Washington Park Vegetation Renewal & Management Report

Only seven of the historic trees (of the 64 designated) can be traced directly to individual trees on the Egerton plan. All seven are in the Croquet Lawn area. These historic specimen trees are listed clockwise from north as: 1. White Ash or similar, 2. Black Walnut, 3. Weeping Beech, 4. Copper Beech, 5. Norway Maple, 6. Tree of Heaven and 7. Tree of heaven. There were only six informal trees proposed in the Egerton plan for the Kings fountain area, none of which survive today in the same locations. In the King Fountain area nine historic Austrian Pine trees add character to the area. These trees are generally informally paired. Additional historic trees are of several genus including larch, beech, linden, gingko and maple.

Egerton Mass Plantings are shown throughout as areas of varying size. These masses are generally around the edges of both areas, rather than in the interior. A large percentage of the designated historic trees originate from areas illustrated as mass planting in the Egerton plan, although some historic trees do not coincide with Egerton tree or mass planting locations. This suggests that the areas shown as mass planting on the Egerton plan were not solely shrubs beds but composed of trees and shrubs or just trees. It is not possible to determine which beds on the Egerton plan were designated solely as shrub plantings. The published, colored version of the Egerton plan shows a pedestrian path along the northern perimeter of the King Fountain area adjacent to the road. The path appears to stop as it abuts the mass planting shown at the intersections with the traversing paths. Such a design concept is unlikely, it is more feasible that the footpath continues under the planting to meet the other paths. This theory supports the notion that the mass planting illustrated on the Egerton plan are tree groups, at least in some locations, rather than shrub masses.

There are, however, a large number of shrubs remaining in the King Fountain and Croquet Lawn areas. Individual shrubs and shrub groupings area located predominantly on the western edges of both areas with some additional ones in selected locations. This remaining plant material, of types listed on the 1906 plant list, appears to indicate that selected Egerton vegetation masses were planted to shrubs. Some areas of Egerton mass planting have no overlay and appear today as unpianted areas. This would indicate a loss of trees or shrubs over time. This concept is supported by the historic views of the King Fountain area that show a frame of vegetation around the central space, which is not longer complete today, especially at the southern edge.

The spatial relationships of these areas of the park are defined, in part, by vegetation, while topography and circulation also contribute. In comparing the two plans; Egertons 1891 design with the existing vegetation, it is obvious that the landscape character of each area has changed.

The Croquet Lawn was a central rectangle, framed at the edge with large trees, a tree in lawn composition with a formal quality. The spaces flanking the Croquet Lawn on both sides were relatively open, with a few trees and a single large shrub mass shown on the Egerton plan. In the area west of the central rectangle a large planting of spruce, hemlock, magnolia and dogwood was planted in the early 1970s. This planting in located in the formerly open area. Areas of the Croquet Lawn perimeter indicate historic dense plantings of trees and/or shrubs surround much of the Croquet Lawn. These plantings served to buffer and segregate from the adjacent areas, and perhaps also to display flowering shrubs or specimen trees. Remnant historic trees and shrubs remain. For example, along the western edge there are eight, older tree lilacs. These are relatively rare flowering trees that would have been planted as specimens for display. Along this edge there are also large clusters of lilac shrubs, possibly with varied color blooms. this pairing of tree lilac and shrub lilac suggests a theme planting for seasonal interest.