Analysis

Every garden we work in speaks to us. The buildings and plants around the garden, the plants we find in the garden, the walls, pathways,soils, fences and elements that shape the garden, even the left behind furniture tell their stories. Overhead the path of the sun is mapped as we note the shadows moving across the garden and the availability of light. We look at the slope of the ground and quality of the soil to understand how water will flow, where it comes from and where it will go. We love most of all your garden stories and the stories of your neighbors. These are all resources that help us understand how to make your garden.

Sometimes our clients ask us to explore particular aspects of the site in more depth. This may be a plant inventory, mapping existing plants or a natural history in photographs and drawings that may tell a historical or seasonal story. We offer a simple hydrological analysis that explores the possibility of a rainwater irrigation system or evaluates the possibility of using your garden to absorb rainwater that may be directed to it from a roof. We offer carbon sequestration analysis where we calculate the potential of your garden soil to absorb and retain atmospheric carbon in the form of soil organic matter. It has been estimated that improving the health of soils worldwide would significantly reduce the buildup of CO2 by offsetting more than 1/3 of annual global emissions.