Where do I start?  I feel as though I could write an entire book (and this blog post might just be one) about the process of creating our garden The Resonating Sounds of Nature, Finding Peace and Solace in the Garden for the 2012 Northwest Flower & Garden Show. 

The Resonating Sounds of Nature~ Finding Peace and Solace in the Garden

So much has transpired in this process. Creating this garden has had its ups and downs, has made me question everything, and has made me grow both personally and professionally. In the end I have learned to trust in myself and in others. I have also learned that asking for help is OK, and that moving forward with the end result in mind, having the faith that the “how” will play out in time, is how my life flows best. There is so much more I could share, but alas this is about the garden…

So I will start with the week leading up to the show. It all seems like a whirl-wind now. You can read about part one here, and where I left off last here. Our plant list from the show is here. Items that are for sale from the show can be viewed here.

The final chapter…

After a week of being snowed-in we had some catching up to do. Paul had been working on the software that would control the drip system for the drums but he was having some major technical difficulties. Since this was the basis for our concept it was pretty crucial to get it right. Without a way to get the water to drop on the drums there would be nothing to resonate with.

So many thoughts were going through my head and I was second-guessing the decision to base our garden concept on something so technically difficult and something that I had no personal experience with. We had to put our trust completely in others to do something so important (something I’ve never been all that good at doing). I was beating myself up for it and I was losing sleep. 

We decided that we better start considering our plan ‘B’, which was a switching mechanism used at nightclubs that Craig had found, just in case the system Paul was creating didn’t work. We hated to doubt Paul but it wasn’t looking good. But we still needed to create the rhythm. Stefan (drummer and owner of Simply Rocks in Snohomish) agreed to meet with Craig and I on Sunday afternoon. We were there for several hours and we made some good progress creating an actual rhythm.  It was the first time that I knew we could make this work. And the first time in weeks that I got a full night’s sleep. 

Later in the week with the help of Don, Derek and TJ from the Siding Company we got the arbor stained. Don’t let the name fool you, though they may have started out doing siding they do so much more than that. If you ever need any type of woodworking these guys are simply the best!  I just cannot say enough about what truly great people they are. (If you are interested in purchasing the arbor check it out here)

Kryssie and Don making some last minute modifications to the arbor

The Thursday before set-up was a very rough day for various reasons. The day left me beaten down, exhausted and ready to back out of the show. Yes, 2 days before set-up.  I cannot share all of the details about this but I can tell you I felt like I had been run over by a truck…a dozen times.

The good news was that we did make some decent progress with the system Paul was working on for the drums.  All but one drum was working- something to do with the circuit board. But the rhythm he had created was just not right.  I had listened to many drum rhythms to get a feel for what I wanted but so many of them were very intense- stimulating, but not soothing.

In my search for a rhythm I came across The heartbeat Drum Song (Mahk Jchi).  Right away it resonated with me.  Maybe I was Native American in another lifetime.  I was so moved by it that it became a ritual for me to listen to it each morning in bed before I started my day.  Somehow it soothed my mind and made me feel as though everything would work out.

Translated it means: Our hearts are full and our minds are good; Our ancestors come and give us strength; Stand tall, sing, dance and never forget who you are or where you come from

Paul assured me that he could fix the circuit board and get the last drum to work and all would be fine. We left the shop Thursday night with the agreement that he would come to the Convention Center on Monday afternoon to get set-up and the final rhythm worked out. We had to be completed and off the floor Tuesday at noon for judging, so this was already cutting it pretty close.

Friday was a busy day of logistics and getting all of the materials together from various places; the ledge-stone from Rock Mountain, the big slab rock from Simply Rocks, and the plants from the horticulture department at Lake Washington Tech. Don and the guys took down and loaded up the pergola to get it ready to go. I was still feeling pretty beat up after Thursday and I relied heavily on Kryssie to be the clear thinking one that I was not capable of being.

Rafa & Craig loaded up at Simply Rocks

Saturday morning arrived. I felt a new sense of energy and excitement.  I was still a bit uncertain of how it would all come together but there was no backing out now.  The guys finished loading up and picked up the remainder of trees from Wetlands & Woodlands, including several extras that I added onto the list just the day before. Kryssie and I arrived at the Convention Center about 10:00am to begin marking out our space for our move-in time of noon.

Our garden floor Saturday morning

We worked hard all day Saturday and made a lot of progress.

Craig gets to work on the water dipersal system

The arbor was built and most of the stone was set, including the big slab of Montana from Simply Rocks.

