Meetinghouse Farm is defined by the kame and kettle topography and soil deposits indicative of a terminal glacial moraine. Ecosystems that characterize the property include - forest, woodland, open fields, meadows and wetland.

Formerly a nursery of long standing reputation, the property can be readily cultivated as a local arboretum and a community resource for sustainable horticulture practices and wildlife habitat management. The existing trails traverse 1he varied ecosystems and with the proper signage and maintenance can serve as both an educational resource and recreational retreat.

Goals for the first three years include:

  1. Completion of botanical signage on the existing trails for specimen trees, shrubs and the ecosystems to which they belong.
  2. Development of the proposed trail
  3. Layout and development of the Market Garden
  4. Layout and development of the Demonstration Gardens
  5. Layout and development of the Rock Garden

Conservation Trails and Signage

Existing trails and grasslands will be mowed in March or early April.

Before signage can be installed, significant landscape maintenance will be required. Trees and shrubs that are to be identified need to be cleaned up; dead branches pruned, underbrush and weeds cleared. Arborist services may be required to prune the largest trees. As our past efforts to solicit professional services have been successful, we expect to mitigate these costs as well through time and materials donations from licensed professionals. Stressed trees and shrubs will be fertilized with a slow release organic fertilizer to reestablish healthy growth and blooms.

The following tree and shrub species have been inventoried on site, many of which will be identified with botanical signage as specimens or as species indicative of the various ecosystems mentioned.

Acer japonicum - Japanese maple

Acer rubra - red maple

Albizia julibrissim - silk tree

Betula papifera - white birch

Betula populifolia - gray birch

Caragana species - peashrub

Chionanthus virginicus - white fringetree

Cladrastis kentukea - American yellowwood

Comus florida - American dogwood

Cryptomeriajaponica - Japanese cedar

Fagus Americana - American green beech

Fagus sylvatica "Cuprea" - copper beech

Fagus sylvatica 'Laciniata' or 'Asplenifolia' - European beech cultivar

Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula' - weeping beech

Fraxinus pennsylvannica - green ash

Gleditsia triacanthos - honey locust Ilex crenata - Japanese holly

Ilex comuta - Chinese holly

Ilex opaca - American holly

Liriodendron tulipfera - tulip tree

Magnolia x soulangiana - saucer magnolia

Magnolia stellata - star magnolia

Metasequoia gyptostroboides - dawn redwood

Nyssa sylvatica - tupelo

Oxydendron arboretum - sourwood

Prunus serotina - black cherry

Prunus species - flowering cherries

Quercus alba - white oak

Quercus palustris - pin oak

Quercus robur - English oak

Quercus rubra - red oak

Quercus velutina - black oak

Robinia pseudoacacia - black locust

Rhododendron species - some Dexter hybrids

Sciadopitys verticillata - Japanese umbrella pine

Stewartia pseudocarnilla - Stewartia

Tilia coradatalittleleaf linden

Pinus rigida - pitch pine

Pinus strobes - white pine

Picea - spruce species

Platanus occidentalis - sycamore

Populus alba - White poplar

Vaccinum corymbosum - highbush blueberry

Viburnum dentatum - arrow wood

Market Garden

The Market Garden will be located at the northeast comer of the property bordering Meetinghouse Way and the residence. Herbs, vegetables and flowers grown in this area will be donated to charitable organizations, sold to support education programs or to bring in operating capital for Meetinghouse Farm. Gardens in this area may be cultivated as part of a community garden effort by community groups. Although garden plots will not be distributed to individuals,