Kitsap Tree Farm, If You Can't Beat the Forest, Join ItLandscape Architect: Supernature Kitsap Tree Farm is equal parts residential garden and restoration ecology project. The landscape was designed as a process of rehabilitation and reconciliation with the land after a clearcut 20–30 years ago and a new clearing for the clients’ home. The project is rooted in the idea of succession. We expect restoration projects to change over time, while we often expect gardens to grow to a certain point and then become static. Kitsap Tree Farm learns from both approaches, kickstarting a process that will foster ecological diversity and richness. Rather than planting the final forest all at once, we planted what could thrive in the site’s raw, exposed conditions now: a low-input landscape of native species, seed, and bareroot plants. As the planting grows, it will change the conditions of the site and create opportunities for what comes next. Over time, the garden will become increasingly integrated into the larger environment as the forest knits itself back together. |