yellow flowers in fall, offering late-season nectar.

Doghobble

Leucothoe fontanesiana

2-4' H x 4-6' W

White , June - July

Acid, moist to wet

part shade - shade

A dense-growing shrub that keeps its leaves all winter. Prefers shade, is deer-resistant, and tolerates dry to moist soils.

The plants in this selection are delicious for humans and wildlife. They provide edible and biodiverse additions to the screening hedges, agroforestry plantings, gardens, and the orchard.

FRUITS

Serviceberry

Nannyberry

Paw Paw

Elderberry

Lingonberry

Mulberry

Common Name

Botanical Name

Size

Blooms

Soil

Shade Amt.

Fruit

Notes

Allegheny Serviceberry (Juneberry)

Amelanchier laevis

25’ H

April - May, white flowers

Moist soil

Full sun - part shade

summer

Self-fruitful, sometimes forms multiple trunks, can be pruned into tree shape with central leader. Has pretty fall foliage and birds love the berries.

Nannyberry

Viburnum lentago

20’ H

white, May - June

Medium-wet

Full sun - part shade

Fall

Multi-stem suckering shrub. Multiples could make a nice hedge once mature. larval host to Spring Azure butterfly. Attracts pollinators in early spring when not much else is in bloom. Fruit is a favorite of birds and other wildlife.

Paw Paw

Asimina triloba

20’ H

Red, late spring

Prefers moist acidic soils from 4.5 to 6.5 pH

Full sun - part shade

Fall

Cross-pollination needed, best to plant less than 30' apart. can yield 25lbs fruit per plant. Shade tolerant, but produces best with 6+ hours sun per day. Plant in spring or summer, not the fall. Weed control essential during establishment. Needs about 30” of annual rainfall, mostly in spring and summer, so may need watering,

Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

10’ H

White, June - July

Medium-wet to medium-dry

Full sun - part shade

Late Summer

Pollinators love the blooms, birds and mammals love the berries

Lingonberry

Vaccinum vitas-idaea

12 - 18" H

Spring, again mid-summer

Medium-wet, very acid 4.5 5.5 pH

Full sun

July, again in October

Self-fruitful but bears more fruit if cross-pollinated. Takes 2-3 years to bear fruit, remove flowers the first year to strengthen the plant. Each bush can yield about 1.5 lbs of berries rich in Vitamin C. Can be planted under highbush blueberries and other part-shade areas, but bears more if in full sun. Need consistently moist acidic soils and don’t compete well with weeds.

Mulberry

Morus rubra

15 - 35' H

May - June

Medium

Full sun - part shade

Early summer

Self- fruitful. 5-25lbs of fruit per tree. Berries are delicious and valued by wildlife but are messy - plant in an a low-traffic area.

PALETTE I

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

22/27

PLANT PALETTE II

SANDY, FAST DRAINING SOILS

This plant selection would be wonderful additions to the flower gardens on the slope leading towards the pond, and to the garden on the eastern edge of the house. The sunnier areas of the retreat center and event spaces would also be good locations for these plants.

Wild Senna

Red Columbine

Canada Milk Vetch

Yellow Wild Indigo

Blue Harebell

Lanceleaf Coreopsis

Indian Paintbrush

Long Beaked Sedge

White Prairie Clover

Purple Poppy Mallow

Pale Purple Coneflower

Rough Blazing Star

Purple Lovegrass

Ohio Spiderwort

Common Name

Botanical Name

Height

Spacing

Bloom color, time

Soil

Notes

Red Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

24”

10 - 16”

Red, April - June

Medium - Dry

Early bloomer, can grow in pine areas, is deer-resistant. early nectar for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Larval host for Columbine Duskywing moth

Canada Milk Vetch

Astralagus canadensis

2 - 3’

12”

Yellow, July - Aug

Dry, sand

Keeps seed into late fall, an important food source for birds. Very drought tolerant.

Small Yellow Wild Indigo

Baptisia tinctoria

2 - 3’

2 - 3’

Yellow, Jun - Aug

Dry sandy soils

A nitrogen-fixing legume that produces large seedpods in the autumn.

Purple Poppy Mallow

Callirhoe involucrata

1’

3’

Pink, May - Aug

Dry- medium soils, sand

Trailing growth habit makes a nice border and looks nice in rocky walls. Larval host plant for gray hairstreak butterfly.

Blue Harebell

Campanula rotundifolia

1 -2’

6”

Lavender, June - Aug

Dry, gravel and sand

Very drought tolerant, likes gravel and sandy soils.

Lanceleaf Coreopsis

Coreopsis lenceolata

1’ - 2’

1’

Yellow, June - Jul

Dry, sandy

Loves dry and sandy soils, butterflies love the nectar and birds eat seed in late summer.

Indian Paintbrush

Castilleja coccinea

2'

Orange, May - Jun

Medium-dry

A hemiparasitic plant that will feed off of host plants, typically grasses. Plant near sedges or grasses.

