Clik here to view.
The Emerging Garden
Hosta ‘Sagae’ is one of the first to leaf out in my garden, its golden variegation a welcome splash of light in the shade garden It’s been 3 1/2 years since we moved into our mosquito-ridden swamp. Of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Epimediums with a Twist
Golden yellow grasses (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) and variegated iris (Iris x robusta ‘Gerald Derby’) enhance the spring interest I’m always looking for new ways to pair old favorites. I typically...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From Wilderness to Woodland (or almost)
The End (Just so as you know this ends Happily Ever After) Once upon a time there was a mess. A very icky sticky mess. Think mosquito-infested swamp type mess. September 2010- Cottonwoods already...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fall Containers Boot Camp
Are you ready to refresh your containers for fall? When your coleus turns to mush you know it’s time! Yet many of us have a complete brain freeze at the start of a new season and can’t remember what...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Pumpkin Color Palette
Pumpkin is ‘IN’. From spiced pumpkin lattes and cream cheese frosted muffins to the farm stands brimming with every shape and size of both edible and ornamental squash – there is no denying that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Join Me For An Autumn Stroll
Rich autumnal tones play off this hand made rustic urn If you had told me four years ago that I would have my garden would be published in national magazines (or at last discreet parts of it), that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Looking Back
October 2013 Those of you who enjoy my monthly newsletters may recognize this as the entrance to the magical garden of designer Mitch Evans. Mitch has the uncanny ability to create stunning plant...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If You Think It Looks Good Now….
Definitely a day for snoozing by the fire The log fire is blazing and although last nights frost has thawed the temperatures will soon begin to drop again. This is the time of year when I prefer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Garden of Celebration, Reflection & Healing
Cairns are an ancient way to denote a path or memorial site. Photo credit; Alyson Ross Markley Do you feel the need for a personal outdoor space to call your own and simply ‘be’? Are you looking for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
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...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Peace in the Garden
As the Christmas decorations get put away for another year the house can seem a little bare. We’ve got used to the shiny glass baubles, the festive mantle and those special ornaments that we look...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Naked in the Garden with Jamie Durie
As I pushed open the door to the nail salon the phone rang. “Hi Karen? Jamie here. Jamie Durie.” Realizing my much needed manicure was going to have to wait I hastily ducked back out and rushed to my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Taming the Front Garden
The existing landscaping suggested a neglected home; a far cry from the truth! Eek! Where would you start? Pruning the overgrown rhododendrons and camellias? Removing towering, diseased conifers?...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Path Less Traveled
Sapphire Blue sea holly is a favorite for deer resistant, drought tolerant drama Have you been into your garden recently? Not to weed the borders or cut the grass – just to see what is happening? Set...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Front Garden Re-Imagined
BEFORE; After over 40 years it was time to re-think this space 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...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Designing with Fall Foliage
It’s that time of year – warts and all 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?...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Inspired Design – Updating the Front Garden
BEFORE – the existing garden included some lovely trees and shrubs but there was no sense of a plan or understanding of how these plants would mature. The lawn was also an arbitrary shape – a common...
View ArticleClik here to view.
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...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Designing Fall Combos
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...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Designing a Winter Wonderland
It’s all very well knowing that for a garden to look good in winter it has to have “good bones“. But what do you do when a foot or more of snow turns those bones into a lumpy graveyard? Seriously –...
View Article
