Planting design
Laurisilva Planting Study
Reading the forest before planting the garden
- Location
- Fanal, Madeira
- Year
- 2025
- Status
- Field study
- Scope
- Field observation, Species notes, Planting translation
Illustrative sample — this entry demonstrates the project layout and is not a delivered commission. Photography is placeholder.
Madeira’s laurel forest is the reference for any garden on the humid north of the island. This study records how it is put together: the height of the canopy, the density of the understorey, the amount of light that actually reaches the ground.
The practical question is translation. Which of these species can live in a garden scale, which need more space than a private plot can give, and which are better referenced than planted.
The notes are used as a planting reference for shaded gardens — not as a recipe. A garden is not a forest, but it can borrow its structure.