Kyrssie oversees the stone placement- we don't want to do this twice

Sunday went well and we were pretty much on schedule.  It was starting to come together but we still had a lot of work to do.

The end of the day on Sunday- plants are set and ready to be planted

Monday started off great. I was surprised at how calm I felt considering the last few months and all that had led up to this day.  Kryssie took care of directing the guys on the water feature and helping Craig set up the drums and I worked with the volunteers to get the plants set and planted.  Organized chaos at its best.

I called Paul to and told him that we should be ready for him to come around 3:00 to set up his system and work out the rhythm for the drums. There was a longer than usual pause of silence followed by a sigh on the other end. He told me there was a problem, that he had had blown his circuit board. He built another one and had blown that one too.  He said he would try but it didn’t look like he was going to be able to build another one in time.  My heart sank a bit but I was thankful we had a plan ‘B’. So I called Stefan and, being the great guy that he is, he agreed to come that night after work to help us.

Relieved, we continued working and by 5:00 we were pretty close to being finished with everything except for the drums.  This was a much different experience than the last time I did the show when we worked frantically down to the last minute before judging. We left around 5:30 and went to get a bite to eat and a well-deserved cold beer.  We came back and met Stefan around 7:00 and worked with him on creating the rhythm until about 9:30. We left feeling pretty darn good.  The best night of sleep I had in months! 

The garden comes together Monday

I came in relaxed and rested at about 8:00 Tuesday morning, cup of coffee in hand. I stood at the front of our garden admiring it and smiling at all we had accomplished.  Then something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.  No way could this be happening. Our water feature had leaked and was all over the concrete floor.

Since we had made such good progress the day before we only had 2 guys coming that morning (in contrast to the 6-8 we had every other day). Soon the guys showed up and they and Kryssie went to work trying to figure it out where our leak was.  We had 3 volunteers scheduled to show up at 8:00…and none did. So I worked on the last minute cleaning up and primping- the only thing that I thought we were going to have to do that day.  Volunteers finally showed up and we frantically worked to be cleaned up and ready to go for judging.

Tuesday was shaping up to be a rough day. After much digging around there was no sign of where the leak was coming from, so we kept mopping until we had to vacate the floor at 12:00.  I was a nervous wreck leaving our garden that way knowing that the judges we soon be there.  So much work for it all to end like this.

Later than evening Kryssie, Johnny and I anxiously arrived at the preview party.  I had sent Cyle (the show designer) a text to see how our leak was doing and if the drums were working. He told me they were mopping it up but that it “wasn’t horrible” and that the drums were working. Not horrible gave me little relief.

When we got to the party we quickly went our garden to see which, if any, award we were given.  Even considering the leak, I think Kryssie and I both hoped we might get gold.  We arrived to see that we had been given a Silver medal.  We took a walk around the other gardens and were surprised to see that the judges had been pretty harsh and our Silver was relatively good.  So we ate.  And drank wine.  The hard part was over.  We did it. 

Celebrating with vino at the preview party

But nothing could prepare us for the 5 days to come.  Compliment after heart-felt compliment, people so passionately thanking us and praising us for our efforts.  It was more that we could have wished for, and it never got old.

Friday we were awarded with the Ethel Moss award, which is the favorite garden voted on by all the garden creators- what an honor for us! 

Such an honor to receive the Fred Palmer award

And then the real surprise came when on Sunday we were awarded the People’s Choice Award. We were so thrilled and excited, especially because this garden was created for the people. We wanted to create a sense of peace, if only for a moment, and for people to truly feel something just being there. I think we accomplished that.

Cyle presenting us with the People's Choice Award

What a truly amazing experience this has been. Once again I have to mention (in no particular order) and thank all those that contributed to creating this garden. We could not have done it without any of the people mentioned below. It truly was a team effort and one that I will always be grateful for.

Craig Penner, City rain. Craig created our water dispersal system and brilliantly came up with our plan ‘B’. Without him there would have been no water to create our rhythm.

Stefan Grunkemeier, drummer and owner of Simply Rocks. Stefan loaned us the large slab at the entry to our garden and created the rhythm that so many resonated with.

Dr. Jeffery Thompson, founder of the Center for Neuroacoustic Rearch in California. Dr. Thompson allowed us to interview him on the healing properties of primordial “womb sounds”, that that have the ability to change our state of consciousness.

