October 3, 2022

Caring for the Carriage Roads at Skylands

Autumn in Maine signals several important maintenance chores at my home, Skylands.

Because winters can be rather harsh in the Northeast, I pay very close attention to the preparations made before the season’s arrival. This includes the meticulous care of the landscape, and the carriage roads that meander through the woods. Danish landscape architect, Jens Jensen, designed the grounds at Skylands for the home’s original owner, Edsel Ford, in 1925. Not only was the main house constructed out of pink granite, but the driveways and all the carriage roads were laid with the same finely crushed stone. To preserve the pink granite gravel, which is very common on Mount Desert Island, I make sure it is removed and stored before winter every year, and then sifted and cleaned in spring before it is laid on the roads for the summer season. Last week, my outdoor grounds crew at Skylands took on the task of removing and storing the stone with the help of our new Kubota M4-071 and its durable front loader and bucket attachment.

Here are some photos, enjoy.