The first plan features an oval boxwood parterre around the chapel with space for 72 folding chairs for weddings and services. A parking and driveway plan is suggested with 28 spaces. A large wildflower meadow is suggested that encompasses the orchard. The orchard also includes an oval woodchip walkway pattern or it can be mown lawn. A large swath of mown lawn should show a nice contrast to the wildflowers. There is a video at the end that shows something like what a wildflower meadow can look like at its best.
Plan01A features
An oval boxwood parterre around the chapel and seating area
Seating for 72 inside the parterre
Overflow seating area outside the parterre
Wildflower meadow encompasses the orchard
The orchard contains an oval pathways pattern
Woodchip pathways
Woodchips float, they can wash away in a storm. Add gravel to areas where washing is evident.
Large mown lawn areas provide a contrast to the "wild meadow"
The mown areas have smooth curving edges for easy mowing
Parking for 28
The mown grass meadow can accept overflow parking
The parking area is mown lawn and can be marked or left free
delineate parking spaces with temporary markings like paint or tape
roadways and parking can alternately be marked with wood chips.
Plan 01A
Detail of boxwood parterre, seating, and pathways around the Chapel. Perrenials fill the beds. They should be short enough that they don't quite peek over the tops of the boxes. This keeps the definition of the pattern. Single taller specimens may occupy the center of the beds like an evergreen cone-shaped shrub. (arborvitae, bay, etc.)
Close up of parking lot. With 28 spaces, 4 persons per car would provide for 112 people. Temporary overflow parking can use the lawn on the right.
Close up of the orchard. The orchard is a big space and should have paths no more than 30 feet apart to admire the plants from a good viewing distance. I'm suggesting woodchip or mown paths surrounded by wildflowers. Some trees will fall within the paths. The paths are 8' to 10' wide so there is room to walk around them.
This profile shows relative height and distances between humans and plants. The space between the tops of the wildflowers and the bottoms of the fruit trees is a free and unobstructed view.
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Boxwood knot with seating area in front of the chapel. Grass lawn behind the chapel with wildflowers beyond that and in the orchard.
This photo shows a wildflower meadow along the lines of what I'm proposing. It's far too floriferous to actually be wild. It's a manmade concentration of wildness, in a controlled fashion that is meant to look somewhat uncontrolled and natural. Also, I propose that the distinct beds of single plants be larger than shown here for better definition. (less wild)
This reference photo shows cleanly cut paths with what looks like wood edging. The contrast of lawn and flowers compliments both.
A couple of examples of orchards combined with flower plantings follow.
Probably lavender?
I'm sure this is liriope. Something native would be more compatible with our woodland setting.
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This video is a very nice introduction to a tame and designed, "more than wild" flower meadow. You'll recognize a lot of these plants as "not wild". (monarda, yarrow, cone flower, salvia, daisy...)
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