New (and newly discovered) Deer Resistant Annuals

When six plant-crazy women (collectively known as #NGBplantnerds), six overstuffed suitcases, numerous bulging camera bags,  a LARGE  bag of yummy snacks, and rather a lot of plants squeeze into a minivan for a Californian road trip, you can bet there's going to be some laughs, plenty of wine, and lots of fun. You can also…

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Big Ideas for Using Color in Small Spaces

So much color, so many ideas, so little time! That's the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in a nutshell. Thank goodness for my camera because that's how I can look back on special visual highlights to glean ideas for my own garden and share some of my favorites with you. In this post I'm focusing…

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Fearless Design- secrets to using bold color in the garden

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show is always a source of inspiration and this year was no exception. One display garden that really caught my eye was called Contained Excitement, designed by my good friend and former colleague Lori DeLeuw (Designs by deLeuw) and David Rogers (Issaquah Landscaping). This was their design statement: Here’s the…

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The Less is More Garden – Book Review & Giveaway.

I recently asked a group of gardening friends, if they could change anything about their garden, what would it be. The first – of many comments read " Make it bigger, much bigger! So many plants, so little space…" A common lament,  yet having a modest sized garden does not mean compromising on function, style,…

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New Year – New Opportunities; join me!

The Christmas decorations are packed away in the barn for another year and I'm back to work, excited for all the things ahead. I'm not one for resolutions, except for perhaps re-committing to myself, my family, and to you to always give my best. My parents instilled their sense of integrity and strong work ethic…

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