Cultivating a living laboratory for ecological systems and applied research.
Located within the Botanic Gardens at Wellesley College, the Edible Ecosystem Teaching Garden is a research forest garden designed to demonstrate how ecological systems can inform productive landscape design.
Developed in collaboration with students and faculty, the garden mimics the structure and function of a native New England forest while producing food, habitat, and educational value. Organized as a layered “forest garden,” the design includes a nut grove, fruit woodland, edible meadow, and fruit thicket, arranged to preserve observatory sight lines as the system matures.
Plantings are structured around ecological guilds — groups of species that support one another through nitrogen fixation, pollinator habitat, nutrient cycling, pest deterrence, and living groundcover. Implemented in phases since 2011, the garden serves as a living laboratory and outdoor classroom for interdisciplinary study.
Client
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
Partners
- Dave Jacke
Key Features
- Diverse habitats and species
- Productive analogs of native plan communities
- Experimental non-toxic vegetation management
- Passive infiltration irrigation
Services
- Site analysis
- Ecological design and schematic development
- Detailed planting plans
- Construction oversight
- Ongoing management and consulting
