The Pumpkin Color Palette

  Pumpkin is 'IN'. From spiced pumpkin lattes and cream cheese frosted muffins to the farm stands brimming with every shape and size of both edible and ornamental squash – there is no denying that pumpkin orange is the color and flavor of the season. But look around and you'll see dazzling foliage in shades…

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Fall Containers Boot Camp

Are you ready to refresh your containers for fall? When your coleus turns to mush you know it's time! Yet many of us have a complete brain freeze at the start of a new season and can't remember what fun things we have used in the past to create the 'wow' factor. I call it…

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From Wilderness to Woodland (or almost)

  Once upon a time there was a mess. A very icky sticky mess. Think mosquito-infested swamp type mess. Cottonwoods, chunks of concrete, asphalt, beer cans, rocks and general debris were all in the scrub. And invasive weeds of course – Japanese knotweed (foreground above) and reed canary grass to name just two. Let's just…

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Epimediums with a Twist

I'm always looking for new ways to pair old favorites. I typically combine the heart shaped leaves of Bishop's hat (Epimedium sp.) with lacy ferns and bold hostas for example. But a recent visit to the inspiring garden of Mitch Evans in Kirkland, WA showed me all sorts of exciting new possibilities to get me out of my design rut!…

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The Emerging Garden

It's been 3 1/2 years since we moved into our mosquito-ridden swamp. Of course we didn't know that's what it was when we first saw this 5 acre property in July of 2009 – that realization came as we squelched our way from house to barn and back in ankle deep water all winter, and…

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