A summer patio comes into being through thoughtful landscape design.

So you’ve finally decided that the right professional to help you is a landscape designer, not a landscape architect.  There are a few things that you can do to make the landscape design process both fun and fruitful. Here is our handy checklist for getting ready for the landscape design process!

How to Prepare for Landscape Design

1. What are your expectations?  Are you looking for a finished, detailed plan or will you want something loose and schematic?  Make an honest assessment of your personality.  If you’re a ‘concrete’ or ‘type A’ personality, you will probably want a well defined plan.  If you’re an organic personality who is open to letting things develop in the garden during installation, you may be satisfied with a loose schematic sketch.  You need to communicate your desires and expectations to the designer very clearly.

2. How much do you want to spend on your landscape?  Are you open to moving in phases?  If so, how much do you want to spend on each phase?  Be prepared to spend 5-10% of your overall budget on the design process.  There’s nothing a designer loves more than a limitless budget for the landscape.  We can design anything!  However, why design a $100,000 garden if your budget is $20,000?

3. Are you going to want to do the installation yourself or will you be hiring a contractor to do the installation?  This is important information for a designer to have.  The reality is that there are many types of installation that a typical homeowner is not equipped to do.  Why design it if you can’t build it?  Even if you’re going to do the work yourself, it can be desirable to have a design/build firm do the plans for you.  They can prepare a bid as they’re designing, so you have a reasonable assurance that your installation will stay within your budget.

4. Do some research!  Are there gardens or yards in the neighborhood that you really like?  Ask your neighbor if they had a designer do it.  Most companies or designers have portfolios on line for easy viewing.  If not, ask them to bring some examples of plans and photos of finished installations.  It’s very typical for a designer to visit your garden and speak with you before they even commit to taking on the project.  That initial visit is a fabulous time to decide if you can communicate freely and clearly with the designer.  If you can’t communicate with this person you won’t be able to trust them.  If you can’t trust them, the design process will be very slow and you run a very real risk of being disappointed in the finished product.

5. Do more research!  Take photos of landscapes, plants or rooms that you love.  Take photos of landscapes, plants or rooms that you hate.  Going back to being honest in your self-assessment, are you going to be picky about plants?  That’s generally not a problem.  A landscape professional will be able to work with you to bring YOUR vision to fruition.  However, the process can be very frustrating to all parties involved if you don’t communicate existing love affairs or mortal enemies in the garden.

6. Make a list.  How do you want to use your space?  How much time are you going to spend on maintenance a week?  Are you going to do the garden maintenance or are you going to hire a company?  Are there colors that you dislike?  Are there scents that you dislike?  Are there allergies in the family?  Honestly, there are very few situations where clients offer too much information during the design process.

7. Be prepared to spend time and thought on the process.  Your designer will probably ask you to do some homework on plants, whether it’s going to the nursery or looking on line.  The design process usually involves multiple meetings.  Depending on the level of trust you have with your designer and your ability to make decisions, there could be many meetings.

8. Be aware of timing.  If you’re entering into the design process in spring be prepared to wait for your design.  Spring is the busiest season in the landscape industry.  Summer and fall are also reasonably busy.  Plan on beginning your landscape design process at least one season before you want to do the installation.  Be wary if the designer you contact has no work in the spring!  A prosperous designer is prosperous for a reason.

Coming to the table prepared will allow you and the designer to move efficiently through the design process.  That will save you money while producing a design that you love.

If you’re ready to start this process, Rodda & Sons is here to help! Just give us a call or contact us today!

Different foliage textures and twig structures provide interest in the winter landscape.

Though the rest of the country is struggling with horrible weather, it seems that Mother Nature has granted a temporary reprieve in Western Washington.  While New England digs out of the worst winter storm in recent memory, the sun has been shining in King County. It’s been impossible to resist the garden, even while it’s sleeping.  Flowers are often modest and hidden. Foliage (when it’s still present) provides a textural quilt while bark and plant form finally take center stage.

