The owners desired to create a grove of trees to flank the entrance to the driveway and Carpinus caroliniana was selected. The planting, adjacent to a managed meadow is only mowed twice a year and so the plantings that connected the Carpinus would need to feel like part of the managed meadow but clearly a designed version of it. The cool season perennial grass, Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ was used to create a backdrop to the garden planting. Vigorous Symphyotrichum 'October Skies' (Aster) covered much of the center of the planting and blocks of Amsonia hubrichtii make up most of the difference along with some Sesleria autumnalis. These perennials not only make up a very stylized model of the landscape beyond but also are workhorse plants that have managed to hold the ground plane steady in spite of all the seed that blow into it.