Posts Tagged ‘Focal points’
Front Gardens Re-Imagined
My mum was a keen gardener and her colorful front garden was filled with fragrant roses, peonies, iris and much more. The neighbors all knew it as "The bungalow with the green roof and pretty garden". It was also a friendly garden – a place where mum would stop to chat as folks walked past.…
Read MoreLawn-less in Seattle!
One project often leads to another. In this instance, the construction of a workshop meant re-grading and re-thinking the back garden of a lovely home in Sammamish, WA, a popular residential neighborhoood in the Greater Seattle area. In its favor this garden was a good size, had some interesting elevation changes and several mature trees…
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 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…
Read MoreA Room with a Magical View
Arriving late afternoon at our AirBnb we were jet-lagged and weary having just flown from Seattle to Heathrow before then driving west for several hours. Yet, before I had even put the kettle on I grabbed my camera and dashed outside. The facade of this traditional Welsh farmhouse on the edge of the Brecon Beacons…
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