Winter catkins on Western Hazlenut

Buds and berries on Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet’

Winter is the time for seeds, berries and twigs to glow.

In the fall, fruit from Western Hazelnut trees keep the neighborhood squirrels happy and fat.  The male flowers hang in bright yellow catkins during the winter months, catching any stray glimmer of sunlight.

Viburnum tinus ‘Spring Bouquet’ is a staple in many Seattle gardens.  It offers three seasons of solid interest, with lovely buds, blooms and berries.  During the winter months you can appreciate both the tightly packed pink buds and the metallic blue berries that decorate the shrub.

January and February are wonderful months to assess your garden and address the need for foundation and structure.  Structure can refer to anything from actual built elements such as statuary, outdoor kitchens, fences, arbors or pergolas to the plants in the garden.  The ‘bones’ of the garden should be apparent and appreciated through the winter months when your eye is no longer distracted by over flowing displays of foliage and flower.  Winter is the time for woody plant installation, transplanting or pruning.

Flowers on Garrya elliptica

Shiny evergreen foliage and modest white flowers on Sarcococca ruscifolia

Garrya elliptica or Silk Tassel puts on a spectacular display in December, January and February.  Long streamers of flowers hang greenish gray from arching branches covered with glossy broadleaf evergreen foliage.  The ‘tassels’ seem almost ethereal in the early morning or dusk.

An intrepid gardener who ventures out in the January cold is often rewarded with the sweet scent of Sarcococca or Himalayan Sweetbox.  Whether it is the taller form Sarcococca ruscifolia or the more compact version Sarcococca humulis, both perfume the landscape.  If you’ve ever visited the Northwest Flower and Garden Show you’ve smelled Sarcococca.  It is particularly useful in semi-shady conditions and will happily thrive in a pot or planter.  It can be the evergreen foundation plant behind a selection of soft primroses or bright cyclamen near a your front door or garden gate.

Many types of hardscape can be installed in the winter months.  Sand set pavers, flagstone or compacted gravels are particularly easy to install no matter what the weather may be.  Concrete installation is best accomplished when the temperatures are above freezing (for optimum strength and curing).  Block retaining, rock walls and timber retaining can all be installed during the winter months.  Built elements such as paths, bed edges, retaining and patios all provide the structure and foundation that your landscape needs to be both functional and beautiful.

Take time in the coming weeks to venture out into your landscape.  Assess the strengths and weaknesses in both plants and built elements.  The end of winter is a great time to get together with your landscape designer to plan for spring and summer projects!

Planting plan for a woodland garden

1.  Landscape architects polish their skills in school by working on large civil or corporate projects.  They spend a lot of time studying large scale space planning and hardscape.  Landscape designers often specialize in intimate, residential landscape construction.

2.   An educated, experienced landscape designer often has a more intimate, thorough knowledge of local conditions and plants.  A 2 year landscape design degree often requires 4 different plant identification classes.  A 5 year landscape architecture degree usually only requires 2 plant identification classes.

3.  Something landscape architects don’t want to emphasize-  they’re usually much more expensive.  A landscape architect often charges by the ‘sheet’.  A ‘sheet’ refers to a single page in a plan packet.  It’s not unusual for a landscape architect to charge over $1000 per sheet.  Depending on the L.A.’s approach to a project, they may want to provide separate sheets for grading, hardscape, irrigation, lighting and planting.  Often landscape designers operate by providing straight quote for the design process or they charge by design hour.  A simple equation to keep in mind-  don’t spend more than 10% of your entire project budget on design (whether it’s a landscape architect or a landscape designer providing your plans).

An urban oasis combining food production & flowers

4.  Do some research through your municipality before you contact a landscape designer or architect.  Many cities have areas that are designated ‘slide sensitive’ or ‘critical’.  A city may require engineered or architectural plans and permits before you’re allowed to work in those areas.  Also, if your site requires large scale retaining or roofed structures you may want to start with a landscape architect.  In all these cases a landscape architect will generally have a CAD program and familiarity with the local building codes.  Not only do permits often require an engineers or architects stamp, the CAD plans can simplify the city review & permit process.

