Posts by Karen Chapman
Happy Thanksgiving
It's a busy week for all those of us who celebrate Thanksgiving, so I'm going to keep this weeks blog post simple and repeat my closing words in a recent newsletter. Choosing Gratitude It's time to dig up parsnips and carrots for this weeks Thanksgiving dinner, and roast the butternut squash to turn them into…
Read MoreFoliage First makeover for a Front Garden
When the homeowners of this beautiful Sammamish, WA home could no longer see out of their front windows, they knew it was time to call me. I had already re-designed their back garden (I'll share that another day) so I knew their tastes as well as the home itself. It's a common problem: a garden…
Read MoreThe Power of Contrasts: a Cotswold Garden
Understanding the variety encompassed by the phase "English gardens" means fun adventures to explore formal gardens, cottage gardens, contemporary gardens and everything in between. It also means taking the road less traveled, visiting tiny suburban plots and wild hillside farms, historic estates and unassuming private gardens. As an English-born designer I'm always thrilled to share…
Read MoreColor Highlights from the Hudson River Valley
Visiting gardens near and far is always fun. I love to be shown new ways to use familiar plants, new design ideas for pathways, patios and structures, and simply things that make me pause. I glean ideas not only for my own garden but for the gardens I design for others. Last month I led…
Read MoreBefore & After: Slaying the Beast to Discover the Beauty
When a 20-year-old landscape became an overgrown, under-used eyesore, a local Sammamish couple called me in to help. The challenges were not insignificant. The Challenges A cute little deodar cedar, originally planted for privacy, had all but swallowed the garden. It was a beast! The raised beds for growing vegetables were no longer needed The…
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