Blog
Got Bugs? Get Bats!
Bats aren't just for Halloween anymore. Their reputation as ghoulish, bloodsucking, disease-carrying rodents is unjustified. They are as beneficial to our environment as birds and bees. But since they do their work at night, they don't get the appreciation they...
Dos and Don’ts of Landscape Fabric
One of the least glamourous materials in the landscape may be landscape fabric. It’s cheap, ugly, and is useful in a variety of applications. Our clients sometimes ask us about installing landscape fabric as a weed prevention tool, and we discourage this. Why you...
The Healing Power of Nature
A growing body of research is finding that regular exposure to trees and nature can help people recover from illness, and lead to better mental and physical health. Most gardeners will tell you that their landscape is their “happy place”, and that gardening is a...
Rocks Rock!
Rocks are natural materials excavated from the earth that add beauty, function, and stability in the landscape. Much of the stone in your area will likely have been brought in from a nearby quarry or local river bed, but some may have traveled hundreds and even...
Lawn Be Gone! Five Alternatives to a Grassy Lawn
With the growing trend for sustainability, water-wise, and eco-friendly lifestyles, most of our clients have been rethinking the lawn. We’ve encountered many requests lately to reduce or eliminate grass in the garden. While a green lawn can be beautiful, it can also...
The Bark Dust Blues: Considerations for a New Backyard
Builders love bark dust. It covers a multitude of sins, costs next to nothing, and allows them to move on to the next project. What do you do when a builder leaves you with a new house and a backyard with bark dust, a concrete slab, and not much else? First things...
Fabulous Foliage Plants for Your Garden
When thinking of plants for our gardens, we often think of flowers first. However, flowers are fleeting; they come and go, but foliage plants are hard at work bringing beauty to garden spaces and patio planters. Here are a just a few of the many plants to consider in...
Top 10 Most Desirable and Disease-Resistant Trees
A popular proverb says "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now." There is huge amount of wisdom in these lines. The following are some of my favorite trees that do well here in the Pacific Northwest. Consider adding one or more...
Adding Living Coral to your Garden
Every year PANTONE® announces the color of the year, which then appears everywhere in all kinds of products from fashion to home decor. Take for example the color for 2019: Living Coral. It is an energizing soft orange with golden undertones. This warm, lively color...
Is Bamboo for You?
Why Bamboo? There are over a thousand different varieties of Bamboo, each with its unique growing habit, height, texture, and color. With so many varieties, you are sure to find one or two that will be a terrific addition to the garden. From sun to shade and from...