Designing Fall Vignettes

Heart-shaped, golden leaves of a katsura tree in fall

Is the fall interest in your garden limited to the decaying foliage of summer perennials? That can often be the case without some advance planning. Here are a few ideas to help you create vignettes that truly celebrate the season rather than apologize for their demise. Temper The Fire The temptation is to focus on…

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Easy Fall Containers

With my new garden still being firmly in the 'planning and dreaming' stage I decided to plant up a couple of containers to feed my creative spirit and bring some much needed color into the space. Seattle winters are so grey and I knew that would be compounded by the expansive concrete patio, weathered cedar…

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New Deer-Resistant Shrubs to Tempt you (But Not the Deer)

Deer-challenged gardeners have a somewhat reduced plant palette to choose from since the aim is to select plants that the deer will leave alone. Sadly, that means avoiding roses, hydrangeas, mock orange and camellia to name but a few. The good news is that there are still plenty of outstanding shrubs that are not only…

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Color 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…

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Garden Design: Mimicking Nature

I'm a firm believer that gardens should be experienced – not just observed. They should invite exploration and contemplation, pique our curiosity in some way. On my recent trip to the Hudson River Valley, I visited three public gardens that really spoke to me because they achieved this so well and did so, not by…

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