Tag Archives: landscape design

Landscape Design Solutions

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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 meet a set of design criteria. From this perspective, most challenges are simply opportunities for creative problem-solving.

Fatsia japonica ‘Camouflage’ brightens a shady spot.

Below are some garden challenges and strategies for solving them.

A low-maintenance garden.

How do you define low maintenance? How much work are you willing to do or hire out? Realistic expectations help a designer create a garden that fits your lifestyle. A well-defined maintenance plan takes the guess work out of garden care. Proactive maintenance saves time, money and keeps your garden healthy and looking good. Deferred maintenance can lead to unhealthy, unattractive plants.

A water-wise garden

Understand how much supplemental water your desired garden will require. The effectiveness of watering can be maximized by grouping complementary plants in zones according to their water requirements. Place plants that need the most water close by, and those that need the least, in outer zones. Plants at the outside edge may not need any supplemental water once established. This method requires careful plant selection and a watering plan or a drip system with multiple zones.

A colorful garden

Color is derived from both foliage and flowers. In the Maritime Pacific Northwest, evergreen plants provide interest during wintertime. Some evergreens may also have colorful needles, foliage, and seasonal flowers. However, perennials provide the greatest spectrum of concentrated color for the longest period. A well-designed plan including perennials and evergreen plants will provide flowers throughout the seasons.

A shade garden

Dappled shade provides an opportunity to create a lush tapestry of color, texture, and flowers. There are also plenty of plants that thrive in full shade. Some of the same plants are equally at home when planted en masse or grouped in elegant drifts. Many of these plants are perennials, but handsome broad-leaf evergreens and conifers will provide structure in a shade garden, especially during wintertime.

As each site and every client is different, so is every garden one of a kind.

Need more ideas? Contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.

Planning A Springtime Show With Bulbs

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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.

Narcissus poeticus (the poets daffodil or poet’s narcissus)

The bulbs I ordered this summer will start arriving soon and it’s not too late to add bulbs to your garden this fall. Nurseries and garden stores are fully stocked and online vendors still have good availability.

To achieve maximum impact plan ahead, make a list, and stay focused when shopping for bulbs. You may decide to make a change later, but you won’t get lost when considering a sea of options.

Here are some things you should consider when designing with bulbs:

Color – What colors best complement or contrast with the other flowers and plants in your garden that bloom at the same time? Do you want to coordinate with or accentuate the trim color of your house, planters, or other garden features?

Bloom time – Bulbs are divided into three categories based on bloom time: early, mid and late season. A “lasagna” is a method of planting bulbs in layers so they flower in succession, thereby maximizing the bloom cycle and saving space. This method is perfect for small spaces and also works when planting bulbs in pots.

The first to bloom in late winter are Galanthus (snowdrop). They establish slowly so plant them in groups of a dozen or more creating a clump that will become more dense and increase in size with each year. Due to their small size (between three and six inches), it is easy to find room for snowdrops even in a tiny garden. They prefer rich soil and will not tolerate rocky, sandy, or hard clay soils.

Next up are crocus. A good choice for beginners or anyone who wants a vigorous bulb that is reliable and easy to grow almost anywhere. Like Galanthus, if planted in groups, crocus will become dense clumps that increase in size each year. They are easy to plant (only 3 inches deep) and do not require maintenance.

Daffodils and Narcissus bloom mid-season. These flowers come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Long, graceful stems make them excellent for mass plantings or as a tall element in a planting composition.

If fragrance is what you want, you can’t beat the sweet smell of hyacinths. The flowers are short-lived so they are best planted among other bulbs.

Tulips are elegant, but choose carefully if you want repeat performances. Some varieties may peter out after a few years. For gardeners who like to change things up, this is an opportunity to try new varieties or play with various color combinations. The Darwin tulips tend to perennialize the best and come back reliably year after year. With so many tulips to choose from, if you don’t like experimenting, stick with the varieties that have a proven track record. Keep in mind that bulbs (especially tulips) need good drainage and may rot if drainage is inadequate.

Dramatic and architectural allium (ornamental onion) are the last to bloom in late spring or early summer. Some varieties have flower stems that grow up top 4′ tall so they can be planted among other plants or as the bottom layer of a “lasagna” planting.

Looking for more ideas? Contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.

Got Ivy?

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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 ivy (Hedera hibernica). All of these invasive ivies, however, can be found on King County’s list of noxious weeds. English ivy is categorized as a non-regulated Class B and C noxious weed, meaning control is recommended, but not required in King County where it is no longer sold in nurseries.

