I was expecting La Nina. Lovely that it passed us by and so sorry that record cold has crushed much of the rest of the country. I was planting new gardens up until days before Christmas- a first for me. So my fingers were triple crossed that we wouldn’t pay for that decision. But in spite of one frigid dip for a few days in early winter, we’ve slipped through winter unscathed. The past few days of true sun and blue skies reminds us all that we’re just over a month til spring officially arrives.
I’m itching to get going on some new projects- a little restless to be out in the gardens and taking photos. I’ve been leafing through some older files as I do some winter housecleaning and decided to post a few before and afters- including some from this winter’s projects. I’m in the landscape business partly because I love the instant gratification of turning a blank slate or a tangled mess into a sanctuary that makes you smile. I use to practice criminal law. None of my clients were ever excited to see me- actually really hated having to see me. It’s so delightful to have clients happy you are around and smiling when your job is done. Just a few older samples that still make me smile….
.A new deck, a new patio, a yard to enjoy.
A new home and garden. I’ll post updates this spring- one of my favorites.
No way but up here. A construction company’s office- now a bird and chicken sanctuary for the employees to relax in.
A bleak, dark condo entry that is now rich with variegated plantings and a welcoming home.
I recognize that standing in a freshly planted garden looks quite different than posting pictures of it. In the space, you have nurtured the soil back to life and the brown earth smells and looks rich, the plants are nursery tended with perfect leaves and blooms. There is an incomparable sense of self satisfaction that you have created a space of beauty. I always take before and after pictures of my gardens, and I’m always initially disappointed with the after pics that what felt so ordered and lovely while I was clicking away, can translate to looking pretty tiny and incomplete in the photos.
So I risk that here but we will return to these gardens in a few months and next couple of years and watch the magic of a new garden fill in to its full potential
.
This entry is tiny for quite a tall house on the lot. That “grass” you see there is actually a weed patch. The client wanted to have some privacy from the sidewalk that is just feet away- and an enclosure that could match the scale of the house. Lavender ‘Fred Boutin’, Magnolia ‘Little Gem’, Osamnthus ‘Goshiki’ and Anemanthele lessoniana will fill in through the summer.
This backyard was dark and sloped. We filled in the area so the family could have a place to kick around a soccer ball, thinned the canopy to let in light, built a patio.
The front yard takes all the heat and was overgrown with a unruly hedge and parched lawn. We created some privacy screening, built planters and a steel retaining wall for the steep slope by the drive, replaced the lawn and brought the garden up to the caliber of the newly remodeled home. The home and garden will be featured in the spring issue of Seattle Home & Styles.
Steel planter that rust colors with age; wooden planter that doubles for seating with its wide top cap. These small details can make the difference.
Stay tuned for summer photos as the gardens fill in.
