Snapshots from Hampton Court Festival

I now understand why many visitors say they prefer the Hampton Court Flower Festival over the Chelsea Flower Show: it seems more familiar, more attainable, more like a community event than a Grand Show. Yet it still offers an abundance of gardening ideas, shopping opportunities, and unlike Chelsea includes a number of educational workshops and…

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Loseley Park – a Hidden Gem

Situated approximately 30 miles south-west of  London, Loseley Park is a 1400 acre estate of beautiful rolling countryside. The Manor itself dates back to the 16th century, and is a private home that has been in the same family for over 500 years. It is a popular destination for events, weddings and you may also…

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Family garden makeover

2020 had many of us re-defining what was important. With movements and social interactions severely reduced, our homes became far more than just a place to eat and sleep, but also an office,  a home schooling center, and often a necessary oasis from the chaotic world beyond our borders. When a lovely family in Snohomish,…

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Big Ideas for Using Color in Small Spaces

So much color, so many ideas, so little time! That's the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in a nutshell. Thank goodness for my camera because that's how I can look back on special visual highlights to glean ideas for my own garden and share some of my favorites with you. In this post I'm focusing…

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Fearless Design- secrets to using bold color in the garden

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show is always a source of inspiration and this year was no exception. One display garden that really caught my eye was called Contained Excitement, designed by my good friend and former colleague Lori DeLeuw (Designs by deLeuw) and David Rogers (Issaquah Landscaping). This was their design statement: Here’s the…

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