RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN + BUILD
The Living Laboratory
Completed
Ongoing
Scope
Landscape design and build
"Every garden teaches us something. The challenge is learning how to listen."
— Carl Feddema
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Some landscapes are designed for clients. Others become a place of exploration.
As the home of Unitas Project, this property serves as an ongoing study in design, planting, stewardship, and the evolving relationship between people and the land. It is a place where ideas are tested, observations are made, and lessons are learned through direct experience.
Rather than a finished project, this landscape continues to evolve season after season.
What We Did
Over time, the property has become a living canvas for experimenting with planting combinations, ecological strategies, garden composition, and outdoor living experiences.
Design decisions are continually informed by observation: how plants perform, how spaces are used, how light moves across the property, and how the landscape changes throughout the seasons.
Design Features
Ongoing landscape and garden experimentation
Ecologically informed planting design
Seasonal garden development
Outdoor living and gathering spaces
Long-term stewardship approach to landscape management
The Result
The Living Laboratory serves as both home and inspiration. It provides a place to test ideas, deepen understanding, and continually refine the principles that guide every Unitas Project design.
Gardens evolve.
Unlike interior design where the finished outcome can remain the same for years if left untouched, gardens need our regular attention because they evolve and are impacted by their environment.
In 2000, we bought this one-acre wooded property and over time, the land and gardens here have evolved.
For example shade gardens have now changed into full sun gardens due to the Emerald Ash Borer killing our mature Ash trees. This means replanting as shade loving plants do not thrive in full sun.
We have also increased the size of our vegetable garden over the years of living on this land and we are now growing fresh cut flowers for floral arrangements.
This land we call home is our living laboratory as we learn and discover what works and what does not.
In truth, much of garden design and management is trial and error. Over time, as you listen and observe, you discover what plants may work well together. Plus garden design takes place within the natural world.
As a result weather, climate change, insects, wildlife, soil conditions all play a part in how gardens, and the various plants that make up our gardens, evolve and thrive.
Spending time living life in your gardens shapes who you are as a person.
It reminds you of your connection to the natural world. It causes you to slow down and listen to songbirds sing and bees hum from one flower to the next. Over the years our living laboratory has created a space where we have cooked, played, read books, worked and connected with family and friends.