You begin to get a sense of what a nice cozy and multi-sensory place this will be for children once the clean soil for digging is in place - they will be playing under the shade of the arbor, next to the ferns and the lovely lichen-covered log....

Using long lines on the diagonal makes the site feel bigger than it is. This swale is edged with logs and will hold red maples. striped maples, shadbush, and low-bush blueberry, all of which will enjoy the full sun and moisture running off the stream bed when there is water play.

If you look to the other side of the path along the swale, you will see a rain garden.  Junior tamps and levels a cedar post retaining wall, where soon there will be royal fern and blue flag iris brushing legs that pass by.

And in a few weeks this graceful path in the Toddler Yard will be smooth poured-in-place surfacing, edged with plants native to the eastern shore of MA, eye level with the little ones just learning to walk.