Do you have a passion project?
My passion project is Burkett Farm. During the last few weeks I had the opportunity to be on site for some meetings. I had to pinch myself, again! What started as a hair brained whimsical idea one afternoon with an amazing client has evolved into something beyond explanation. Pictures help tell the story, but the only true way to appreciate it is to stand in the middle of the field early in the morning while the dew is still in the grass and the birds are singing a cacophonous melody. I had that opportunity this week, and snapped a few good images of our newest garden, a “Garden of Eatin’” that was inspired by the lore of ancient Persian paradise gardens. Filled with edibles and pollinator friendly habitat, this garden appeals to the senses throughout the seasons. Pomegranates, figs, blackberries, blueberries, and tea bushes (Camellia sinensis) make the backbones of the space while perennials and native grasses hang from the bones and give it interest while creating habitat for billions of organisms that thrive in the soil, the air, and the plants themselves. This garden is less than one year old, but at its heart is a Kyoto inspired sister city climate garden that soothes the soul and grounds your senses if you take a minute to reflect amongstthe evergreens, boulders, and stones. The anchor of this garden is “the stump”, one last remaining relic of a massive white oak that dated back to the Revolutionary War. We dated this tree when it was taken down by wind shear during a thunderstorm. Beside the stump is its daughter tree, and in the drip zone we are selecting seedlings and saplings to perpetuate the genetics of this massive specimen that we all loved so dearly and affectionately referred to as “The Keebler Elf Tree” for its massive hollow core.
One day soon, when the tea bushes are large enough to be picked, we will host a tea ceremony to honor the space, using green tea leaves we will harvest from these bushes.
Our team of co-conspirators are brilliant, and together we have created something very special that will outlast all of us.
Will Alphin and his team brought to life a barn and teaching center that demonstrates what sustainability can look like. It is amazing!
Kaitlyn Goalen has activated the site through events and programming to give meaning and purpose to the collective work of the creators and doers that have made this possible. She is absolutely brilliant at what she does and has invigorated the project since she joined.
Jamie Kennedy, Greg Hoivik, Laurie Moffitt, and their teams, have spent the last twelve years cultivating the earth and building soils that any gardener would die for.
My role at work doesn’t take me into the gardens as much as it used to, but every time I step into this oasis of life, I am reminded why I fell in love with plants and my profession three decades ago as a student in horticulture.
—Kurt Bland, CEO