Some gardeners that have inherited an established mass of this nearly indestructible evergreen carpet, find themselves exasperated with ivy that has taken over flower beds, grown up the trunks of trees, or covered fences and walls. Regular shearing will keep it looking tidy, but that’s not much of a consolation for those who just want it gone.

Good Ivy

Stigma and guilt by association have ruined the reputation of the entire genus of ivy (Hedera). While the ivy you may be thinking of is known for its worst traits, there are, however, some varieties of ivy that can be charming accents when creeping over the edge of a pot or as a fine-textured, ground-hugging evergreen element among other plants. These well-mannered “good” varieties are easy to grow like their invasive cousins, but they don’t take over.

Hedera helix ‘Cristata’

I recommend trying the crinkly dark green leaves of Hedera helix “‘Cristata’” (Parsley Crested Ivy) in pots where it can curl over the rim. The fine-textured “‘Mona Lisa’” variety will add a colorful evergreen mat at the base of a rock or tree in a shade garden. Hedera algeriensis “‘Gloire de Marengo'” (Variegated Algerian Ivy) sports exotic-looking leaves marked with lighter green and white variations. Originally native to central Algeria and Tunisia, where it grows vigorously, Algerian Ivy, also called Canary Island Ivy, grows slowly in the cooler climate of the Maritime Pacific Northwest. It thrives in part sun and needs shelter from wind and freezing temperatures in order to thrive. Like all ivies, it prefers regular water and rich soil.

If you’re looking for more ideas, please contact us for a design consultation to learn more about landscape design and how to maximize the impact of the plant combinations in your garden.

Winter-Blooming Plants

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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.

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’

A stroll through the Washington Park Arboretum or Kubota Gardens will reveal more plants and trees with winter interest.  At this time of year, colorful conifers pop, and deciduous trees with intriguing bark and interesting branching patterns stand out. Early-blooming deciduous trees are flowering and one of the first to bloom, the Witch Hazel, is just finishing up. When in bloom, its bare branches are adorned with tiny confetti-like flowers held close to the branches illuminating them with colors ranging from pale yellow to fiery red depending on the cultivar. One of the most popular, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’, has vivid yellow flowers that seem to warm a cold winter day.

What would make your garden more winter-friendly? If you’re thinking about a new garden or ready to update the one you have, some of these plants can be incorporated into a comprehensive plan that is suitable for your yard.

Winter blooming plants, perennials and bulbs can be the first in a succession of seasonal flowers that continue throughout summer and into autumn. A diverse palette of plants that includes flower and foliage interest throughout all the seasons is the best way to maximize the appeal of your garden as well as the time and money you invest in it.

Planning garden upgrades this winter is a great way to prepare for spring!

If you’re looking for more ideas, please reach out to me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of garden plantings.

A Haven For Hummingbirds

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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 the way they dart from flower to flower with energy and determination?

Aster

If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, plant what they love. These intriguing little birds will appear like magic if you give them the goods. The same flowers you plant to attract hummingbirds will attract other friendly pollinators that want to join in the flower power.

Not all hummingbirds migrate south during the winter. Those that do, put on weight before their long migration, expending more than half their body weight in reaching their destinations. Those that don’t leave, seek late-blooming perennials such as salvia that bloom until frost. During wintertime they search for any nectar-rich flowers that might still be blooming and will also frequent well stocked humming bird feeders.

Here are some hardy summer and autumn blooming perennials that you can plant now. They will keep hummingbirds around and also refresh your garden when other perennials are declining at the end of summer.

Asters

Asters bloom profusely from late summer until frost. Their dense habit, bright green foliage, and delicate flowers give a tired perennial border a fresh look just when it needs it the most. This is a great choice for mass plantings.

Nepeta (catnip)

Nepeta blooms from late spring until frost making it one of the longest-blooming perennials in this region. Cutting it back mid-season will keep plants tidy and force a new flush of foliage and flowers. There are several varieties to choose from.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ (Black And Bloom Salvia)

This variety of salvia is a favorite among hummingbirds and its grass-green foliage and deep blue flowers are a dramatic addition to a perennial border. Racemes holding delicate black buds emerge at the end of waist-high woody stems making them easy for hummingbirds to access and giving onlookers an excellent vantage point.

