Planting with Purpose and Passion

Central Park is an 843-acre park in the center of New York City featuring eight lakes and ponds, lawns, meadows, 21 playgrounds and more than 20,000 trees. The park didn’t happen overnight. It took more than 18 years to complete and was meticulously designed by two landscape architects.

Masonic Village at Elizabethtown sits upon more than 1,400 acres of Lancaster County farmland, and responsible for its Formal Gardens, ponds, expansive lawns, and thousands of trees and flora is Kris Tebay, director of landscape and land management. A landscape architect, she understands the continuous process of design with consideration for the environment.

Central Park was among her inspirations for pursuing this field, as well as her parents, who knew a program that included maps, drawing, natural materials, spatial design and the outdoors would be a good fit for their daughter.

“The idea of understanding how great outdoor places came together, and how to make outdoor spaces for people was really intriguing,” Kris said. “I learned to love planting design through project experience.”

She attended Rutgers University, which placed the program in its school of agriculture and biological science, whereas other schools tied it into their architecture and engineering programs.

“Landscape architecture as a career can take many forms, like a lot of professions,” she said. “Our work is often the yin to the yang in relation to architecture. I think the Flight 93 Memorial, in Shanksville, is an incredibly well done large-scale work. Landform, vegetation and wellplaced handmade elements pay great tribute to the people we lost and tell the story of that tragic day. At a much smaller scale, but with similar artistry, our Masonic Village interiorscape and greenhouse team is right up there, knowing how to draw your eye right where they want it.”

Landscape architecture is about more than how a design looks, but how the natural elements within it function together in a sustainable way. The importance of using native species is also becoming more evident.

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“We are being challenged to think beyond the visual aesthetic. We are all learning more about species' interconnectedness and why natives matter,” Kris said. “Now we know that plants developed closely with other organisms over time, and we can try to support these relationships with our planting decisions. This is done all the time in wetland restoration and reforestation work, but it can be incorporated into any landscape to some degree.”

An example of using native plants for ornamental landscape is the American violet. Frequently considered a weed, it is the primary source of food for the Great Fritillary butterfly. When planted in groupings, it looks as nice as other ornamental flowers and is less “needy” than most, according to Kris.

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KRIS’S Favorite

SPOTS ON CAMPUS

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SCENIC:

Eden View Drive’s ridgeline

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ROMANTIC:

Naturalistic ponds along Serpentine Road

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RURAL:

The reclining calves half hidden in the pasture grass

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MOST LIKELY TO DRAW OR PAINT:

Orchard allées (evenly spaced rows)

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SIGNIFICANT AND SACRED:

Both the cemetery and Veterans Grove

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ARCHITECTURAL:

The character of the Village Green, as defined by the gorgeous buildings and mature trees She is among good company at Masonic Village. The Land Management staff has a wealth of knowledge to draw from, and each member contributes from their own area of expertise. This includes specialists in plant health care, tree work, equipment and operations, and generalists who know a certain category of plant material really well.

There are also many residents with interest and backgrounds in farming, gardening and landscape.

“Masonic Village’s community is well informed on these topics,” Kris said. “I like the idea of learning all together.”

A Landscape Architect’s Dream

In need of an ice cream cone, Kris first paid a visit to the Masonic Village Farm Market’s Orchard View Café several years ago.

“By the time my mom and I wound our way to the top of the campus, Masonic Village had my full attention,” she recalls. “I recognized what I was seeing, after being involved in various forms of campus planning, but never so well done. A few years later, my in-laws [Jean and James Tebay] moved into the James Buchanan apartments, and that brought Masonic Village back into my focus.”

Kris took the job as director in 2020. The “careful planning, scale and history of the property, the extensive number of plant species, the statement of the original architecture and the variety of land uses within this one community is unique, and I am very honored to be serving as one of its stewards,” she said.

The Land Management team is comprised of two teams of landscape gardeners: one for retirement living residences and one which covers public

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spaces. It also includes interiorscape/event stylists (greenhouse team) and orchard and farm staff.

“There were already great people running each of these areas when I got here,” Kris said. “My goal has been to listen a lot, and move towards improving operations a little bit at a time. We already do many things very well.”

Their responsibilities cover a wide range of focuses. In October, they wrapped up mowing, planting requests and lawn repairs before switching to fall tree plantings, installing thousands of bulbs, leaf collection, changing out equipment and installing holiday greens and lighting, all through November. They also plan for snow operations.

“Little changes may include how we make our landscape plant material choices. There may be areas where we can make selections to simplify operations, support biodiversity or meet both,” Kris said. “It’s been amazing to see what some of our annual plantings do to support pollinators.” Her daily work includes responding to special project requests, wildlife and pest management (such as the invasive spotted lantern fly), facilitating the archery program and working with neighboring communities that share a boundary with Masonic Village's property, as well as administrative and staff management.

“Every day, I’m listening and learning how and why things are the way they are,” she said. “We have a deep well of knowledge within our team leadership, and they are constantly filling me in.”

Eco-friendly operations and initiatives at Masonic Village are an important investment in the environment's resiliency, whether it’s restoring a portion of the Conoy Creek on property, protecting soil and water resources while operating a beef cattle and farm enterprise or reintroducing native plant species.

Masonic Village offers Kris opportunities to use her knowledge of art, architecture, biology and agriculture, combined with human interaction and problem solving, to make short and long-term impacts.

“I appreciate collaborating with the staff and residents, hammering out programs or plans with our team, the complexity of this place, our supportive community, having the resources provided to do our work and the clarity of our mission,” Kris said.

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