No matter what the accreditation a person claims, do your research.  Talk to family and friends about their projects-  who ‘designed’ them, how did the installation go and how are things maturing?  Don’t hesitate to ask a designer or landscape architect for personal references and gardens/projects that you can drive by.  Don’t be fooled by fancy titles.  Experience is key.  As we often say, the proof is in the planting!

Small Water Feature

It’s no secret that a water feature can add dimension to any garden, no matter what the size. They can be both stimulating and relaxing at the same time. They also function as a visual and aural focus, hopefully taking your eye and ear away from the busy street right over the fence! A water feature will draw wildlife (including small children) into your garden. In an urban environment that can be especially important.

There are a variety of water features that are commonly available. The ease of installation and cost depend on the type of feature and size. Maintenance is often a concern. All water features will require a certain amount of maintenance. The important thing is to seek knowledgeable advice so that you settle on a perfectly sized feature with the right amount of maintenance and an installation cost that fits your budget (whether you are installing yourself or hiring a professional).

The feature pictured above consists of three faux basalt columns and a reservoir created using pond liner. There is a valve box hidden in the reservoir that contains the pump assembly. The site prohibited the installation of real basalt columns. (The house sits more than 45 steps up from the sidewalk). Real columns were simply too heavy to get up the stairs and too far away for a boom truck installation.  The faux columns not only look real, they provided real relief on the budget.

The water feature pictured below is a larger version of the same idea, using one single special Huckleberry basalt column. The stone was chosen specifically because it has a cleft face that allows water to spill in two different directions. The water feature in this space functions on many different levels. It provides a quiet rush of sound to distract from the neighbors noisy turkey (not kidding). It is the main feature next to the back entrance to the home and it’s the anchor in a calm, contemplative garden space.

Reservoir

Column Installation

Finished Feature

Rather than open water, the home owner opted to fill the basin with washed cobble and larger rock.  When the fountain is running the water level is just above the gravel.  The wet cobble is lovely to look at and it lowers the amount of weekly maintenance required for the feature to look ‘clean’.

A small recirculating fountain can be created with an undrilled pot. It can be situated in another, larger pot or it can over flow into a gravel filled basin beneath. An ‘over flowing’ pot doesn’t create a cacophony of noise.  It’s a lovely little burble that subtly draws attention.  These more modest features are often seen near a front entry way, in a small urban courtyard or

Small Recirculating Water Feature

in a secret little nook in the garden. The fountain pictured to the right was created using a bamboo spigot that pours into a basin rock, which in turn over flows into the gravel filled basin beneath.  In this case the homeowner has chosen add a bird feeder to the area.  Along with shrubby and flowering plant material in the garden bed, the feeder and fountain provide a perfect habitat that attracts birds and insects.

The smallest and easiest of water features could simply be an undrilled pot, bird bath or other vessel filled with water and a bit of duck weed. Though very simple this sort of feature contains mystery and a bit of reflection, while still allowing birds and bees to access the moisture. Depending on the depth of the vessel and the amount of time it takes for the vessel to dry out you may have to worry about mosquito larvae.  There are many options for controlling insects and algae in a water feature.  Check with your local garden center for treatment options.

A landscape professional can help you decide the best feature to fit your garden and your budget.  No matter what size your space is, there is an option that will be perfect for you!

It’s hard to believe that a couple of weeks ago we were buried under a foot of snow.  The weather has been relatively warm and blissfully sunny.  The scent of Sarcococca fills the air and daffodils are starting to peep up.  It’s time to garden, right?  There are definitely quite a few things that can be done for your landscape in February.

Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet'

1.  Think about the things that you were happy with in the garden last year and the things that disappointed you.  February is a great time to plan, whether you’re doing the thinking and drawing yourself or employing a professional.  Many of us have the opportunity to host parties in the garden during the summer time.  February is a great time to plan and March is a fabulous time to plant.  That gives your garden a chance to grow in and become lush by the time you want to have everybody over for the family BBQ in July.