Agastache (Hummingbird Mint)

The name pretty much says it all. Most varieties bloom throughout summer and into fall. Their tidy upright habit makes them a good vertical feature in a perennial border. They are easy to grow and a multitude of tiny flowers on spire-like racemes have a luscious scent.

MORE IDEAS

Upgrading your garden this spring is a great way to prepare for summer!

If you’re looking for more ideas, please contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.

Hard Working Perennials For Lazy Gardeners

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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 better each year, needing only occasional dividing. If you want to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden, planting perennials is one of the best ways to do it.

Here are three of my favorite perennials that thrive in a sunny location without a lot of water or special care. All you need to do to keep these plants tidy and encourage flower production is remove spent flowers during the growing season.

Penstemon (Beardtongue)

Penstemon x ‘Pretty Petticoat’

Penstemon come in a variety of shapes, colors, and bloom times—so you’re sure to find one that work for your garden. Penstemon does best in a sunny location, tolerates imperfect soil, and is drought tolerant once it’s established. Some varieties bloom with multiple spires of flowers held upright on woody stems, while others have sweeping sprays of flowers on low, bushy plants. Plant Beardtongue in masses of a single color or mixed colors or repeat them throughout a perennial border for continuity. You can also use them to add color among broadleaf evergreens or spring-blooming plants that have finished blooming for the season. For example, low and bushy Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Electric Blue’ is covered with a multitude of iridescent blue flowers all summer. By contrast, tidy-looking Penstemon digitalis ‘Pretty Petticoats’ has upright stems with sturdy stalks of flowers that keep coming until frost.

Salvia

Salvia is another large genus of flowering perennials and plants. Some varieties have masses of flowers on rounded, twiggy plants, while others are herbaceous with upright flower stalks originating from a basal clump. Salvia requires sun but it’s not too picky about soil and can thrive without a lot of water. Herbaceous varieties can be cut back mid-season if the flowering stems become leggy or fall over under the weight of rain. This is truly one of the easiest plants to grow. Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Bloom,’ with its vibrant deep blue flowers and unique black anthers, is a favorite of hummingbirds (it’s often one of the last plants in the garden still blooming when their food supply is becoming scarce). In the Pacific Northwest, salvia emerges in late spring when it starts to warm up. A sunny site is optimal, but this perennial will bloom even in part sun.

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

This drought-tolerant perennial thrives in soil that is less than perfect. Varieties like ‘Blue Jean Baby’ are about 36″ tall while the straight species can easily reach 48″ in height. Russian Sage looks great planted en masse or at the back of perennial border where it adds a tall, unifying element. Smaller forms like ‘Denim ‘n’ Lace’ mix well as a contrast to other drought-tolerant perennials. Plant these smaller varieties with Lavender, Salvia, and Lamb’s Ears (Stachys bizantina) or Daisy Bush (Brachyglottis greyi) to create a medley of soft shades of blue, purple, violet and silvery gray.

More ideas

With spring here, revitalizing your garden is a great way to welcome the season!

If you’re looking for more ideas, please contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.

The Most Versatile Plants For Any Garden

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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 and easy to grow. Some of the best choices are broad-leaf evergreens (evergreen plants that do not have needles or bare cones). These reliable workhorses thrive in a range of conditions. They’re so attractive that you’ll find even among the sophisticated garden palettes of experienced gardeners and designers.

Some broad-leaf evergreens to consider:

Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom) — Glossy, deep green leaves and a lush, bushy habit make this plant ideal for a low hedge or backdrop planting. Lots of small pure-white flowers compliment the foliage during summer. Choisya grows fast and can be shaped with regular hand pruning or allowed to grow free-form with only occasional shaping—you just want to avoid shearing them. Mexican Orange Blossom thrives in full or part sun, but languishes in shade. ‘Sundance’ has glossy bright golden-yellow foliage that needs sun to maintain its vibrant color. A garden standout, it provides many opportunities for dramatic combinations with other plants.

Aucuba japonica (Japanese Aucuba) — A dense mounding habit and glossy leaves make Aucuba ideal at the back of a shady border where its large ovate leaves will reflect light. Green-leaf Aucuba in deep emerald makes a rich backdrop for blooming perennials and other plants with colorful foliage. Aucuba ‘Picturata’, with golden-yellow variegation, will brighten a shaded woodland garden or pop as an accent plant. All Aucuba do best in full shade, and afternoon sun is to be avoided.

