Gardening the Forest

Many Mount Desert Island properties sit within, or alongside, forested land. Gardening the forest is a deliberate, restrained approach to managing these transitional spaces—where cultivated gardens give way to woodland—so they remain healthy and navigable.

Rather than treating the forest as something separate or unmanaged, our work recognizes it as an integral part of the property. The goal is continuity: ensuring that home, garden, and woodland feel connected and intentional, while preserving the character and ecology of the land with careful attention to slope, drainage, light conditions, and existing tree canopy.

More Ideas for Property Upkeep

Native & Naturalistic Gardening

Native and naturalistic gardening focuses on landscapes that work in harmony with local conditions rather than against them. It emphasizes site-appropriate plantings, ecological balance, and long-term resilience, resulting in landscapes that feel grounded, cohesiv…

Garden Restoration & Revitalization

Garden restoration brings new life to landscapes that have become overgrown, tired, or disconnected, restoring structure, health, and beauty while maintaining the unique character of each property. Guided by a personalized design approach, restoration work respond…

Garden Care & Maintenance

Our Garden Care & Maintenance services provide ongoing attention to planted landscapes with an emphasis on long-term health, structure, and balance. Rather than focusing on cosmetic upkeep alone, our work supports the underlying vitality of your gardens, so they r…

Selective Thinning & Pruning

Careful pruning to improve light, airflow, and the overall health of trees and shrubs.

Understory Management

Tending ground-level vegetation to support natural balance, native growth, and long-term forest health.

Invasive Species Control

Identification and management of invasive plants to protect native species and preserve ecosystem integrity.

Pathways, Clearings & Edges

Creation of defined access, clearings, and edges while maintaining the forest’s natural character.

Native Groundcover Establishment

Planting or encouraging low-maintenance native species to stabilize soil, suppress weeds, and support wildlife.

Integration with Home & Garden

Thoughtful transition between forested areas and cultivated spaces for a cohesive, intentional landscape with stone paths, small moss beds and plantings in trees that brings them to life.