Landscape Design Solutions
Gardens illicit emotions, tell a story, and provide an escape from the mundane. They must also be sustainable, functional, and change with the seasons. Landscape design inspired by the union of form and function, results in uniquely beautiful gardens that
Power Perennials
It’s peak season for summer-blooming perennials – the easiest way to enjoy reliable flowers all summer without having to replant annuals. If you’re considering adding perennials to your garden or expanding the collection you already have, now is the time.
Several of a Kind
Planting en masse (or mass planting), the repetition of a single variety of plant, is an effective design tool with many applications.
Perennial Favorites
At just about any time of year you will find perennial plants in bloom in the Maritime Pacific Northwest. If colorful flowers are on your agenda, then they’re sure to be an integral part of your garden. With careful planning,
Plants With Impact
Every plant in a landscape planting plan has a specific part in a cohesive garden design. Some have a minor role, while others are the star of the show. Plants with star power often have a sculptural character that makes
Deciduous Trees For All Seasons
After the leaves fall in autumn, some deciduous trees fade into the background until they leaf out again in the spring. Others shed their leaves revealing striking bark, berries, and flowers that stand out on bare branches. These trees make
Planning A Springtime Show With Bulbs
One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year is the opportunity to add spring-flowering bulbs to my designs and surprise clients when they bloom in the springtime. The bulbs I ordered this summer will start arriving
Got Ivy?
If you’re not a fan of ivy, you’re not the only one. When you think of this particular plant you are probably conjuring up images of either English ivy — such as Hedera helix “‘Baltica’,” “‘Pittsburg’,” “‘Wahington’,” “‘Star’” varieties — or Irish
Winter-Blooming Plants
Lenten roses, snowdrops and cyclamen are blooming right now, and if you are not enjoying them in your garden, now is a good time to think about adding them before this next year. A stroll through the Washington Park Arboretum
A Haven For Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are one of the most popular and esteemed visitors to any garden. Why are we so fascinated by them? Is it the familiar humming sound they make as they hover with the precision of a drone? Or is it
Gorgeous Ground Covers
Spring will come again but there’s no need to overlook your garden in the meantime. If things are looking stark out there, adjusting the plant palette can turn blasé into beautiful. Adding evergreen plants is an easy way to create
Perfect Plants For Privacy
I’m a firm believer in “loving thy neighbor” but if your view is directly into their dining room, it can be too much of a good thing. Robert Frost’s proverb “good fences make good neighbors” also comes to mind when
Hard Working Perennials For Lazy Gardeners
Do you crave a profusion of flowers in the spring and summer? An investment in blooming perennials will bring those glorious blossoms to your garden. Depending on the variety, perennials bloom from spring through autumn and come back bigger and
The Most Versatile Plants For Any Garden
If the plants in your garden aren’t looking quite the way you’d like, it doesn’t necessarily mean your green thumb needs a tune-up. You may be able to increase your rate of success by choosing plants that are more versatile
Problem Solving With Potted Plants
Design is primarily problem solving. The creative process begins with defining solutions in the context of a comprehensive plan. The artifice is making it visually interesting and aesthetically valuable. As elements of a landscape design, container gardens are much more
Wintertime: Light, Art, and Landscape Design
When planning outdoor spaces, light is a primary consideration that informs the design process. From an aesthetic viewpoint, good lighting serves to highlight the garden’s focal points and accentuate garden features. Good lighting can also be a safety consideration—it enables
Happy Holidays
Another year has quickly passed and I have many things to be grateful for, not the least of which are the amazing clients I work with and the projects we complete. Although I always have a strong vision, it is
Designing With Deciduous Trees
November is one of the a best times of year to plant deciduous trees. Even after their leaves are gone, trees with interesting bark stand out, adding new interest to the winter garden. Many deciduous trees also bloom in early
Using Evergreens to Extend Fall Color
No matter how you feel about the transition to fall, the unmistakably rich hues of our autumn foliage are something to look forward to. Though deciduous trees have lost their leaves and winter is on its way, there are still
When Is The Ideal Time To Plant?
Fall’s cooling air and still-warm soil are ideal for establishing new transplants. Perennials and evergreens alike can establish root systems before winter—and they require less water as the weather cools down and precipitation is more likely. If you are not
Plant Selection: form + function
It’s prime time for Pacific Northwest Gardens so almost everywhere one looks there is something blooming or succulent new foliage unfolding. If your garden isn’t in on the party, take note of what seems lacking and take pictures when you
Rebirth, Renewal and Regrowth
Hellebore, snowdrop, Himalayan sweet box and other winter-blooming favorites are in full bloom and the buds of early spring-blooming bulbs like crocus and narcissus are starting to pop. In just a few weeks it will officially be spring, so if
A Bright Spot: Winter Flowering Plants And Trees
In the mild climate of the pacific northwest, it seems that something new is always blooming—even during the shortest, darkest days of wintertime. We don’t need to look far to see a flower reminding us that spring will come again.
Design In Full Color
For me, if there is anything that means fall is really here, it’s planting bulbs. It’s not too late to plant spring bulbs. In fact, in the Pacific Northwest bulbs can be planted well into November. And you’ll find they
What’s Down This Fall?
With the arrival of much needed rains, it seems that we may not have an Indian Summer in the Pacific Northwest this year. Another sure sign of fall, I saw the first mushroom of the season clinging to the root
Plants With Purpose
Thoughtful use of plants and trees will make your garden more dynamic. Shadows and patterns created by foliage create interest, capture the eye and diffuse views. Plants can also be used to define space, provide screening, or add privacy without
Plants With No Downtime
At this time of year, most of our gardens are overflowing with showy flowers and flawless new foliage so it’s easy to overlook evergreens that may recede into the background during late spring and summer. My goal is to plan
What’s All the Buzz About?
It’s spring! This week I saw the first bumble bee of the season enjoying the flowers on a luxurious mass of Vinca minor cascading over a rockery in one of my clients garden. (Also called lesser periwinkle or dwarf periwinkle,
Dynamic Garden Lighting
The winter months are the dormant season for most plants here in the Pacific Northwest, so it can be easy to overlook what a landscape has to offer. Still, reliable favorites like Hellebore, Sarcococca (Sweet Box), Snow Drops and Witch
Happy Holidays!
However you feel about this time of year, one thing is certain: very soon, the days will begin to get longer. That brings the promise of spring, but until then, anything can happen with the weather. Meanwhile, what I call
