Designing Fall Combos

Pathway covered in leaves from red maple in October

It's that time of year when I'm dodging rain showers in the garden and preparing for cooler days ahead while enjoying the rich colors of autumn that still have me reaching for my camera. The best fall gardens are those which celebrate the season with bold combinations and dramatic vignettes. Here are some tips to…

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Renovation of a Mature Border – Part 1

Is your whole garden a place of beauty where butterflies sip, birds sing and you love to linger? Or do you have an area of your garden that is "just what it is". You neither love it, nor hate it – you just haven't got around to thinking about it? I do. This is the…

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Inspired Design – Updating the Front Garden

This beautiful home was suffering from 'plant-it-and-sell-it-itis'. I see this problem all the time; builders are usually required to landscape the front garden when construction is complete, so a haphazard selection of trees and shrubs are planted with little regard to their mature size, texture, form or even the homes architecture and five years later…

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Designing with Fall Foliage

As the PNW braced for the predicted hurricane force winds, most homeowners dashed to the store for candles, groceries and chocolate. Essentials. What did I do? Grabbed my coat, wellies and camera then ran outside between rain squalls to take photos of the garden while there were still some leaves on the trees! I can't…

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Front Garden Re-Imagined

How do you know when it's time to re-think the front garden? Certainly overgrown trees  and a fractured driveway are clues but spray painting the lawn green last summer was the final 'Aha!' moment for my Greater Seattle area clients. Yet funnily enough when I initially suggested a complete renovation they innocently asked "Which tree…

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