Escallonia — Escallonia are woody bushes with small leaves on twiggy stems. They range in size from compact and uniform to large and arching. They can be planted en mass as an informal hedge or screen. The tidy dwarf forms of Escallonia integrate well with mixed plantings. Alongside dwarf conifers, their small flowers make a nice contrast. Escallonia blooms profusely during the summer and its flowers are a favorite of bees. It will grow almost anywhere except in shade.

Viburnum davidii (David Viburnum) — Handsome dark-green foliage, small white flowers in spring, and small, deep-blue berries make Viburnum davidii a plant for all seasons. This is good plant to use for creating drifts or mass plantings in the context of a larger garden. Its substantial foliage will provide continuity and structure in a perennial border or mixed ornamental planting. Once out of favor due to over-use in the 1970s, this plant has made a comeback for good reason — it will grow in sun or shade and thrives in most soil types. It’s also low maintenance, needing only occasional thinning.

More ideas

With spring here, revitalizing your garden is a great way to welcome the season!

If you’re looking for more ideas, please contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.

Happy Holidays

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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 rewarding to see my designs come, quite literally, to life. The creative process feeds my soul. So I say a heartfelt “thank you” to clients, vendors, laborers, and contractors—everyone who plays a part in this exciting and very satisfying work.

I appreciate your business and referrals.

Have a Joyous and Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Michael Muro

  • Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’
  • Camellia sanqua ‘Kanjiro’
  • Pinus mugo ‘Carsten’s Wintergold’

Plant Selection: form + function

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Queen residence, Seattle WA

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 see plants that inspire you – they might just work in your landscape design.  At trip to a nursery is a good way to to see what is in season, but buying plants without a plan will not  necessarily result in a sustainable and cohesive long term plan.  So a little restraint can go a long way if you are looking for lasting improvements in your garden (think: going to the grocery store on an empty stomach without a shopping list).

The concept of right plant, right place is popular for a reason – successful plant selection is based on consideration of numerous factors that result in plants that thrive and a garden that has interest throughout the seasons.  If your garden needs a more comprehensive renovation or if you are planning a new one, before plant selection, come practical considerations like circulation, space planning and what features you require to suit your functional needs and aesthetic desires.  These factors along with site conditions will inform plant selection (think: brains and beauty). 

Here are some basics to consider once you are ready to select plants for your garden:

  • Screening and privacy. Do you have the coverage you want when deciduous trees lose their leaves?
  • Structure. Is there enough evergreen color and texture to add depth and create dormant season interest? 
  • Color. Do you have favored color palette? Are perennials and bulbs used to add seasonal color? 
  • Repetition. What plants provide continuity, create a rhythm and connect different parts of your garden.

If you’re looking for more ideas, please contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or the best plants for any spot in your garden.

Design In Full Color

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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 are readily available in nurseries and garden centers.

With bulbs, you can enjoy spring flowers in a multitude of types and sizes. These range from tiny species Crocus (less than 3 inches tall) to Allium (Ornamental Onion) that can reach nearly 4 feet. When it comes to color, the possibilities are nearly endless. Options range from bold and contrasting to elegant and monochromatic.

In small gardens, I suggest planting bulbs of the same type in small clumps, and achieving variety using different types of bulbs. That way the clumps will be complimentary when they bloom and your garden won’t risk looking too busy.

Another approach is to plant a drift of the same type of bulb in a single color. If your space allows, bulbs can be planted to create intricate patterns and combinations. For a natural appearance on a hillside or in a woodland garden, try to copy the undulating flow of a stream or other landscape feature by planting bulbs in bands.

If you’re putting bulbs in containers, try the “bulb lasagna” planting technique: layer bulbs so that they will flower in succession throughout the bloom season.

Keep in mind that Snow Drops bloom as early as late January and some varieties of Tulips bloom in May with Allium finishing up as late as June.  With thoughtful planning it is possible to have bulbs flowering throughout spring so there is no down time before the first perennials start to bloom. If you enjoy having your garden in continuous bloom throughout the seasons, bulbs are an important part of a comprehensive landscape plan.

Looking for ideas? Here are three of my favorite bulbs:

  • Early-blooming double tulip ‘Monsella’, with fragrant bright canary yellow flowers with red flames
  • Peony-flowering tulip ‘Blue Spectacle’, with rich deep violet-purple flowers with a blue sheen and a form that resembles that of peony
  • Small cupped Narcissi ‘Dreamlight’. It’s white with a champagne- tinted cup that has a luminous green eye and a scarlet-orange rim.

If you’re looking for more ideas, please contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or the best plants for any spot in your garden.