2.  It’s never too late (or early) in the year to add hardscape!  We’re lucky in Seattle because landscaping can be installed all year round.  Unless we experience a very hard freeze, you can sand set flagstone and pavers all through the winter.  If it’s below freezing a concrete pour becomes more complicated.  However, it’s pretty rare in Seattle that the day time temperatures aren’t above 32 during the day.

3.  February is a great time for tree installation.  There are great deals to be found in the winter.  Many nurseries have trees and shrubs marked down.  They’re looking to move old stock before they order in new stock for the spring.  Just be careful to check both trees and shrubs for evidence of root binding and weak crowns.

4.  Nobody’s favorite task, but always necessary-  garden clean-up.  Our gardens are often battered and tattered by the time February blows in.  This year has been particularly hard on our gardens so far.  It’s always OK to prune off dead, dying or broken branches on trees.  The ice storm we experienced in January can leave some evergreen trees and shrubs splayed open.  If possible, try to bind them back together.  If the plant is too broken to be tied up you can prune off the leaning branches and foliage.

Front patio in the winter sun

5.  Order seeds and bare root plants for installation in March.  I love looking at the Territorial Seed Company catalog every winter.  It’s fun to plan which vegetable crops I’m going to plant and which flowers my daughter will broadcast everywhere.  If you have a bit of patience, the variety of roses available bare root far exceeds what you’ll find in the local nursery.  The patience comes into play when it takes a couple of years for the roses to really fill out.

Above all, get outside!  Enjoy this beautiful sun (develop some vitamin D)!  In  Seattle we’re blessed with an extraordinary climate for gardening.  Even in winter you can plan, execute and enjoy your outdoor space.

There are certain plants that I love on a personal, passionate level.  They are not particularly exciting.  They are not particularly new.  But they delight me over and over again.  You can use one or more of these plants as the bones in your garden.  They can be the anchor for all the other flashy, trendy plants that you want to play with.

Berberis thunbergii-  Japanese Barberry

Spectacular summer plant combination

I love all the different types.  The 3′-4′ roundness of ‘Crimson Pygmy’ and the large arching sprays of pink speckled new growth on ‘Rosy Glow’ are particularly lovely.  These plants are tough!  They are some of the first deciduous shrubs to leaf out in the spring.  In the fall they put on a spectacular show when they turn cherry red.

Mahonia x media 'Charity'

Mahonia x media ‘Charity’-  Tall Oregon Grape

I can’t say enough about how striking this plant is.  It tolerates both dry shade and partial sun.  The brilliant yellow flowers are followed by berries that transition from red to dark blue.  This plant is incredibly architectural.  It’s unapologetically bold and brazen in the garden and will be sure to start a conversation.

Hakonechloa macra-  Japanese Forest Grass

There are several varieties of Hakonechloa on the market.  I love the straight, old green option.  There’s something so satisfying in the way it gently lays down.  Every year I look forward to the seed heads appearing, followed by the yellow fall color.  I leave the dried brown foliage in the garden all winter long.  The stems are so small and delicate that you can just pull the old foliage off, no pruning necessary.  (This is a particularly attractive quality if you’ve ever had the dubious pleasure of cutting back Miscanthus).

Summer color on a 'Preziosa' Hydrangea

Hydrangea speciea-  Hydrangea

OK.  I know.  Grandma plant.  But, I ADORE Hydrangea macrophyllum.  There’s nothing quite like a Hydrangea for large color from summer through the fall.  You can build different color schemes for each season around this plant.  For example-  I’ve paired Hydrangea ‘Preziosa’ with bright pink Rosa rugosa and Teucrium chamaedrys for bright pink summer color.  This same combination turns into brilliant red in the fall as the flowers on the Hydrangea age to dark crimson and the Rose carries vibrant cherry red hips.