Robert Fairfax, Artist. Robert created our “Earth Code Walls” and the “Flame Pods” (the orange skunk cabbage seed heads). He is an artistic genius and worked so hard, not only on creating the art fort the garden, but in helping us build the garden as well.

Steve Farris, Metal Artist. Steve created our “drums” with steel banding- they were beautiful and truly the centerpiece of our garden.

Barbara Sanderson, Artist.  Barbara is so talented and graciously loaned us our glass fire sculpture.

Tim Court, Advantage Light Source. Tim and Natural Concepts worked together to install the wonderful LED lighting that  gave the garden the softly lit effect that we were looking for.

Don Dawson, Derek and TJ, the Siding Company.  These wood-workings gurus are not only talented but are so wonderful to work with! I would trust them with anything wood! Contact them at 206-595-0576 or thesidingcompany@frontier.com

Natural Concepts Landscape Co, Inc. – Jeff, Craig, and especially Rafa and Leo and their team- they have such pride in their work and put so many long hard hours into building our vision!

Kathy & Ella at Wetlands & Woodlands. They generously provided our oodles of plant material for our garden, making it the lush multi-sensory garden that it was.

Northwest Nurseries. They also provided a few key plant specimens that made our garden unique.

Ben and his team at Windmill Gardens.  For forcing our bulbs and other plants into bloom and meticulously delivering them to the show.

John and David from Meyer Wells- They worked with us to custom-mill a huge salvaged Doug Fir to create our beautiful arbor.

Uriah Bueller, Parasoleil. Uriah worked with us last minute to deliver the architectural metal panels that cast the beautiful shadows in our garden. The Parasoleil panels from the show can be purchsed here.

Stone suppliers, Marenakos, Rock Mountain, and Simply Rocks. They provided literally tons of natural stone for our garden. A Special thanks to Marenakos for all the time they spend providing and setting stone for all the garden creators in the show!

Sawdust Supply Co. Inc. For the yards and yards of sawdust and mulch that provide the foundation for all the gardens.

All the volunteers, including students and alumni from Lake Washington Institute of Technology, fellow designers Leanne Goulding and Laura Kleppe, and client Tammy Quinatar.

And last but not least, Kryssie Maybay whose quick thinking, fast problem-solving skills and steadfast ‘knowing’ that everything would turn out helped to keep me sane and on track. I couldn’t have done this without you!

The Resonating Sounds of Nature ~ Finding Peace and Solace in the Garden

Inspired by nueroacoustic research, this holistic Northwest garden creates a three-dimensional sound environment of primordial sounds found in nature. These “womb sounds” resonate with us at a subconscious level, taking us back to the beginning of our journey. Relax and connect with nature by immersing your senses in the rhythmic sounds of rainwater falling on drums and trickling through the stream, as you bathe in the warmth of the crackling fire. Rejuvenate your spirit, nourish your mind and body, and deepen your breath as you take in the sweet fragrance of white flowers.  A new state of consciousness begins here…

About the Garden

Just as holistic medicine considers the health of the mind, body and soul, this multisensory, holistic garden promotes health and well-being for gardener, the garden, and the larger eco-system in which they all exist. By Living in balance and harmony with nature and our surroundings we gain a sense of inner peace, nourish our spirit and connect with a deeper part of our self.

By incorporating sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, the garden engages the five senses creating a connection between the brain and the body. The multisensory garden then becomes the bridge that connects the mind and body to the environment, which can be both stimulating and relaxing.

Sight- Color, texture, form, movement, and the contrast between light and shadows stimulate our sense of sight. The layout of the overhead structure, walls, and patio space are proportioned to the Fibonacci Ratio (also known as the golden ratio), an aesthetically pleasing propositions that is found in nature, master works of art, and even the proportions of the human body. The variety of textures and the use of white flowers create a peaceful and soothing feeling, while the shadows from the overhead panels cast shadows from the moon and sunlight.

Sound- The subtle sounds of nature include birds chirping, frogs croaking, leaves rustling, and the sound of rain drops, all of which can have a soothing affect. Our garden highlights the use of sound as a healing therapy. According to Dr. Jeffery Thompson, Director of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research in California, there are a set of sounds  called ‘Primordial sounds’ that we all share the experience of, regardless of our race, sex, religion, language or culture. According to Dr. Thompson, “the symphony of sound patterns we experience in the womb  are deeply embedded in our subconscious mind for the rest of our lives…and  have the power to awaken deep levels of recognition in the subconscious mind”.  These sounds are the heartbeat, the sounds of amniotic fluid, and voices heard from inside the womb.  In our garden these sounds are represented by the drums, water in the stream, and sounds of voices that will be heard as people gather on the patio.

