Garden Emergencies

Help! As a designer there is one fundamental expectation when friends and clients visit; that my garden will be alive. This year that has been questionable as we've battled a plague of voles, unrelenting high temperatures, unprecedented drought and recovery from last winter which although mild arrived with a drop in temperature of twenty degrees or…

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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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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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Focal Points & Vignettes Using Containers

Whether your container is left empty as a sculptural element or abundantly planted with a colorful assortment of trees, shrubs perennials and annuals, it is unlikely to be seen in isolation. Often they are placed On a patio Within a garden border Adjacent to a path Look around and behind your container – what do…

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Sunshine in the Shade

Shady gardens can be a challenge. When viewed up close one can appreciate the subtle details of a fern or primrose but plants need to have major dazzle factor to be visible from a distance. The shadiest part of our garden is visible from our front window and is approximately 150' away. The first year…

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