The Historic Garden Revival project is a carefully considered restoration located in Santa Fe’s Historic District, where landscape, architecture, and legacy are inseparable. In 2025, Mark G. Brotton received the APLD Gold Award for this residential design, which balances ecological repair, a nuanced design approach, and deep respect for place.

When Mark first visited the site, the landscape was visibly in distress. Mature canopy trees were dying, the soil was depleted and exposed, and layers of mismatched hardscape had accumulated over decades. Although the house had recently undergone an interior renovation, the outdoor spaces remained scattered and disconnected. Any intervention needed to be sensitive to both the historic context and the enduring character of old Santa Fe.

The design process began with restoration at the most fundamental level. Soil health was rebuilt, trees were thoroughly evaluated and stabilized, and the land was given time to recover. From this renewed foundation, a unified garden emerged, preserving the site’s valued elements while addressing years of accumulated damage and neglect.

An old driveway was transformed into a private garden, with its original brick carefully reused to create a circular patio beneath a mature spruce. This reconfigured core led to the creation of a series of intimate courtyard gardens that extend directly from the master bedroom and kitchen. These outdoor rooms were designed to provide privacy, quiet refuge, and daily connection to the landscape. Disparate paving materials were replaced with an integrated palette of natural stone, bringing visual calm and continuity throughout the site. Beneath a grove of aspens, a shaded terrace offers a place for rest and reflection, while the upper terrace was shaped into a soft sheep fescue lawn that evokes the feeling of a high mountain meadow.

Plantings were selected for resilience, seasonal beauty, and their ability to thrive in the filtered light of mature trees. Each species supports pollinators and contributes to a healthy, balanced ecosystem. Subtle lighting is integrated into the stonework and planting beds, allowing the garden to gently glow at dusk without overpowering the architecture. Beneath the surface, a state-of-the-art irrigation system ensures long-term plant health with precision and care.

The transformation was more than visual; it reshaped the entire experience of the space. What was once fragmented now feels calm and intentional. The garden no longer competes with the home’s architecture but completes it. Today, the landscape feels timeless and abundant, offering intimate places to linger beneath the trees, framing key interior views, and restoring the site as a living sanctuary shaped by craft, artistry, and respect for the land.

While the design vision for the Historic Garden Revival was led by Mark G. Brotton, the garden's realization was achieved through the skill and care of Living Water’s custom installation team. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail ensured that every element, from stonework to planting, was executed with precision, resulting in a landscape that truly reflects the design intent.