Nigella damascena- 'Love-In-A-Mist'

Nigella damescena-  Love-In-A-Mist

Delicate, ethereal and tough, tough, TOUGH.  This little annual reseeds itself all over my garden every year.  I adore everything about it.  The light, ferny foliage is a wonderful contrast to stronger perennial leaves.  The color of the blossoms ranges from white to pink to cerulean blue.  The seed heads are a wonder of texture as they dry out.  I would urge anybody with a patch of sunny garden to cast a packet of seeds.  Give this plant a try.  It’s an asset to any color combination that involves pink, white, blue or yellow.

Thuja ‘Green Giant’-  Giant Arborvitae

I know that there are thousands of rare and splendid conifers.  I just like this one.  I like the texture of it.  I like the size of it.  I LOVE the orange tips of the new growth.  For me, this is a tree that feels like a Western Red Cedar and fits into a small urban garden.  Plus, it grows fast!  They’re beautiful as stand alone specimen plants or in a combination.  Usually the nursery sells these trees as a hedge material and they work wonderfully as a hedge.  However, I feel that a lot of the character of the tree goes unappreciated when it’s one of twenty.  As a singleton you can really see the orange-red bark and lovely waves of foliage.

Viburnum davidii-  David’s Viburnum

Viburnum davidii

Unsung hero of the bank parking lot, Viburnum davidii is a plant that has transcended the waves of popularity that rule nurseries.  The large, leathery leaves have a matte texture that contrasts delightfully with other, shiny foliage.  I love pairing this plant with Ilex crenata and Hydrangea.  The petiole (leaf stem) is a bright, cheerful red.  Many of the plants that are carried in nurseries are sterile.  It’s totally worth it to find a plant that carries metallic blue berries.  Once again, this plant is tough.  It can survive just about anything, anywhere as long as it has sun for at least half of the day.

Geraniums dug for over wintering

Fall, 2011

Today, before the Seattle area has a frost, I pulled out all of my geraniums and packed them away for the winter.  It’s easy.  I use a weeding tool with prongs to pull each plant out of the ground, keeping the root systems as intact as possible.  I shake off as much soil as possible.

Then I put 2 to 3 plants, or as many as will fit, roots first into a paper grocery bag.  The tops will be sticking out of the sack.  I label the bags with blossom and leaf color because, in the spring, I may not be able to tell which is which.  The bags are stored in a cool, dry, dark place, which happens to be our basement.

Geraniums bagged and labeled

Here is the critical part.  Each month, all winter, I take the plants out of their bags, one group at a time, and soak the roots in a bucket of water for about 5 minutes, then stuff them back into their bags.  In early April, I cut the tops back to about 4″ tall, clean them up and plant them into 1-gallon containers, using store bought potting soil.  I set them near a window that gets afternoon sun and water as I would a house plant.  By the time I’m ready to plant them outdoors in May or early June, they are all leafed out and close to blooming.  (They probably could be planted outside here in Seattle in early April, but I have pansies in full bloom where the geraniums will go.)  I have been using the same 20 geraniums for 4 years, and feel pretty smug about the dollars I’ve saved not having to buy new plants every year.  I do have to put a sticky note reminder on my calendar to soak the roots monthly, or it just wouldn’t happen.

Rain Garden to collect drainage water from uphill neighbors

Choosing any sort of contractor can be a difficult experience, wrought with worry and frustration.  Choosing a landscape contractor can be especially frustrating because the industry is filled with so many different types of companies.  Here are a few tips for selecting the company that is right for you.

1.  Look for a company that is locally licensed and bonded. States have different laws pertaining to the amount of insurance bond a landscape contractor must carry.  No matter what, the company you use should be licensed to operate in your municipality.

2.  Pay attention to the amount of time a company has been in business and what sort of reputation they have. A good contractor has been in business for a number of years and guarantees their work.  Don’t be surprised if a contractor is booked out several weeks or even months in the Spring or Fall.  Those are the busy seasons for garden installation and a reputable company will often have several jobs in queue.

3.  Ask for references and check with the local Better Business Bureau. It’s good to ask for references from customers who have projects similar to yours, but also ask for other references.  Perhaps the company has installed a different type of project that you never considered for yourself.  It could open your eyes to other options and opportunities for your landscape.