Smell- Certain smells can trigger memories in an instant and have the ability to evoke a powerful emotional response. Incorporating fragrant flowers, plants and herbs can affect our mood and connect us with nature.  We have used a variety of fragrant flowers along with herbs that can be enjoyed in the garden and also indoors.

Taste- Growing food in the garden, whether it be to supplement your food supply, to save money, to avoid pesticides and chemicals, or to have the peace of mind knowing exactly where your food comes from, can be fun and easy. Herbs, plants with medicinal qualities, and blueberries (rich in antioxidants) can be found in our garden and contribute to the health and well-being of the gardener.

Touch- Touch is a powerful sensory experience. The contrast between the smooth surfaces and rough edges of natural stone along with the many different textures of plants encourage the user to want to touch and interact with the garden.

Many elements in the garden are salvaged materials, including the steel backdrop for the fireplace, the steel strapping used on the drums, and what was once a 150’ Doug Fir from Mercer Island that was salvaged and repurposed as our arbor. The LED lights use minimal energy and will last for much longer than traditional lighting.

Plant List

The Resonating Sounds of Nature, Finding Peace and Solace in the Garden 

In case you haven’t heard, two weeks from today the annual Northwest Flower & Garden Show will begin.  That’s 14 days, 336 hours or 20,010 minutes from the time I am writing this.  But who’s counting.  And are we ready, you ask?  Of course…not.

So much time, work, money, creative juices, passion, antacids, and maybe even a few tears (is that ok to admit?) have gone into creating our Garden, The Resonating Sounds of Nature, Finding Peace and Solace in the Garden.  Ironic isn’t it? Emotions have ranged from giddy excitement to anticipation, to sheer fear and utter dread. Yes, I said it…dread.  And insomnia. Did I mention nightmares? Like the one where I forgot about set-up and showed up on opening day and had to set up the garden in just a few hours.  Or the one where our water system didn’t work for the drums and so Kryssie took it upon herself to round up about 50 random street musicians to bring in their own drums and just start whaling on them instead.

But truthfully, the process of creating this garden has been tranformational for me. I’ll save this for another post, but I believe it’s true that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ll confirm that with you if I’m still alive after the show.

If you didn’t see my last blog covering the last 6 months of this process you can read about it here to get up to speed.

Shortly after writing my last post we got snow. A lot of snow. A “Winter Storm Proclamation” was made. It just kept coming, and coming.  And it was beautiful! Being snowbound for a week at any other time is actually kind of a nice break but last week…well let’s just say my list for this week has effectively doubled and we are now in catch up mode.  But we’ll get everything done. And if we don’t we’ll just gather some random street musicians to come and whale on their drums instead.

A Varied Thrush keeping one foot warm on a snow day

Here’s what has gone on since my last post:

We started working on the water distribution system with Paul Sorey.  Paul built this circuit board that will work with the solenoid valves to create our drum rhythms.  The rhythms are first composed as MIDI files and then, using interfacing software, are sent as serial data to the controller. It worked the first time so we were pretty excited, not to say that there isn’t a few kinks to be worked out. Let’s just hope we are working them out at the show. 

Paul shows us his handy work

We started staining the arbor.  After experimenting with 4 different stain colors, including a clear and an iron and vinegar mixture, we chose this color called Cordovan. It’s a rich, deep brown which we think will look pretty great with the drums, Earth Walls and lush green plantings. We also picked up these washers which will be mostly decorative, but add a rustic feel to the arbor.  

Arbor color and washer

I made a trip down to Windmill Gardens on Monday to check out our plants.  Most of them look great.  Except our bulbs.  Ben (the owner) told me he doesn’t think the will be ready in time for the show.  No big deal, since we only have 500 of them!  That’s 200 tulips, 200 daffodils and 100 hyacinths. Anyone need some bulbs? But I refuse to accept that they won’t be ready.  I gave them a little talking to and I think I saw them grow a little in the time I was there. Prayers for our bulbs are welcome.

Bloom baby, bloom!

On Tuesday I got a call from Don Marshall from Lake Washington Tech letting me know that two of the greenhouses, one of which was housing several of our plants for the show, had collapsed in the snow.  Really. At last I heard it doesn’t seem as though we lost too much but I am going out tomorrow to check it out.

