Forested Edge in St. Louis Park
This garden focuses on the edges of the space, moving from enclosing the backyard to creating an extended entrance to the house. Taking cues from the natural layers of the forest, this garden benefited from a two-part installation, where the garden structure and hardscape were created in the fall, and the planting happened in the spring.
After covering the future garden areas with cardboard to kill grass and ‘weeds’; soil, compost, and mulch were added on top, in that order. This lasagna layering helped turn the organic material of the grass and ‘weeds’ into food for the soil as the carboard decayed over a long winter and muddy spring. This imitates the function of the forest floor and the duff layer- the combination of leaves, decaying material, and microbes – that allow a forest to thrive. In the spring we planted into this mixture, taking care to imitate the natural ecologies we were borrowing from. Native plantings formed the base of our groundcovers, forbs, trees, and shrubs, while we rounded out the garden with inherited plants from the last owner.
Client:
St. Louis Park Residential
Project Duration:
Six Months – Two Parts
Project Finish:
May 2023