Grassroots Landscape Design Grassroots Landscape Design of Telluride
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The art and science of a beautiful garden
landscape, entropy, natural

Landscape.  Untouched by human influence, a landscape is in constant flux - a never-ending dance of energy between forms and elements.  The quality of these elements may change and they often do.  In nature, energy is created and energy is lost resulting in a more chaotic state.  This process is natural.  Entropy.  Usable energy becomes unusable and chaos ensues.  Though perhaps from an extreme perspective, we see this in nature all the time - the tangles of dogwoods and willows in the creek bed, the messy wisps of young aspen roots burrowing through the dirt and curving upwards in search of light, and grass roots, uncountable grass roots, revealing a mere percentage of the total biomass visible above the ground.  If this is to be tamed, if humans were intended to harness and direct this energy and make use of it, then to what extent?  The challenge is to identify the appropriate level of human influence versus human control.  When designing a landscape, I am careful to draw bold strokes thoughtfully while allowing what is naturally present to remain.  We are stewards of this land, of this landscape, of 'our global garden.'

My approach to landscape is to allow the natural surroundings and contours of the site to guide the design, allowing space for the design to reveal itself.  I begin by conducting an investigation of the site, collecting information and drawing connections between house and garden.  While considering the natural elements of the site along with the wishes of the client, I design a landscape that balances preservation and sustainability with function and beauty; an appropriate level of human touch on what is hopefully, natural.

flowers and stone
 
Copyright Grassroots Landscape Design 2014 | site by dayzign graphics | Quotes by Rick Darke, Horticulturist