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Project Spotlight: Spanish Courtyard – APLD Award Winning Garden 2025
Read more about our 2025 APLD Winning Garden below! This Spanish-style home located in Kirkland had been replanted several times and was bare most of the year. The arched breezeway creates a grand entrance but the landscape was not complimentary. The client wanted to include low-maintenance plantings and hardscaping that connected the courtyard spaces with… Read more
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Ask the Designer Series – Master Planning
Question I want to be able to install my landscape in phases. Should I have the design done in phases as well or all at once? Answer Many of our clients opt to install their gardens in phases but we always recommend getting a master plan completed before starting on the installation. Having a master… Read more
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Top 10 Shade Garden Plants
Evergreen Beesia (Beesia deltophylla) – This slow spreader is great for covering ground under trees or in woodland gardens where other plants might not be as successful. The dark, evergreen leaves are glossy and heart shaped creating a nice, bold texture in the garden. In spring, slender flower stems rise above the foliage with small,… Read more
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Ask the Designer Series – Retaining Walls
Question I have a sloped backyard that is unusable in its current state. Should I put up a retaining wall to create a flat space or are there more options? Answer Being in the Pacific Northwest, we get some form of this question from almost every client. There are many different ways to tackle a… Read more
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Estimates vs Contracts
A new landscape project typically comes with a large cost and it’s important to understand how pricing can be provided to you. While estimates and contracts can be very similar at first glance, there are key differences that are important to know when you’re getting pricing for your project. Estimates Estimates are typically meant to… Read more
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Setting a Vision for the Garden
Every well-designed garden starts with a master vision. We are constantly asking and answering who, what, when, where, and why. When we’re working towards a client’s vision for their garden, we look at 4 main pieces: context, function, elements, and aesthetic/style. These give us an outline to work from and inform the design from concept… Read more
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Northwest Flower & Garden Festival Wrap-Up
It’s been a week since the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival opened and we could finally show our entire display garden to everyone. We loved giving sneak peaks on our socials but it feels so good to not have to hide it anymore! From our incredible installation crew at Alliance Landscape Services and Neucon Construction… Read more
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Gathering Gardens
Gathering gardens traditionally started as community spaces for people to come together to enjoy nature, learn about and grow native plants, and have a space for celebrations and other recreational activities. On a residential scale, gathering gardens can be the hub of the family and function as an extension of your home. Gathering gardens are… Read more
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Plants that Stand Out in the Winter Garden
While there are a plethora of evergreen trees and shrubs that provide interest year-round, these plants really stand out in the garden when that first frost hits. Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ or ‘Little Bunny’) – Although not technically an evergreen, the flower stalks can be left on through the winter to provide interest… Read more