Long Beaked Sedge

Carex sprengelii

2 - 3’

18”

N/A

Dry - moist, sand Non-rhizomatous, spreads by seed. Naturally occurring in woodlands, but also thrives in full sun. and loam

White Prairie Clover

Dalea candida

1 - 2’

1’

White, Jul - Aug

Dry - medium, sandy

Nitrogen fixing and attracts pollinators.

Pale Purple Coneflower

Ecinacea pallida

3 - 5’

1’

Pale pink, Jun- Jul

Dry - medium, loam, sand

Popular with pollinators, seed attracts goldfinches later in the season. Needs well draining soil, otherwise very adaptable and drought-tolerant.

Rough Blazing Star

Liatris aspera

2 - 3’

1’

Pink-purple, Aug - Sept

Dry - medium

Shorter than other blazing stars, with a zig zag flower stem. Grows well in rock gardens.

Purple Lovegrass

Eragrostis spectabilis a

1 - 2’

1’

N/A

Gravel, sand, dry

Low-growing grass prefers gravelly soils. Turns bright purple-pink at the end of the summer.

Ohio Spiderwort

Tradescantia ohiensis

2 - 4’

1’

Blue, Jun - Jul

Dry - medium, loam, sand

Early flowers with grass-like foliage. Flowers close up mid-day. Self-seeds readily and clumps can be divided every few years.

Wild Senna

Senna hebecarpa

3 - 6’

PALETTE II

24 - 30"

Yellow, July - Sept.

Medium

Bright yellow flowers are followed by seedpods that attract birds, especially wild turkeys. Can be formed into a hedge.

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

23/27

PLANT PALETTE III

SHADY, WETTER SOILS

These plants would serve well as ground covers and beneficial pollinator habitat on the north side of the house and barn.

Maidenhair Fern

Wild Garlic

Dogbane

Rue Anenome

Ostrich Fern

Wild Geranium

Cardinal Flower

Foam Flower

Fothergilla

Bishop's Cap

Wood Phlox

St. John's Wort`

Wild Bergamot

Blue Stem Goldenrod

Common Name

Botanical Name

Size

Blooms

Soil

Shade Amt.

Spacing

Notes

Wild Garlic

Allium canadense

18” H

Pink, May - July

Medium-wet to dry

Full Sun - shade

4-8”

Prefers sun, but tolerates shade. Could be planted around other vegetables to deter rabbits and voles. Plant in fall or winter. Spreads quickly via rhizomes . Attracts bees including masked bees, mason bees, and plasterer bees.

Dogbane

Apocynum cannabinum

4’ H

White, June - August

Medium-wet to medium-dry

Full sun - part shade

2-3’

Important pollinator, hosts caterpillars of the hummingbird clearwing moth.

Rue Anemone

Anemonella thalictroides

4” H x 6” W

Pink, April - June

Medium to medium-dry

Part shade shade

4-6”

Blooms early in spring. Seeds require stratification and may be slow to germinate. Dies back in summer.

Ostrich Fern

Matteuccia struthiopteris

48”

N/A

Wet to medium

Part shade shade

18-24”

Deer resistant, spreads slowly by rhizomes. Only harvest 1/3 of each plant for edibles in spring.

Wild Geranium

Geranium maculatum

12”

Light purple, April - July

Medium to medium-dry

Full sun - shade

10-12”

Naturally found in woodlands, but tolerates sun too. Interesting shaped leaves, but they can show summer stress, so good to plant with other later-blooming plants.

Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis

4' H

Red, Jul - Sept

Wet - medium-wet

Full sun - part shade

6-16"

Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and produces a compound that deters deer and other herbivores.

Foam Flower

Tiarella cordifolia

12” H x 12” W

June - July

Medium-wet

Part shade shade

12”

Beautiful wands of white to pinksh flowers, interesting foliage which turns bronze in fall.

Compact growing.

Fothergilla (Mountain Witch Alder)

Fothergilla major

10’ H x 9’ W

White, mid-late spring

Medium

Full sun - part shade

5'

Likes acidic soil, but with rich organic matter and well-draining. Beautiful white bottlebrush-like blooms in spring, and stunning foliage in fall. Several varieties of different heights are available.

Bishop’s Cap

Mitella diphylla

8-16” H x 4-8” W

White

Medium

Part shade shade

12"

Delicate white flowers on taller spires, will form a ground cover mass.

Wood Phlox

Phlox divaricata

10-14” H x 1216” W

Purple

Medium

Part shade shade

16”

Fragrant purple blooms in late spring, forms massing ground cover. Great for spring pollinators.

St. John's Wort

Hypericum pyramidatum

4 - 6' H

Yellow, Jul - Aug

Medium-wet

Full sun - part shade

3-4'

A favorite of bumblebees, it also attracts other pollinators.

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

4' H

Purple , Jul - Sept

Medium-wet - dry

Full sun - part shade

24"

Seeds do not need to be stratified, so seeds can be cast in spring on bare soil. Host to the raspberry pyrausta butterfly.

