We are artists, not architects or engineers, and our process is therefore very different. We do not fully “design” the project in advance and we build our own work. We come to a personal understanding of the job with the client, create artistic work products that convey project intent, and update the vision as we interact with the land during the construction process. The materials we use are bioregional, especially our plants which are often sourced from seed within 100 miles of project sites. Where necessary, we collaborate with civil engineers and architects to meet local building requirements.

In today’s modern world, people have come to expect instantaneous results. The landscape construction industry has struggled to meet this expectation, and as a result the LIVING parts of most modern landscapes fall apart within a decade after construction. Our work is different;we transform the basic ecological trajectory of landscapes to allow them to form new identities, often beyond our control, in the years to come. This means we focus on things like soil improvements, material lifespans, and processes associated with ecological succession. Of course we cater to immediate client needs, and encourage formative gardening along the way to accelerate the vision, but our landscapes tend to begin to reach their potential after about 5-10 years.

Because we measure the success of our work in decades, not years, the post-construction stewardship is extremely important. In some cases, such as many of our lawn-to-meadow projects, it can be as simple as allowing things to rewild as they see fit after an initial construction intervention. Other projects, such as our parks and public gardens, require a full-time gardener. We do provide stewardship services upon request. We use the term stewardship (as opposed to maintenance) to differentiate ourselves from the “mow, blow, and go” approach.