Greenhouse goes down with the weight of the snow

I also made another trip to Wetlands & Woodlands to check on the remaining plants still to be procured. We have all but the 3 Acer griseum (Paper Bark Maples) that we will be using. It’s making me a little anxious that we don’t have them yet. They need to be big. But if all else fails we can always pick up a few of the many snow and ice casualties left roadside from our recent storm. 

Revised plan for our new space

We also had to do quite a bit of redesigning of our original plan. Just a few weeks ago one of the garden creators backed out and our space got moved to theirs.  Our new space is a different shape and slightly bigger. Oh yeah, and it’s the first garden attendees will see when they walk in the door.  No pressure.

Yesterday we had a pre-con meeting with the guys from Natural Concepts. They seem psyched and ready to go, though they have never done one of these shows before. A good amount of discussion was about the water feature.  Creating a water feature on a concrete floor with several tons of rock is not something for the faint of heart. The show producers don’t look kindly on leaky water features and wet floor signs. They suggest a double liner or liner and felt; we will be using all 3. 

That’s all for now. There is still much to do, and I better get to it!

Like us on facebook and Subscribe to our RSS feed to keep up to date on the progress   And be sure to visit us at the show February 8-12, 2012! 

The Resonating Sounds of Nature, Finding Peace and Solace in the Garden

It all started about 6 months ago, back in August of 2011, when Kryssie and I decided to explore the idea of creating a garden for the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, A Floral Symphony, Gardens Take Note, which runs from February 8-12, 2012. For anyone who hasn’t experienced one of these shows, it is suffice to say that it is a major undertaking to create one of these gardens in 90 hours.  To give you an idea (and to prove my point) you can watch a time lapse video of what goes on during set up here.

After contacting Cyle, the show’s designer, we found out that the applications for the gardens were due in July.  We were a bit disappointed, and maybe a bit relieved… until he told us that we might still have a shot of getting in the show. Uh oh. We met with Cyle and talked about the options of doing one of the 10’x10’ “Living it Up” spaces, or maybe even a container garden display. Ah yes, easy and simple, that would be nice. Or we could go for it and commit ourselves to months of planning, design and hard work to create one of the full size display gardens. Who needs easy and simple?

We got to work on the design and our heads were spinning with ideas. We finally decided on our concept after our visit to the drum garden designed by Dan Corson at Cedar River Watershed Education Center in September.  We were captivated by the rhythmic sounds of water falling on the drums. From there we did some research on the healing properties of sound and found the work of Dr. Jeffrey Thompson from the Center for Nueroaucustic Research in California. We contacted Dr. Thomson and he agreed to an interview. During that fascinating interview Dr. Thompson spoke about his work and the healing properties of sound, which you can learn more about here .  Let’s just say, he had us at “resonate”.

And so the concept The Resonating Sounds of Nature- Finding Peace and Solace in the Garden was born.  Our intention was to create a space that connects us with nature and that deeper part of ourselves that is awakened when we can tune out the external noise and find the peace within.

The process of creating this garden has been a labor of love, similar to the the rewards and pain of giving birth to a child. A very big child. With this moment in time equating to contractions at about 5 minute intervals.

The following is a photo recap of the process over the last 6 months:

Sept 2011: Our inspiration

Our visit to the  Cedar River Watershed where we found our inspiration in the drum courtyard

The Cedar River drum courtyard

We meet and see the work of artist Steve Farris at an APLD garden tour and he agrees to make our “drums”

A metal urn created by Steve farris

October 2011: The design evolves

3D model of the garden

We start to collect plants, graciously loaned to us by Wetlands & Woodlands Nursery

We begin to pick out materials including this 2400 lb piece of stone from Simply Rocks in Snohomish that will  be at the entry of our garden

Big a** stone!

We visit artist Robert Fairfax and he begins creating these beautiful “Earth Code” walls for our garden 

"Earth Code" walls by Robert Fairfax

November 2011: We get tricky with Mother Nature and begin to bring plants, including 500 bulbs, to Windmill Gardens in Sumner for forcing 

This special Hydrangea gets the back seat

In late November we get some unfortunate news, the contractor that was going to build our garden has to back our for reasons beyond their control. We are in limbo and not sure if we will be able to do the garden after all…

December 2011: We bring more plants to Windmill Gardens and we take up every bit of space we are allotted. Thankfully my Alma mater, the horticulture program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, also offers us space to store our plants.

