by Carol | Feb 3, 2016 | Before and Afters, Customer Testimonials, Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips
Joanne Diehl found her perfect home in Portland. I met her in the early spring. Her new home showed the results of careful attention to color, the interior was full of soft hues, contrasted with a deep red, a favorite color. Mostly Joanne felt there were no...
by Carol | Jan 5, 2016 | Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips, Plants I Recommend, Shade Plants
If you love Hellebores (like I do) don’t miss this open garden. The O’Byrne family designs Hellebores and have an international following. Marietta and Ernie are rock stars in the garden design world. Their Hellebores will dazzle you with color and...
by Carol | Nov 4, 2015 | Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips, Gardening Green, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, New Improved Plants, Plants I Recommend, Winter Gardening
Add to Your Drought Tolerant Landscape Design I’m excited about these new plants for Portland gardens. Many of us are familiar with California Lilac and its blue flowers. Beloved by bees, including our endangered native bumble bees, it’s also a host...
by Carol | Oct 21, 2015 | Customer Testimonials, Design Basics, Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips
My client, Sheri Mead, sent me this note from Camas, Washington. What she had to say points out several important garden design concepts: “Hi Carol, I thought of you this morning as I got to the bottom of my stairs, turned the corner and was greeted with a...
by Carol | Sep 2, 2015 | Dog and Cat Friendly Gardens, Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips, Low Maintenance Landscape Examples, New Improved Plants, Plants I Recommend, Shade Plants
Euphorbia a Perfect Plant or “She Devil”? Growers clearly think euphorbia (spurge) is a perfect plant – Blooming Nursery, a local grower, shows over 50 varieties in their on line catalog. Many varieties have come along in the last ten years. What is...
by Carol | Mar 18, 2015 | Dramatic Flowers, Garden Tips, Spring Gardening
Spring Hydrangea Pruning A lot of my clients have asked me to help them with pruning their hydrangeas. This blog addresses mophead hydrangea pruning. Hydrangea pruning is simple and easy once you know the rules. There is a link to a pruning video at the end of this...