Heather, over at Restoring the Landscape is not one of those all talk, no action people.  Her website covers a wide range of topics around restoring landscapes with native plants and creating wildlife habitats, birds, insects, biodiversity, and invasive species.

Heather herself recently restored the landscape around her own home in Minnesota. And when I say restored, I am not talking about fixing up the garden, I’m talking about taking the garden right back to nature. But a heightened version of cultivated nature that is fitting for her wooded lot.

What was a rather boring and even a little bleak (if you ask me) suburban home was transformed into a native wildlife and plant haven with the beauty of untouched natural woods. It is the type of garden that makes sense for this wooded area and for a home that is right up against the natural landscape.

Is it a garden? 

Sure, I think so, absolutely. 

It is certainly an interesting twist on garden development. It takes the idea of garden making to an extreme of nature re-creation.  But it does have structure and a sense of cultivation and I think it is beautiful. A heightened sense of what could have been native. I’m curious what you think though. Would you restore the landscape around your home back to what it was before the home was built?

A visit to Restoring the Landscape has lots of additional pictures of this project.

Thanks Louise for sending this!

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