Dirty Fingers Muddy Knees | Plantswoman Design

Designing From the Top Down

by Susan | Oct 11, 2023 | Plantswoman Design

Many times designers talk about site lines, leading the eye through the garden, and pathways with a destination. In the Pacific Northwest we have another viewpoint to consider. Many of our houses now have different levels, with patios on the ground but also with decks at a higher level. Gardeners of these houses should consider what their gardens look like from above.
When viewing the garden from an upper level it is important to consider what the garden looks like from a bird’s perspective. The pattern that the pathways and plantings make are two areas that add visual interest.

Top Down Fire Pit

In this top down view you can see the fire pit, the pathway, and the deck to the side. At ground level these destinations can’t be seen right away. As you go down the path a sense of discovery draws you to explore further. From the deck, though, you can see the destinations and the plantings all in one go. Large rocks with small evergreen Tsuga mertensiana (Mountain hemlock hardy to zone 5), gives the feeling of being in the alpine. This site is perfect for this native that prefers moist air and cool summers. The flagstone is similar in texture and color with the pattern clearly visible from above.

Top Down Ferns

From the top down viewpoint the ferns here are planted en masse with the quilt-like pattern of greens creating the feeling of a forest canopy. It reminds me of viewing tree ferns from high mountain hikes in Hawaii. Other views of this garden reveal patterns made with plants amidst the large native trees on the fringes.

In this more traditional garden the use of pattern and hardscape are evident at ground level but are also important from above. Being immersed in the garden as you wander through is wonderful, it has a bit of lush chaos and exuberance. From above, however, the restrictions of pavers, pathways, and raised beds show the order amidst the chaotic beds.

You can see the full impact of this garden from above. Each pocket of the garden boasts its own vantage point to relax in. For example, the sitting area is secluded and shady in this very open sunny garden. It is a welcome respite after a long day of puttering in the garden.

A welcoming gathering place to watch the sunset with family and friends, surrounded by the tropical area. At the edge of the garden the summer border leads you along a drainage swale that collects excess water and diverts it into a catch basin. Each of these areas continue to delight when seen from above.

These examples can help you consider viewpoints and planting schemes in your garden. As great as it is to be immersed in the garden, it is also very satisfying to see a different perspective from the deck, upper floor, balcony, or stairway. Plan for both viewpoints when you have the opportunity.

Full Sun Plant Combo

by Susan | Sep 10, 2021 | Plantswoman Design

Halimium atriplicifolium plantswoman design

Sedum ‘Sunsparkler plum dazzled’ plantswoman design

Geranium ‘Boom Chocolatta’ plantswoman design

Are you out in your garden today? Enjoy this riotous plant combo currently exploding in my garden. There is so much going on in this plant combo starting with this low growing sedum. ‘Sunsparkler Plum Dazzled’ attracts bees and butterflies while providing deep rich color all summer long. Also deer resistant it is a great addition to your garden borders. A great mid-height filler for your garden bed is Spirea ‘White Gold’. With white flowers and yellow green leaves this spirea plays well with others. Great for your garden beds or in a container Geranium ‘Boom Chocolatta’ adds a bit of fun to your garden. Also known as a yellow rock rose, meet Halimium atriplicifolium. Heat and drought tolerant, this guy knows how to rock these summer heat waves!

Fox Lily Planting

by Susan | Sep 10, 2021 | Plantswoman Design

kniphofia thompsonii plantswoman design insta

ajuga catlins giant plantswoman design insta

campanula kent bell plantswoman design insta

The Foxtail lily in my garden is stunning. Yellow Eramus ‘Bungia’ and peachy Eramus ‘Cleopatra’ jut into the sky and produce hundreds of tiny flowers to enjoy. As a contrast to the tall growing Foxtail Lily (Eramus) Campanula ‘Kent Bell’ is lower growing with lovely purple blooms. Even lower than the campanula, Ajuga Catlins Giant fills the lowest levels of this plant combo.

Rose Ark Iris

by Susan | Sep 10, 2021 | Plantswoman Design

rose iris combo title Plantswoman design

california fuchsia plantswoman design insta

Remember a few weeks ago when we posted the beautiful ark rose iris? Well I thought I’d let you see the fabulous plants that keep this beauty company in the garden. Something as simple as a tree peony is a great compliment to the ark rose iris. Add a California Fuchsia to fill in the low levels.

Living in the northwest we have no lack of evergreen trees. But most of the time they are surrounded by more evergreen trees. Not this Mugo Pine. It’s right at home with the ark rose iris.

