2021 Merit Award for Design Alabama Chapter of ASLA
Tucked beneath the dense canopy of a late-successional Oak-Hickory forest, a residence is nestled within the rich strata of trees, shrubs, and groundplane plants. Engaging the phenological shifts of the region, the site design weaves bold, ephemeral lines through the forest. Each planted line serves as a figure that emerges and disappears through the seasons. A long line of Redbud Trees [Cercis canadensis] which are typically hidden within the forest strata, become blatantly legible once the bright fuchsia blooms appear along their branches in early spring. This line extends the perceived depth of the garden further south, establishing a new threshold for the space. Later in the year, a swath of Daffodil [Narcissus ‘King Alfred’] emerges from the camouflage of the forest floor to extend the presence of the garden uphill to the east. Additional seasonal lines emerge in and out of focus, altering the depth and perception of the garden within the ever-changing woodland.
