Celebrating DHS Member Virginia Burt and Her New Book, Capturing Essence

We are delighted to celebrate DHS member Virginia T. Burt on the publication of Capturing Essence: Virginia Burt Designs, a beautiful record of her distinguished career in landscape design. We are also grateful to Virginia for generously donating a copy of the book to the Dundas Museum and Archives fundraising raffle held at the museum on September 24, 2026.

 Her recently published book brings to life three decades of work guided by a belief that a meaningful landscape should respond to the character of its site and to the people who experience it—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Celebrating 30 Years of Creative Achievement

Published to mark the 30th anniversary of Virginia Burt Designs, Capturing Essence presents 17 case studies spanning private gardens, therapeutic landscapes, estate master plans, and native landscape restoration in Canada and the United States. Together, they reveal a practice grounded in close observation, careful material choices, and respect for both people and place.

The range is striking. At Acadia Point in Nova Scotia, a former whaling station becomes a place of environmental renewal. At the Schneider Healing Garden in Cleveland, landscape design supports the mission of the Seidman Cancer Center by offering patients, caregivers, and visitors a restorative outdoor setting. These projects differ in scale and purpose, yet both demonstrate Burt’s conviction that landscapes can help people reconnect—with nature, with memory, and with themselves.

A Book Designed to Be Experienced

With more than 470 colour and black-and-white photographs and drawings, the book is more than a conventional portfolio. Its generous format and tactile presentation echo the qualities of the landscapes themselves: texture, rhythm, atmosphere, and attention to detail. The visual storytelling invites readers to slow down and notice how stone, water, plants, light, and movement shape an experience of place.

For landscape architects and designers, Capturing Essence offers an intimate look at a holistic design process. For garden lovers and general readers, it provides a compelling reminder that outdoor spaces can do more than frame a view: they can create comfort, invite reflection, and foster a sense of belonging.

Why This Work Matters Now

At a time when communities are grappling with ecological loss, health challenges, and growing disconnection from the natural world, Burt’s work feels especially relevant. The projects gathered here show that sustainability and human well-being are not competing goals. When design begins with empathy and an understanding of place, they can reinforce one another.

Capturing Essence: Virginia Burt Designs is a 248-page hardcover published by ORO Editions. It celebrates an accomplished practice and invites readers to see landscapes not simply as decoration, but as living places of healing, restoration, and meaning. Congratulations to Virginia on this outstanding achievement. We are proud to celebrate the success of a valued DHS member and thankful for her generous contribution to our fundraising raffle.