Blue Stem Goldenrod

Solidago caesia

2' H

Yellow, Aug - Oct

Medium - medium-dry

Part shade shade

12"

A low-growing, shade-tolerant goldenrod that blooms along the length of the arching stem, which has a slightly bluish color.

Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum pedatum

2’ H x 1’ W

PLANT PALETTE III

Medium-wet to medium-dry

Shade

10-12”

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

Plant in spring - susceptible to frost heave if planted in fall

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

24/27

PLANT PALETTE IV

Blue flag iris

Hollow stem Joe-Pye weed

POND EDGE PLANTS

Common name

Tussock sedge

Milkweed

Botanical name

Form

Steeplebush

Height

White Meadowsweet

Width

Light

Red Chokecherry

Moisture

The plants chosen for the pond are species that stabilize the bank, provide screening and mass for privacy, and offer four season interest both for beauty and wildlife habitat.

Using native species that host pollinators and provide abundant, multi-season nectary sources will encourage biodiversity and beauty.

Notes

Blue Flag Iris

Iris versicolor

aquatic plant

1-3'

1-3'

S,PS

W

Use to replace the yellow iris.

Calamus, Sweet Flag

Acorus americanus

aquatic plant

2-3'

1-2'

S, PS

W

Can spread

Cinnamon fern

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

fern

2-4'

2-3'

S, PS, Sh

W

HP, adaptable

Eastern hay-scented fern

Dennstaedtia punctilobula

fern

1-2'

2-4'

S, PS, Sh

D, A

DT, EC

Pennsylvania sedge

Carex pensylvanica

grass-like

6-16"

12-18"

S, PS, Sh

D, A

DT, PP

Fringed sedge

Carex crinita

grass-like

1-4'

2-4'

S, PS

W

PP, EC, evergreen

Tussock sedge

Carex stricta

grass-like

2-4'

1-2'

S, PS

W

EC

S= Sun, PS = Partial shade Sh = shade

Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum

herbaceous

4-6'

3-4'

S, PS

W

PP

Moisture

Black-eyed coneflower

Rudbeckia hirta

herbaceous

2-3'

1-2'

S

M

DT

Blazing star

Liatris spicata

herbaceous

2-4'

1-1.5'

S

A, W

DT, HP

Hollow stem Joe-Pye weed

Eutrochium fistulosum

herbaceous

4-7'

2-4'

S, PS

A, W

HP

Milkweed, common

Asclepias syriaca

herbaceous

2-3'

2-5'

S, PS

D, A

ST, HP

Sweet goldenrod

Solidago odora,

herbaceous

1-3'

1-2'

S, PS

D, A

ST, DT, PP

Black chokeberry

Aronia melanocarpa

shrub

3-10'

3-6'

S,PS

D, W, A

ST, DT, EC

American black elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

shrub

5-12'

5-12'

S, PS

A, W

ST, HP

Gray dogwood

Swida racemosa

shrub

3-8'

3-8'

S, PS

W, A

ST, DT, PP

Red chokeberry

Aronia arbutifolia

shrub

5-12'

4-8'

S,PS

D, W, A

ST, DT, EC, HP

Red-osier dogwood

Swida sericea

shrub

3-8'

4-7'

S,PS,FS

W, A

ST, EC

Steeplebush, pink meadowsweet

Spirea tomentosa

shrub

2-4'

3-5'

S

W, A

HP

White meadowsweet

Spirea alba var. latifolia

shrub

2-5'

2-4'

S, PS

W, A

DT, PP, EC

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata

shrub

4-10'

4-10'

S, PS

A, W

ST, fruits only on female plants

Black willow

Salix nigra

tree

10-60'

15-50'

S, PS

W, A

EC, DT, PP, HP

PLANT PALETTE IV

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

Notes

LEGEND

HP = Host pollinator Plant PP = Pollinator powerhouse plant

ST = Salt-Tolerant DT = Drought tolerant EC = erosion control BB = Bloody Brook

Light

W = wet, A = Average, D = Dry, M = Moist

Colorful wet meadow plants would thrive at the pond edge.

A natural swimming pond can support a range of water-loving plants.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

25/27

GRADING DETAILS

Regrading the old riding ring allows for improved drainage. A new swale directs water shed by hoophouses, and a line of rocks slows water to decrease sedimentation in the pond.

Grading for the patio, the swimming pond, and the series of berms and swales below the barn.

To accommodate a new driveway for the tractor to park below the barn, the hill is regraded to a 10% slope.

GRADING DETAILS

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

26/27

COST ESTIMATION This is a preliminary cost estimation in order to capture some of the expenses the clients’ can expect. Recent increases in the cost of labor and building materials make it difficult to predict construction costs for future projects.

Additionally, local services may be above or below the listed estimates.

COST ESTIMATION

MEETINGHOUSE FARM

81 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD, SCITUATE, RI 02857 Not for construction. Part of a student project and not based on a legal survey.

DESIGNED BY: KAREN TASSINARI + ELENA ZACHARY SPRING 2022

27/27