4.  Are communication and follow-up good? Often the landscape installation will occur while you are at work.  You need to have an installation company that you feel comfortable talking with and leaving directions for.  It is always preferable to have a contractor that will assign a foreman and project manager.  If you have trouble getting a bid back in a timely manner, it can be an indication of the general level of customer service that a company offers.

5.  Ask for a contract or bid and read it! Depending on the project, a contract specifying that you will be paying for time and materials is adequate.  Many companies will offer you a bid.  Whether it’s time and materials or a bid, the type of work, type of materials & expectations for the finished project should be laid out in writing.  The more detail on the contract, the better.  Any reputable company will not hesitate to lay everything down in a contract.

Landscaping can increase your home value by as much as 15%.  Having a yard, garden or outdoor living space that you love is priceless.  If you enter into the process with the right company it will be satisfying and possibly even fun.

Summer Color

Different Sitting Areas

Penstemon 'Margarita Bop'

One of my all time favorite ridiculous names is Penstemon ‘Margarita BOP’.  I don’t know what a ‘Margarita BOP’ is, but I want one!  Even as I poke gentle fun at the growers for their use of catchy nomenclature I’m still a sucker for silly, sweet or succulent names.

I’m also prone to shopping by color.  We have a large, knotted old Thundercloud plum in the back garden that we inherited when we bought the house.  From day one I’ve loved the soft, hazy maroon of it’s leaves and have tried to incorporate that color in other areas of the back garden.  I’ve been very successful with Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’ (Red Leaf Japanese Barberry).  However, I can’t say how many 2 gallon pots of Chocolate Cosmos I’ve purchased & planted.  (Double trouble-  both the name and the color!)  All of the Hebes with dark foliage have turned to be annuals in my garden.  Heucheras (Coral Bells) are also a yearly investment.  If the combination of heavy soil and winter rain doesn’t kill them the root weavils will.  Unfortunately Heuchera ‘Stormy Skies’ and ‘Plum Pudding’ still came home with me last year.  If you knowingly bring home plants that won’t thrive does that make you a plant murderer?

Nasturtium 'Night and Day'

This year I’ve fallen for Nasturtium ‘Night and Day’.  I think this will be the second time that I’ve tried this seed mix.  The first time the flowers opened up cherry pink and yellow.  They clashed somewhat with the maroon, coral and chartreuse color scheme in the back border.  I always look for dark dahlias to add to the late summer mix for their late summer/early fall color.  I’ve had a love-hate relationship with dahlias for years.  At this point I’ve come back round to appreciating them for their lush foliage and flowers.  Unfortunately dahlias don’t like my back garden.  The winter damp rots the tubers over and over again.  I know this issue is easily cured, but I’m a lazy gardener.  I don’t WANT to dig the tubers and house them all winter.  I lost a Nuit d’Ete (Summer Night) dahlia a few years ago.  (I fell for the sultry French name and burgundy flower).  I still miss the delicious, red-black flowers that paired wonderfully with the lilac blue flowers of Rosa ‘Blue Girl’.

I think that I’ll always be susceptible to clever, cute plant names and that’s OK.  It means that I get to keep growing and exploring as a gardener and a designer.

These plants have become a staple in many types of gardens, but are particularly pleasing in a woodland scene.  They prefer partial or full shade (although in my experience they will tolerate sunny conditions with ample water).  Hellebores are a welcome respite in late winter-early spring as they send up flower stalks topped with flowers in shades of green, cream, white, pink or maroon.  Some of the newer cultivars have flowers that are almost black.

Helleborus x hybridus with dark flowers

Though this plant is often listed as an evergreen it’s usually best to remove last years growth as the flower stalks begin to unfurl.  If left on the plant the old foliage will look a bit tattered until it finally dries out.

The new foliage begins to push up through the ground later in the spring.  It can be a bold, leathery counter point to some of the more delicate woodland performers.