Connecting Prospect Street to the Living Village, the Orchard serves as an invitation to the wider community, encouraging engagement and access to the beauty and the bounty this place has to offer. The Orchard offers native grasses, shrubs, and fruit and nut trees that contribute to the site’s overall ecological diversity while encouraging human interaction with nature.
Walking through the Orchard invites quiet contemplation and connection with nature. Along the meandering path you may notice stormwater bioretention basins built into the landscape, intended to treat, detain, and infiltrate stormwater runoff. The goal of the project’s landscape design is to restore or enhance ecological performance toward a natural reference point—in this case, rocky areas with pockets of good soil and canopy cover that are typical of the regional ecology. The soil structure and plantings in the bioretention areas contribute to the site’s recovery and create a natural ecological system. The Orchard design replicates historic hydrological patterns and prevents excess runoff that could otherwise contribute to water quality impairments in downstream receiving waters.
The Orchard is a timeless symbol of abundance, divine provision, and active stewardship. It represents humanity’s role in co-creating with God, cultivating the earth to yield sustenance while simultaneously providing beauty and shade for all our siblings. This visible “agricultural element” along a public street announces the Living Village’s commitment to a flourishing future and reverence for the living world.
Requisite Petals: Place, Water, Health & Happiness, Beauty, Equity
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