Captivating Ideas from a Petite Garden

I wrote a post recently for my other blog Fine Foliage (co-authored with Christina Salwitz) called The Ones That Got Away. You see Christina and I are on the final countdown for our new book with Timber Press (due out 9/2016) and scrambling to get as many mouth watering ideas photographed and written up as possible, but…

Read More

Naked in the Garden with Jamie Durie

As I pushed open the door to the nail salon the phone rang. "Hi Karen? Jamie here. Jamie Durie." Realizing my much needed manicure was going to have to wait I hastily ducked back out and rushed to my car where I had a notepad and pen handy just in case this happened! I had been trying to…

Read More

Reclaiming the Garden

I was recently invited to redesign a back garden in Kirkland, WA.   To the homeowners the main priority was a need for privacy from neighboring homes yet to me the biggest challenge was function. How would this couple use their new space and how would they get into it? Before – the challenges   A…

Read More

Favorite Flowering Annuals for Containers

I need to be a mind reader. I'm excited to host three spring container workshops in the next ten days but I need to second-guess everyone's tastes as I select plants for my guests to purchase and play with! What colors might they be excited about this year? Are they tired of the tropical looking Canna or will…

Read More

Top Perennials for Summer Pots

When I design container gardens nothing is safe! I explore everything from dwarf trees and slow growing shrubs to groundcovers, annuals and even houseplants (although I wait until night temperatures are stable at 55' or above for those). I also include a lot of perennials in my designs; both evergreen and herbaceous types as they…

Read More