What does the divine feminine have to do with landscape architecture? For Ted Carter of Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes, the answer is everything. He explains that impervious surfaces like architecture, pavement, and hardscaping represent masculine energy. “A lot of harshness happens to the land when a home is built,” Ted says. “I think of our company as having a responsibility to heal it.” Healing energies—what Ted refers to as the divine feminine—are found in soft plantings and natural materials, which balance and soften the architecture’s harder edges.
Ted’s interest in the divine feminine was sparked during his travels to France, particularly visits to the sacred Chartres Cathedral, built in the 1100s. His exploration of countless sacred sites across the world has shaped his understanding of how masculine and feminine energies contrast and complement one another in design.
A Kennebunkport home near the ocean offers a vibrant example of Ted’s philosophy in action. The landscape surrounding the house is filled with green spaces and trees, creating division and harmony throughout the yard. From inside the house, views are often directed toward something soft and “feminine,” rather than harsh architectural elements. For example, a planted architectural screen greets visitors stepping out of the front door, instead of the driveway or parked cars. Vines wind up the fence, adding a sense of movement, while Montauk daisies flourish at its base. The home’s bump-out, pentagonal dining room offers 270-degree views of both the front yard area and a back terrace.
This terrace, made of bluestone, was intentionally placed apart from the house. “So many people have their terrace right against the house,” Ted explains. “We pulled it away to create something more interesting to look at from inside.” Adjacent to the terrace stands an evergreen that Ted fondly calls the “Dr. Seuss” tree. Its long, spindly form is what earned the Picean glauca ‘Pendula’ this nickname. Also called a weeping white spruce, this tree is one of Ted’s favorite elements in the design because it complements the shingle-style home’s informal and relaxed aesthetic.
The Dr. Seuss tree is just one of many evergreens scattered throughout the property, providing year-round visual interest for the homeowners. A row of towering evergreens serves as an architectural wall, offering privacy from the neighboring home. These thoughtful plantings highlight Ted’s attention to sightlines—what is revealed and what is hidden—guiding the homeowners’ experience of the landscape and framing their views of the surrounding environment.
Through the careful balance of masculine and feminine energies, Ted’s design creates a landscape full of wonder and movement. The interplay of hard and soft materials invites discovery, resulting in a space where contrasting surfaces converge.
