Historic Gardens

There are many different ways that history can lend identity to a site, and towards none of which should a designer turn a blind eye. The past has the power to inform the present and shape the future, and great cultural heritage can be passed down through landscape design.

The U.S. National Park Service has identified several different treatments of historic landscapes, each with its own importance. Preservation attempts to identify and protect existing historic features of a property. Restoration seeks to accurately depict the landscape during a historically noteworthy era or period, often eliminating elements not of that time. Reconstruction refers to the attempt to re-create the features of a site mostly lost to time and typically requires extensive archaeological work. Finally, historic rehabilitation seeks to preserve the historic character of the site, often while augmenting the site with new functional elements. It is this approach that is most useful for private residences.

Whether the client is looking for extensive research to back up the restoration of a property, would like to create period gardens, or even just commemorate an event or person; Four Winds can help to give life and form to the history of a place.