More plants go to Windmill

Good news! We partner with Natural Concepts Landscape Company to help us build the garden.  We’re back on!

January 2012: We partner with Meyer Wells and Green Tree Mill and they turn a recently salvaged 150′ Doug Fir from Mercer Island into 10′x10′ posts and 24′ long beams for our arbor 

A salvaged tree gets a new purpose

We receive a special post-Christmas delivery, our new drums from Steve Farris

Steel strapping drums created by Steve Farris

We visit Marenakos to pick out our boulders and risers. They really rock!  OK, that was bad.

Risers that will be our steps into the garden

Don Dawson and his crew get to work and our arbor begins to take shape

It's a monster!

As you can see by all the people involved that creating this garden is a team effort and we are so grateful for all the people that have volunteered their time and effort to help us!

To be continued…

Stay tuned for the next phase as we work with Craig Penner from City Rain and  Paul Sorey, the original technical designer and fabricator of the water distribution system at the drum garden at the Cedar River Watershed, to orchestrate the water system for our garden. This is no easy task!

Like us on facebook and Subscribe to our RSS feed to keep up to date on the progress  And be sure to visit us at the show February 8-12, 2012!

That is, if you want to enjoy it this summer. It’s not surprising that for most people freezing cold temperatures and mistletoe don’t trigger thoughts about a new design or renovation of their landscape.  Even as we near spring, snow on the ground and gray rainy days prevent us from thinking about summer barbeques and warm nights on the patio with a glass of icy Chardonnay. But as the days become longer and buds begin to swell with the promise of spring we realize that it will soon be time to pack away our winter sweaters in exchange for flip-flops and bikinis…ok, maybe that’s a stretch.

So naturally it may be spring by the time you start to think about that long-overdue backyard project, ditching the kiddie pool in exchange for a new adult-sized water feature, or replacing that old play set with a cozy fire pit. But if you want to get the most out of your new garden, especially here in the great Northwest where summer is known to come and go before you can say Pseudotsuga menziesii (AKA, Douglas Fir), you will be one step ahead of the game if you start thinking about and planning for your landscape now.  Yes now.

Landscape design, like any art, is a process, and sometimes a lengthy one. Much thought goes into determining your true wants and desires and matching that with your resources in a way that will seamlessly incorporate your new landscape with its surroundings and your home’s architecture…whew, even saying that takes along time. This takes time…time that can eat away at those far too few precious summer days that you will have to relax, play and enjoy your new garden with family and friends.

The landscape design process and the time that each portion of the process can take:

The design process starts with an initial meeting to get to know you and what your goals are. Once the scope of the landscape design has been established a site analysis will be done and your property, house, and existing features will be measured in order to get a base map from which we can start the design. Typically the process from an initial meeting to the time when we will meet to go over the landscape concepts we have developed for you is 2-3 weeks. 

Before ~ Lake Stevens residence at inital meeting in 2008

We then meet to review the conceptual designs and get your feedback which allows us to make revisions and develop your final landscape design plan and planting plan.  This can take anywhere from another 1-3 weeks.

Finally it will be time to review the final landscape design plan and planting plan. From there we can progress to procuring bids from landscape contractors. Dependent on workload, contractors typically take 1-3 weeks to return final estimates.

During construction in January of 2009

Once the contractor is chosen construction can be scheduled to start, which again is dependent on work load and time of year, but can be anywhere from 2-6 weeks. Though this project took much longer than that.

The duration of the actual landscape construction depends on the size and complexity of the project but most average between 2-4 weeks. Add all of that up and you are looking at anywhere from about 2-5 months from start to finish…assuming no delays.

After ~ The finished project in Summer of 2009

Keeping all of that in mind, when it comes to starting the landscape design process the earlier we start the better.  Some well-spent time on the design and planning now can have us ready to start construction as soon as weather permits, and finish in time to enjoy your new garden all summer long! 

What could be better than giving the gift of a new outdoor living space? Why not give a gift certificate for a consultation to begin creating the landscape of your dreams! 

Happy Holidays!!!

We’d love to hear your comments or questions?  Please post below … 

As a designer, reading plans is second nature, but it is very difficult for some people to visualize and understand what a landscape plan will actually look like when construction is completed.  Plans that are presented from a plan (or “bird’s eye”) view do not allow the homeowner to see things like the heights of walls, stairs, and structures, and how they relate to the existing home and landscape. That is where 3d modeling capabilities can make a world of difference.

