Posts Tagged ‘path’
Fisherman's Bay Garden – a treasure trove of ideas
Tucked away down a steep, winding lane near the charming French whaling village of Akaroa, South Island, New Zealand is Fishermans' Bay Garden, home to Jill and Richard Simpson. Accessing this gem is not for the faint of heart as the homeowners discovered in December 2021 after extreme rain caused the gravel access road to…
Read MoreUnexpected Inspiration from 7000 miles away
What design ideas can I possibly glean for soggy Seattle from a garden in the driest and coldest part of New Zealand? It turns out, many. Not only that but my visit to Jo Wakelin's garden at the foot of the Mt. Pisa range in Central Otago is one that has stayed with me, almost…
Read MorePettifers: Lessons in Layering and Color
As much as we all love to visit world-renowned gardens such as Longwood, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter , it's frequently the private gardens that prove to be the highlight of my garden tours. Guests enjoy chatting with the passionate owners and caretakers, learning about a gardens history and hearing about the various challenges that are…
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 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…
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