Nurse Tree Design brings nature-inspired design to the garden. For more information, see the design history of the Nurse Tree Arch project at www.nursetreearch.com

“I’m a frustrated gardener on a low budget! The purpose of this project is to explore sustainable methods for nurturing and protecting garden vegetables in extreme conditions. My experience as a desert gardener led me to invent a kind of controlled environment that works with natural forces like transpiration and evaporation to reduce the need for energy in the form of electricity and potable water. I combined elements of a screen-house with elements of a greenhouse. The arch served as an inspiration. It mimics the form of nurse trees like the Mesquite, whose shade and protective branch structure create a micro-climate where saguaro cacti and other plants can germinate and grow.”