3D modeling allows the designer to give a real world view of what is on paper to the homeowner in a way that is easier for them to understand.   Imagine being able to look at a picture of your completed landscape before construction even begins…

Although a very useful tool, 3D modeling is not included in every design. Typically it is added onto a design if the homeowner needs it to get a better understanding of the plan. It adds quite a bit of time to the process and therefore adds to the cost of the design. Like a landscape plan, the additional cost depends on the size and complexity of the project.

If you would like to see the actual photos of this project click here

If you are like me you are still waking in the morning hoping to see the sun rising, only to find it dark, or hoping that we might be able to eek out one more day of 70 degree weather, only to be informed by your smart phone that today will be cloudy with a chance of rain…and a possible sunbreak in the afternoon.

I always feel a bit of resistance around the beginning of September, as warm summer breezes give way to cool foggy mornings and late evening strolls are replaced with cozy nights by the fire and a glass of red. But this year it has been especially difficult since here in the Northwest we only had what felt like two weeks of summer. Yet as much as I deny its arrival, I always eventually welcome fall with its rich tones and warm-sweater-wearing crisp days.

Observing the happenings in your garden can be somewhat the same way. We are sorry to see abundant drifts of flowers wither and curl and yet we are in awe as the rich fall foliage colors emerge. Spending some time in the garden at this time of transition will be worth it when spring returns and you emerge from your deep hibernation. But that time is a ways off…

There are many things that can be done in the garden but we have whittled them down to what we feel are the most important. Being a list-person I find that having these things easily listed to be checked off helpful.

Fall “To Do” list in the Northwest garden

For your Lawn

• Fertilize grass with an organic fertilizer. Late fertilizing encourages sugars to be stored for a quick rebound in spring.
• Thatch if necessary, aerate (every other year), and overseed.
• Add lime. The ideal ph for lawns is between 6.0 and 7.0. The best way to know your soil condition is to have a soil test done, however most soils in the Northwest tend to be acidic due to the high amount of rainfall and conifers in our area. Adding lime over time will make the soil more alkaline, which turfgrass prefers. Lime also makes the soil more hospitable to the microorganisms that help to break up clay soils and make nutrients available to plants.
• Winterize your lawn mower after the last mow of the season by cleaning off grass clippings and sharpening the blade.

Container plantings 

• Freshen up containers with evergreen shrubs and perennials, grasses and fall bloomers like pansies and mums. Some of our favorite fall container plants are nandina, heather, heuchera, acorus, Algerian ivy, osmanthus, arbutus, and leucothoe.
• If you’re like me you may like to push the zonal limit a bit and use plants in containers that aren’t hardy. If you have the space (and the desire) remove and bring in any tender plants before the first frost, which in the Seattle area is usually mid-November.
• You can over-winter plants like banana, echevaria, begonia, caladium, colocasia, fuchsia, geranium, and brugmansia/datura spp (Angel’s Trumpet) in a greenhouse, basement, or garage near a window. Some plants like begonias and echivarea can be stored as houseplants. Check weekly and be sure not to let them completely dry out.
• It’s also a good idea to bring in any containers that do not have holes drilled in the bottom or that are not freeze-proof, like terracotta, to prevent them from cracking over the winter.

