C. T. STRYKER®
C. T. STRYKER®
C. T. STRYKER®
STEWARDING LAND WITH CRAFTSMANSHIP CLARITY AND CARE
STEWARDING LAND WITH CRAFTSMANSHIP CLARITY AND CARE
STEWARDING LAND WITH CRAFTSMANSHIP CLARITY AND CARE
Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy
I've been drawn to the garden since I was a kid watching my nana tend to her traditional Italian plot, the staples-
basil, tomatoes, oregano and peppers, along a white picket fence.
She worked the earth with quiet precision, never measuring, just knowing.
The garden gave her everything she needed.
There was a silent intelligence in the way she moved, and I was paying attention.
I've been drawn to the
garden
since I was a kid watching
my nana tend to her
traditional Italian plot;
the staples-
basil, tomatoes, oregano and peppers,
along a white picket fence.
She worked the earth with quiet precision,
never measuring,
just knowing.
The garden gave her
everything
she needed.
There was a silent
intelligence
in the way she moved,
and
I was paying attention.
Over the years the garden became more than a place to gather flowers and veggies.
It became a teacher.
It showed me that everything is connected, and life moves in cycles far deeper than what we see on the surface.
Each space I enter is treated as its own ecosystem , its own language, its own rhythm. I draw from many proven sources:
a degree in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture from Temple University,
decades of curiosity into ancient horticultural practices,
bio-dynamic practices and principles,
permaculture and regenerative design,
native plant & ecological restoration movements,
organic horticultural principles and soil science,
indigenous worldviews,
esoteric ecology,
and a gnostic and spiritual quality through lived experience.
Over the years the
garden
became more than a place to gather flowers and veggies.
It became a teacher.
It showed me that everything is connected,
and life moves in cycles
far deeper than what we see on the surface.
Each space I enter is treated as its own ecosystem ,
its own language,
its own rhythm.
I draw from many proven sources:
a degree in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture from Temple University,
decades of curiosity into ancient horticultural practices,
bio-dynamic practices and principles,
permaculture and regenerative design,
native plant & ecological restoration movements,
organic horticultural principles and soil science,
indigenous worldviews,
esoteric ecology,
and a gnostic and spiritual quality through lived experience.
My years in the soil have shaped an inherent eye for pattern and balance, and a deep connection with the unseen rhythm of the land.
The land is always speaking.
When imbalance shows up-through disease, depletion, or invasive overgrowth-
it's not just a problem to fix.
It's a message.
The soil, the insects, drainage and the way water moves or doesn't-
they all reveal the health of the whole.
I see my role as helping that system remember it's harmony and restore coherence between Earth and our responsibility to her.
My years in the soil have shaped an inherent eye for
pattern
and
balance,
and
a deep connection
with the
unseen rhythm of the land.
The land is always speaking.
When imbalance shows up-through disease,
depletion,
or invasive overgrowth-
it's not just a problem to fix.
it's a message.
The soil,
leaf color,
growth habit,
the type of insects present,
drainage,
and the way water moves or doesn't-
all reveal the health of the whole.
I see my role as
helping
that system remember it's harmony
and
restore any lost
coherence
between Earth
and
our responsibility to her.
Further Reflections
A garden is never just a garden.
Its a mirror, a teacher- as above, so below.
I've come to see that the land doesn't respond to just basic care- it reflects the quality of attention we bring.
The patterns in the garden often echo the ones we carry in our lives: imbalance, overgrowth, stillness, renewal.
Working in rhythm with the cycles of nature invites clarity and connection.- not just in the garden, but in ourselves.
Over time, tending the land becomes a way of listening- and remembering how we live in right relationship with what sustains us.
A garden is never just a garden.
Its a mirror,
a teacher-
as above, so below.
I've come to see that the land doesn't respond to just basic care-
it reflects the quality of attention we bring.
The patterns in the garden often echo the ones we carry in our lives: imbalance,
overgrowth,
stillness,
renewal.
Working in rhythm with the cycles of nature invites
clarity and connection.-
not just in the garden,
but in ourselves.
Over time,
tending the land becomes a way of listening-
and remembering how we live in right relationship with what sustains us.
At it's heart, this work is about relationship.
Between plant and pollinator, water and root, person and place.
I trust what the land reveals when we slow down and pay attention.
Whether I'm shaping a quiet corner of a backyard, or stewarding a full ecosystem, my intention is the same;
to listen, to support balance, and to let beauty emerge from integrity.
At it's heart, this work is about relationship.
Between plant and pollinator,
water and root,
person and place.
I trust what the land reveals when we slow down and pay attention.
Whether I'm shaping a quiet corner of a backyard,
or stewarding a full ecosystem,
my intention is the same;
to listen,
to support balance,
and to let
beauty emerge from integrity.