Lower Garden Planting

by Susan | Sep 10, 2021 | Plantswoman Design

I want to introduce you to a little garden planting in my lower garden. This part of the garden is in full sun and this little combo will give me year round interest. First off Allium Sensation is a huge crowd pleaser. From the first moment it shows up in spring to its final seedpod show this Allium always has something to show you. Molina Skyracer along with Seslaria Greenlee are great fillers with great color into autumn. Senecio Angel Wings gives this planting contrast and these fabulous leaves are great for small cuttings.

Winter Blooms for the Bees

by Susan | Feb 3, 2021 | Plants I Dig, Plantswoman Design

picky bees plantswoman design insta stories

After the torrential rains of December and January, it is a wonder that anything is blooming. Thankfully there are great plants that survive the downpours and even flourish when everything else is a soggy mess. Along with the plants surviving, there are insects that winter over in the trees and they love to see the sunshine just like we do. As soon as the lukewarm sun starts hitting the trees the groggy bees stumble out looking for some food (kind of reminds me of teenagers). It is essential that we, as gardeners, provide early blooming plants for these very important members of our planet. Interestingly enough some bees are not at all particular about their food supply while others are. Our goal should be to provide both native food sources and ornamental garden food sources. Nature has a way of adapting to what is available but also searching for specifics.

I’m not a big native plant person. Growing up here I have seen the native plants in so many places, including open fields, forests, ditches, ponds, roadside edges, and yes, even parking lots. I probably should not go into my opinion of ferns and mahonia in parking lots, that’s another topic. I do, however, have native pollinating plants in my garden. The earliest blooming plants are fabulous Mahonias. The statuesque Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ (Zone 7-9, part shade, drought-tolerant), the mahonia repens (Zone 5-8, part sun, average moisture), and the newly popular Mahonia ‘Soft Caress’-Mahonia eurybracteata ’Soft Caress’ (Zone 4-7, Shade to part shade, acid soil). These three together are my favorite combination to attract bees that need native plants. The Mahonia Soft Caress blooms first in my garden from December through January. Charity starts after that and blooms until February. Then Mahonia Repens, with its soft, papery, red-purple leaves finishes the cycle in February and March. By the time these are finished there are many other native pollen sources blooming in the forest, and edges of the stream.

edgeworthia winter bloom plantswoman design

Non- native plants also start blooming in January and February. Many of these are also great for hummingbirds that have also not left the area. Edgeworthia chrysantha- Paper Bush ( Zone 5-9, filtered sun – part shade) has amazing hanging flower heads with yellow, waxy, tubular blooms and sweet scent that attract bees and hummingbirds in January and February. If you want to do a little more searching the rare, very cool, Edgeworthia akebono is striking with creamy outside and tangerine orange inside flowers and light scent.

A more common, yet still lovely, plants are the winter-blooming Camellias. Camellia sasanquas are blooming in gardens all around me. The best ones for pollinating are the single blossoms like Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ – Yuletide Camellia (Zone 7-10, part sun). The brilliant red blooms have a yellow center with prominent stamens. Sometimes blooming as early as December. Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ is a clear, brilliant white that is a semi-double. The golden yellow center calls out to any passing bee.

Camellia winter bloom plantswoman design

I’ll leave you with one more picture of a low growing crocus. Don’t forget these little puddles of sunshine in your garden, the bees will also enjoy them.

Stipa Gigantea

by Susan | Sep 21, 2020 | Plants I Dig, Plantswoman Design

Fabulous Grass

Did you know grass flowers are called inflorescences? Sometimes they are barely noticeable, but other times they are pretty fantastic. Stipa gigantea is one of my favorite grasses, and I have them planted along the hedge of my ‘Feathers’ garden. It is evergreen, and the stems of the inflorescence come out early in the summer and last through the winter. The structure in the winter stays about 3 feet high without the long waving stems of seed heads. I leave the seed heads on during the winter for bird forage.

posts about grasses

WISPY

WILD

WONDERFUL

posts about grasses

DESIGN

TIPS

Streamside Planting

by Susan | Sep 12, 2020 | gardening, LB Tutorial: Design Challenge, Plantswoman Design

Opportunity Knocks

Often a bad situation brings about an opportunity to create something new. In this case, a property line definition blocked off access between two sections of my garden. The wildflower garden and the shade garden have a stream between them with lots of brushy weedy plants that I hadn’t really attended to yet. To take full advantage of this opportunity I created a new path and a bridge made of an old pallet, then brought in all the plants. The boggy ground is perfect for ligularia, primrose, rodgersia, gunnera, Salix, red twig dogwood, and ferns. A couple of trees in the center of it all hold the platform of a treehouse for visiting kids. Taking adversity and turning it around is a principle we should all practice more.