Planting beds

• Keep weeds pulled to avoid them going to seed. I wish there was a magic solution other than pulling but sorry to break it to you, manually pulling them is the best way to deal with pesky weeds.
• Remove spent annuals and vegetable crops. Plant cover crops in the place of next year’s veggie garden. Cover crops reduce erosion and replace the growth of weeds and add nitrogen to the soil.
• Divide and transplant perennials. Most perennials start to look pretty ratty as we start getting colder temps at night. They can be cut back to around 2-6” and divided to plant in other parts of the garden or to give to friends and fellow gardening geeks like us.
• Dig up summer blooming bulbs (dahlias, cannas, and gladiolas) and store them somewhere dry for the winter.
• Plant spring bulbs: tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, snowdrops, and crocus, as soon as night-time temps drop to around 50 degrees (and about 6 weeks before the ground freezes). Plant bulbs in a sunny location in well-drained soil in groups of 5-10. Or for even larger drifts of bulbs plant in groups of 15-30. Large bulbs should be planted 8-12” deep and smaller bulbs 4-6 “deep. If you are not sure which end is up pant sideways and they will right themselves. Cover with soil and water.There’s no need to fertilize newly planted bulbs but bulbs that have been in the ground for a year or more can benefit from a layer of nutrient rich compost or mulch. You can protect against hungry squirrels by covering bulbs with chicken wire and securing in place with pieces of wire before covering with soil.
• Root-prune large shrubs or trees plants that you intend to move or transplant in spring. To root prune run a spade wide around the drip line of the tree to sever roots. This encourages new feeder roots to develop. Ideally you should leave the tree for 2-3 months up to a year before transplanting.
• Create new planting beds. Remove areas of grass or sheet mulch large areas by putting a layer of cardboard down over grass or heavily weeded area (remove weeds if they have gone to seed) and top with a layer of mulch.
• Plant new additions. Fall is the best time for planting! Plants are entering dormancy yet are still developing roots through fall and winter. With the increased rainfall and temperature drop they will get a good start on being established when warms temps return. Late blooming perennials like sedums, aster, and ornamental grasses as well as heucheras, heathers, and colorful conifers are great plants for instant fall color and texture.
• Continue to water until rainfall starts. And don’t forget containers and plants underneath the eves that don’t get natural rainfall. Most damage occurs not because of cold but because of cold and dryness together.
• Tidy up and cut back any unruly plants and rogue groundcovers but wait until spring to do any hard pruning of trees and shrubs, and especially roses. Pruning can make plants less cold hardy, not to mention that a hard pruning this time of year when plants are going dormant may leave your shrubs looking pretty awful. Wait until late winter/early spring to do major pruning.
• Mulch. If you didn’t mulch in the spring you can do it now. A 1-2” layer of mulch will help to regulate soil temperatures, insulate plants, cover weed seeds, control erosion, and help keep water from splashing on leaves, which reduces fungal diseases. There are many different types of mulch: leaves, straw, hog fuel, wood chips, bark, cocoa bean hulls (don’t use if you have a dog), pine needles, wine corks, and composted nutrient-rich mulches. Choose the mulch that is appropriate in the area you are mulching (you probably wouldn’t want to mulch with hog-fuel in your front yard but it can work great in a woodland garden, side yard or less frequently seen area).
• Leave the leaves in planting beds to control weeds and to enrich the soil. Leaves that have fallen on the ground are full of nutrients. The exceptions to this are leaves with diseases like rust or powdery mildew, so it’s best to rake up leaves from roses and fruit trees which are often plagued with these diseases. If you have a mulching lawn mower you can run it over your lawn (with bag attached) and then spread the leaves in your planting beds or veggie garden, add them to your compost bin. The leaves will break down slowly and can be raked up in the spring or left to further decompose. You can also run your mower (bag off) over them and leave them right on the lawn. (Note: leaves shouldn’t be left to sit on the lawn without chopping them up.)
• Adjust irrigation by 50%. Plan to have irrigation winterized before temperatures drop below freezing.
• Clean, sharpen and oil tools.
• Keep a gardening journal- of what worked and what didn’t so that you can refer to it next year. Also make notes for cop rotation for next year’s veggies.

What are you waiting for?  You have work to do!

Have fun, and please if you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below.  Happy gardening!

I spent part of the day yesterday at a planting event for 7 rain gardens that were being installed along Oakes and Lombard Avenues (where over 90 homes flooded in 2010) in Everett, WA. The pilot program was sponsored by the City of Everett in partnership with the WSU extension office, The Snohomish County Conservation District, and Stewardship Partners. The installation of these rain gardens was just the beginning of an exciting goal to install 12,000 rain gardens throughout Puget Sound by 2016.

volunteers get started on the planting

The rain garden project demonstrates how average homeowners can use innovative landscaping to help reduce water pollution and local flooding. By reducing the amount of water entering the combined sewer during large storm events the rain gardens will help to protect our local waterways from polluted runoff. Polluted runoff starts as rain that collects pollutants from urban rooftops, driveways, lawns and streets and is the largest source of water pollution

Rain gardens soak up and filter this runoff using a shallow depression in a yard planted with a variety of plants including flowers, shrubs and grasses that will tolerate wet winters and dry summers. Rain gardens mimic a forest environment to filter pollution, reduce flooding, replenish groundwater, and provide wildlife habitat to birds and pollinators.

On average, rain gardens filter 98% of all oil, grease, copper, zinc and other toxic materials before they can get into and pollute our local water ways. They are a proven and cost-effective method for addressing polluted runoff.

volunteers get started on the planting

If you would like more information on rain gardens or this project visit: www.12000raingardens.org. If you have any questions or comments about rain garden please feel free to post them below!