Hawthorn Allée

A quarter-century with this Hawthorn Allée

In 2011 BMA was invited by renowned landscape designer Edwina vonGal to prepare a Comprehensive Maintenance Plan for the woody plants in the East Hampton garden she was in the process of reinventing. An allée of 24 Winter King Hawthorn trees are featured in the perennial garden. Poorly maintained, their canopies had stubby appearances and their forms had become leggy. Our mission was to restore natural textures and preserve the bucolic essence of the allée.

A fairytale sense of enclosure for visitors walking the path between the rows of trees is an important design element of the allée. We help to create this feeling by pruning low branches so summer foliage hovers gracefully, just above the adjacent perennial flowers.

The area provides year-round beauty; striking in the winter, lush in the summer. During the dormant season, the trees’ structural network of branches creates wondrous shadow play, especially when there is snow cover. As the cultivar’s name suggests, this hybridized Hawthorn generates red berries that can persist deep into the winter months. As the growing season gets underway in the spring, flower buds open and the fleeting spectacle of white blossoms catches the eye of humans and pollinators alike. The flowers magically transform into fruit over the course of the summer months. 

As the growing season comes to a close, foliage that has done its photosynthesizing job for the year is gradually shed back to the ground where it helps condition the soil. Early autumn is a pleasant time for a stroll through the allée. Warm breezes cause the ornamental grasses to gently sway amongst the textured bark of the Hawthorn stems. For both the humans and the wildlife that enjoy this space, there is something new and alluring to appreciate in every season.