Abundant Landscapes

A rain garden is a shallow depression in the ground designed to temporarily catch water from an impermeable surface such as a roof, driveway, or parking lot. It collects water moving down a natural slope, and allows water to percolate into the ground rather than run off. The basin is then planted and seeded with deep-rooted plants that drink up the excess water. Rain gardens mimic the earth’s natural hydrological processes by using soil and plants to filter and store water to soften the flood/drought oscillation.

Terraces provide a multi-functional approach to landscape productivity and regeneration. They improve accessibility, reduce water runoff, help build soil, and increase arability of landscapes. They follow the curves of nature and are aesthetically appealing when carefully built.

Starting plants from seeds is the best way to create climate-adapted and climate-resilient plants that will be able to thrive in their locations for generations to come. We sow mostly native, climate-adapted, and cultivated edible seeds, often locally-adapted wildflowers, and allow natural precipitation to start their germination. In cases where we are unaligned with seasonal precipitation, we may jumpstart the germination with sprinkler irrigation.

Forest gardens model patterns of mature and resilient forests, and since they are in our home landscapes, they can be stewarded to create even more abundance and biodiversity. Transitioning from a lawn to a forest can be as simple as planting the right trees, shrubs, vines, ground cover, and herbs, all supporting each other through their above and below-ground parts. With dense planting, as the young plants grow, they create shade for each other and their roots intertwine, sheltering them from heat and drought while sharing nutrients along their interconnected roots.

Sometimes landscapes need a head start, and that’s where drip irrigation can be very useful. Drip emitters apply water directly to the root zone, and by watering infrequently but for longer durations, we encourage plant roots to dig deeper, which makes them quicker to naturalize without needing ongoing irrigation.

We always mulch landscapes, as it’s the protective coat over the land, holding in moisture, slowly decomposing to feed the soil, and keeping the soil cool during the hot growing months. Mulched plants grow significantly better, faster, and with less water than a plant without mulch. We commonly use woodchips and straw when mulching, depending on the vegetation, application goal, and aesthetic.

Instead of chipping or burning woody mass, we bury it in the soil and grow plants in it. As the wood decomposes, it becomes a sponge for water while also slowly fertilizing the soil and providing food for microorganisms, which in turn feed the soil even more. We are mimicking the natural processes of a forest, where a tree falls, leaves fall on top of it, soil is built on top of the decaying wood, and then plants begin to grow out of the “nurse log”. We can supercharge these hugelkultur mounds by building them slightly below grade, allowing more water infiltration and storage, while also taking advantage of how they shield downwind plants from drying winds. Hugelkulturs can be built with a variety of wood species and sizes, and they can be built above ground, below ground, or in constructed raised beds.

If you’re looking for personalized stewardship assistance, we offer on-site and remote consulting to help with observing, analyzing, and caring for your landscape. Our goal is to help you work with the natural elements in your site to have the greatest impact with the least amount of inputs. We can work with you to understand the ecology of your site and formulate approachable plans for actualizing your landscape vision.