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…

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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…

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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…

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Pretty Enough To Eat

Gone are the days where 'salad' meant a limp lettuce leaf and a dollop of salad cream (in the UK) or ranch dressing (in the USA)! Leaf crops such as spinach, peppery arugula and crunchy kale jostle with a tantalizing blend of colorful lettuce varieties. Harvest some young beet leaves, carrot tops and herbs and you have a…

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Punch Up the Color!

Looking for a new color twist this year? Try magenta on for size. Neither pink nor purple, magenta  leans towards fuchsia but is deeper. Designer Daniel Mount is one of the best colorists I know. Where I would settle for a pleasing color echo he achieves that but  then kicks it up a notch to become exceptional. In…

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