Caladium Inspiration

Here in the Pacific Northwest, caladiums are considered a rather exotic houseplant that can vacation outside on the shady summer patio but are not your 'mainstream' summer annual. In fact they will rarely be found with geraniums or petunias at the local nursery, but rather remain tucked away with the indoor plants. Despite that I…

Read More

Pinterest Peer Pressure – baring it all!

I thought it would never happen. Sunshine finally arrived in Seattle for two days in a row! Enough time to get 21 yards of mulch on the garden and persuade me to take some photographs. To celebrate that spring may finally be reaching us I thought I'd share some of the early season color that…

Read More

Making TWO Containers Work

I'm often asked how many containers should be grouped together, do they have to be in groups of 3, do they all have to match and should they all be planted identically. The answer is NO to all those concerns! Here are several ways to make a group of just TWO containers work with style.…

Read More

Using a Signature Color

The display gardens from the 2017 Northwest Flower & Garden Show may be dismantled but the memories and design inspiration will feed my creative soul for years to come thanks to photographs . As I reviewed my images this morning I was struck once again how several designers had used orange as a signature color.…

Read More

Creating Sanctuary

What does the word 'sanctuary' mean to you? A place of peace, protection, an oasis? Somewhere you you feel at ease? Cocoon-like?  How would you go about creating such a space in your own garden? I had the honor of co-judging the City Living displays at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show last week. These…

Read More