Landscape as Oasis
At The Garden Continuum, we believe your landscape can be an oasis that flourishes in harmony with nature without burdening you. Our philosophy centers on regenerative design inspired by our unique Life-Scape Method. This approach, detailed in Monique Allen’s book “STOP Landscaping, START Life-Scaping,” goes beyond aesthetics to create a sustainable ecosystem. To be clear, sustainability doesn’t invite neglect or mean no maintenance. It means working in a way that encourages balance and harmony with nature so you are not a slave to gardening chores.
Regenerative Life-Scape designs aren’t just about making pretty places; they’re about creating outdoor oases that thrive in alignment with nature. This approach offers a multitude of benefits. While wilder than the average suburban landscape, regenerative landscapes are still orderly. By incorporating native plant selections, companion planting, and avoiding synthetic chemical treatments, you create a haven for pollinators like butterflies and bees while providing safe play spaces for children and pets and peace of mind for adults, young and old. All of this is crucial for healthy communities. This approach can create health-filled ecosystems one backyard at a time.
Understanding Your Backyard
Site analysis – Site analysis is the cornerstone of any successful, sustainable landscape design. Just like building a house requires a solid foundation, understanding your yard’s unique characteristics is essential for creating a thriving outdoor space. By employing systems thinking, you can plan like a pro! Here’s what a thorough site analysis entails:
- Map your backyard. Measure its size and shape, sketching a basic layout to identify existing features like trees, structures, and utilities.
- Track sun exposure throughout the day, noting areas that receive full sun, partial sun/shade, or full shade. This means considering the structures on the site (which throw dense shade) and the trees, which throw varying degrees of shade. This will dictate plant selection later.
- Observe drainage patterns – note the areas prone to water pooling, runoff, or dryness – to ensure proper grading and plant placement.
- Soil quality is also crucial. Be sure to take stock of tree root systems and possible ledge outcroppings that occupy large expanses of the soil horizon.
- Consider soil testing as part of your site analysis toolkit.
- Finally, consider wind patterns, noting the prevailing direction, its impact on plant selection, and your comfort when enjoying the space.
Consider your needs and dreams – Equally important is developing a vision that captures your needs and dreams for your future Life-Scape. Do you crave a tranquil retreat for relaxation? A space for entertaining friends and family? Perhaps weaving a vegetable garden into the mix will make you happy? Considering both the realities revealed by the site analysis and your aspirations, you can identify challenges and opportunities to transform your backyard into a personal haven.
Think about your time horizon and resources. How long will you be living in this home? How long will it take to develop this dream landscape? Can you build it in stages? What budget level will you need to build and care for it? Answering questions like these before you put a shovel to the ground will help you plan so you can gather the necessary resources to ensure a stellar outcome.
Designing for a Regenerative Backyard
Transforming your vision into reality – Now that you’ve analyzed your site and envisioned your dream backyard, it’s time to translate that vision into a reality. The essential question at this stage is how will you make this real. Will you sort out the design details or hire a designer? Will you build your Life-Scape or partner with a landscape company to do all or part of the project? While these questions seem simple when reading, it’s a common beginner mistake to dive in without thinking about the items outlined in this blog in advance.
Developing a regenerative landscape that is truly sustainable, eco-friendly, and satisfying takes time. We call it the long game of dreaming, designing, planning, and building. Rushing is a surefire way to miss essential process elements and stymie your success. Investing time and money into land development without consideration for how you will care for the system when you’re done can be a devastating blow financially and emotionally.
So What’s Next?
Take your time to allow yourself to dream and to map out a plan. These two steps, while not transformational on their own, are fundamental to success. Next is to reach out for guidance. Our blog is chock-full of ideas and tips to help you be thoughtful about your Life-Scape goals and project planning. Use these resources to guide your conversations with landscape professionals in your area.
If you live in our Massachusetts service area, feel free to reach out to get on the waitlist for our complimentary Landscape Discovery Session. On this call, we can uncover project direction and scope, answer project timing questions, and provide insightful design tips. If you like what you learn, you can book your personalized On-Site Landscape Assessment, where a team of our seasoned pros come out to your home to share ideas on how to turn your landscape into a Life-Scape.
If you live outside our work area, please consider signing up for and sharing this blog and ordering your copy of STOP Landscaping, START Life-Scaping, which outlines this process from start to finish. It’s an excellent gift for the landscape enthusiast in your family or your trusted landscape professional!
Learn more about Fine Gardening by downloading the eBook titled “The Fine Gardeners Guide to a Beautiful and Luxurious Landscape” today.
