About

---

EARTHeim’s Philosophy

What is an ecological garden or a ‘Living Landscape’?

A living landscape is a garden that entices human involvement with the natural world- whether this is through admiring its beauty, creating homesteading gardens cutting flowers for an arrangement, or watching wildlife.

A living landscape is also an ecological garden. It supports wildlife in a variety of ways like providing food and habitat for wildlife. It takes into consideration a much bigger picture and a larger understanding of our environment and how our gardens ties into this. An ecological garden is sustainable and focuses on reducing maintenance and water usage by choosing hardy native plants.

It is also conscientious for what the client wants and what will work with the landscape at hand. I treat everyone’s garden like it’s my own with attention to detail and practicing proper garden techniques.

I endorse organic and low-impact gardening including no or minimal pesticide use, such as avoiding lawn and mosquito spraying, which is detrimental to our pollinators and toxic to our own health as well.

Creating Living Landscapes For All

When I begin working with a client, I listen to their wants and needs and put this together with the needs of the landscape to create a design that is functional and beautiful. Wether you want a modern or formal garden, a themed garden, or a wildflower cottage garden, each design is tailored to your likes in style, color, and functional needs.

My work is thoughtful, I put in the work to chose plants that will work within the landscape over time and for that specific space. This means I choose appropriate plants for the given space. No plants are ever used that are considered invasive. I take into consideration your lifestyle wether you’re single, have children or pets, travel a lot, or love to garden.

Sustainable Gardens Support Pollinators & Wildlife

I believe creating aesthetically pleasing landscapes with native plants is completely attainable and will show we no longer should plant our landscapes with an abundance of exotic species, which attract little or no wildlife to them. These landscapes are sterile and shows that plants are often thought of as sculptures that provide little other benefits.

The United States has lost 50% of its bird species since the 1960s. This means on average, we are loosing 1% of our bird species per year. This is an incredible rate, and the decline is noticeable in our neighborhoods and naturalized areas. The populations of pollinators and birds is a direct indicator of how healthy our environment is.

In the past few years I have planted many native plants in the landscape around my home. Even though I live in a typical neighborhood I have seen a noticeable change in the amount and diversity of insects and birds in my garden. The living landscape I have created is now a much more interesting place during all seasons. I believe by simply planting a garden with native plants, no matter how small or large, is one of the biggest ways we can impact the health of our environment, wildlife, and even our own.

My garden has become a place that the kid’s in the neighborhood know as ‘the butterfly garden’. I believe educating people about native plants and their importance in our landscapes is important so people realize the actions we need to take in our own landscapes. With the right plants and design, your own yard can become a certified Monarch Waystation or Backyard Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation.

Sustainability in Your Garden

EARTHeim is a sustainability focused design business; other aspects of sustainability we can help you with is the creation of rain gardens, using rain chains and rain barrels in the landscape, vegetable and herb gardening, composting, and even backyard chickens.

Homesteading no matter on what scale is another large way we can be good stewards. We would love to help you get started with your own backyard homestead or even learning how to grow a container of tomatoes or herbs on your patio.

Growing your own food not only means you know what is on it, but it’s really convenient to pick food in your own yard for dinner, lowers your carbon footprint, and means there is less chance you will purchase food that is contaminated in the grocery store. There is a rise of cases in the United States of our food contaminated with pathogens and disease. Homegrown food also tastes delicious! It’s a great way to get kids involved in something that will keep them learning and interested in our earth.