Charrette is a new word for me. It means a detailed design session. I hosted a charrette in my mother's home which is a short walk from my own property. My large and loving family is fully engaged and supportive of the efforts.

As the owner of a 30 acre parcel of farm land (some field and some forest) in Wisconsin, I want to restore the land and create a place of surpassing beauty. Beauty which is more than skin-deep, more than what immediately meets the eye, and that can be discovered in all aspects and every tiny detail.  Beauty which can offer healing to those that reside there as well as those who visit. Beauty which is interactive and requires intimate, hands-on, real relationships with the earth, stones, plants, animals, sky, and seasons.

This charrette was the first step. The team I have assembled is first rate. We walked the land. We observed. In the midst of much snow and a brisk westerly wind, we found many areas to focus on. The land is essentially a blank slate. No structures exist to date. There are challenges due to the orientation of the property being mostly west and north facing. Further, the property is quite steep.

I am obsessed with stones. I intend to incorporate large stones and stone structures into the design. The master plan will contain the general layout and footprint of planned structures. Based on that, we will also design detailed planting schemes. The hope is that I will be able to plant trees this year (2011). The ground-breaking for structures will wait for a future year.

This is exciting and my mind and soul are full  to overflowing with all the possibilities.