Blog
5 Different Step Materials and Their Pros and Cons
Stairways are great solutions for areas with gradual or sudden grade changes. They are functionally essential when you need to get from point 'A' to point 'B', but that doesn't mean they have to be boring. This article shares some designer tips to help...
Common Toxic Plants used in Pacific NW Landscaping
You may be surprised how many of the landscape plants surrounding you in your yard are poisonous. Since they can’t run away from predators like animals do, plants rely on toxins, as well as thorns, spines and prickles, as a form of self-preservation. This is the...
Native Perennial Plants for Your Garden
These native plants are well adapted to our climate, and typically require less irrigation and pesticides in order to thrive in our wet winters and dry summers. Many of these flowering perennials benefit butterflies and birds. Consider incorporating some of these...
Gardening Palettes: Painting with Plants
Designing a landscape can be a lot of fun, but it is also daunting for some people. One way to look at your yard is to think of it as a blank canvas, and the plants are your paints. Each variety of plant has their own unique feature and come in several different...
Creating a Kid-Friendly Garden… Without Breaking the Bank!
It’s summer and that means it’s time to go outside and play! You can create a garden you and your kids will love without spending a fortune. Here are 10 ideas on how to turn your backyard into an exciting and beautiful place to play without investing a lot in...
Drought Tolerant Plants Get Thirsty Too
With ever-warmer and drier summers, many of our clients request drought-tolerant planting plans. Saving water is a win-win, helping conserve natural resources and lower water bills. A typical drought-tolerant planting plan may include a mixture of Pacific Northwest...
Combating Invasive Weeds
Weeds are the bane of many a gardener’s existence, and with the growth season underway, they can crop up in full force. We can help! Here are a few tips to reduce weeds in your yard. Fill up those planting beds! My personal strategy for combating weeds is to fill my...
Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden
It is estimated that one third of human food comes from plants that require pollinators to produce fruits and seeds. Thus, helping pollinators helps us all. Common pollinators include birds, bees, butterflies, moths, flies, and beetles. Around our gardens,...
Fabulous Native Trees and Shrubs
Are you looking for plants on the lower end of the maintenance scale, that can thrive in our soggy winters and bone-dry summers, and handle clay soil? Look no further than these garden-worthy native plants, and cultivated varieties of native plants. Vine Maple (Acer...
Ground Covers: When to Incorporate and Which Ones to Use
Ground cover plants are often overlooked by residential gardeners who are putting together their own planting beds. Perhaps it’s because the shear amount of ground covers available is overwhelming, or maybe they are thought of as something to be added later. In...