There are front yard berm designs you finish and forget, and there are ones that stay with you. This one is the second kind. Not because it was complicated. Because the bones were so good, and the solution was so clear, and it never got planted. That is its own kind of grief in gardening. […]
The Berm That Got Away Read More »
This was part of a larger project, a neighbor who had posted in a local mom’s group hoping to surprise her parents with a refreshed front yard. Four beds, a full plan, the whole thing designed as a gift. If you want to read how it started, that story begins with the hostas in Two
A Blank Slate and a Plant Addiction Read More »
It started with a post in a local mom’s group. A neighbor was hoping to surprise her parents while they were away on an extended trip, a refreshed front yard ready to come home to. She was willing to do the planting herself. She just needed someone to tell her what to plant, how many,
Two Roses and a Thorny Decision Read More »
A neighbor posted in a local mom’s group asking for help with landscape planning. She was hoping to surprise her parents with a refreshed front yard while they were away. She would do the planting herself, she just needed someone to tell her what to plant, how to lay it out, and how to make
Bedside Manners: A Shade Garden Design with Surprise and Purpose Read More »
By January, the garden looks like a pause: bare stems, frozen soil, and the one patch of green that refuses to quit. That is where the work really shows. The evergreens keep their shape, softening corners and holding the structure together until the growing starts again. These plants are the quiet scaffolding of the garden,
Evergreens That Work for You Read More »
Opening Observation Although I grew up where tulip fields were part of the spring landscape, someday I’d still like to see the ones in Holland — those miles of color that seem to blend straight into the sky. Until then, I make do with my own small tour at home. The Perennial Delight mix feels
Plant Profile: Perennial Delight Tulip Mix Read More »
The Season Starts with Memory I grew up in Skagit Valley, home to one of the most well-known tulip festivals in the country. The festival has grown significantly over the years, drawing such large crowds that traffic has become a major challenge. But once you get there, the miles of gorgeous blooms nestled in the
Fall Bulbs: What Nobody Understands Until You Explain It Read More »
Opening Observation A field of memory, right in the yard. Some flowers bloom from nostalgia. For me, tulips are one of those. I grew up in Skagit Valley, Washington, where tulips weren’t just a springtime decoration, they were a cultural event. The Tulip Festival marked the season as clearly as the scent of fresh soil.
Plant Profile: Darwin Hybrid Impression Tulip Mix Read More »
Not a Blueprint — A Feeling I think about flower beds the way some people think about paintings. Not in the sense of perfect symmetry or high drama, more like mood, rhythm, and cohesion. I want a space that feels intentional without feeling overworked. A place where your eyes can land, then wander. Where things
Garden Like an Impressionist: If Monet Had a Hose (and a Spreadsheet) Read More »
A Familiar Practice, Seen Anew I wasn’t looking for a shortcut. I was looking for a way to think faster. After a year of watching the yard wake and fade, I already knew its temperament: where the water pooled, which corners baked dry, what the rabbits liked best. What I needed was a way to
The Digital Gardener: Companionship, Not Control Read More »
A structured gardening approach to dirt, blooms, and the occasional rabbit emergency I know the type. Barefoot in the garden, flowing dress, maybe sipping herbal tea while gently patting soil around a seedling. That’s not my gardening approach. I’m out there in boots, bent over pulling on some weed or other, sweaty and far from
My Gardening Approach: Not Exactly Barefoot in the Garden Read More »
Opening Observation I am still deciding how I feel about Wine & Roses Weigela. I like the idea of it more than the current reality. The deep purple foliage is striking, and I love the way it plays off the purple tones of the bigleaf hydrangea nearby. On paper, it is exactly the contrast I
Plant Profile: Wine & Roses Weigela Read More »