OLANDER GARDEN DESIGN
outdoor living | design + inspiration
Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine – Contemporary Cool Article
I was lucky enough to spend the most recent 4th of July weekend on Orcas Island with family (if you've never been - GO!). An unexpected bonus was the fact that my cell phone didn't get reception in the house we were renting, so I just turned it off - sweet freedom!...
DESIGN TREND | Whimsy
We spent the better part of the last decade slogging through a recession. We cut back, paired down and put off. Now it's time to shake it off and have some fun in the garden. I'm not talking all out crazy - it's easy to overdo it with the garden art. I'm talking...
Conifers in Shades of Gold and Silver Brighten a Winter Garden
Well, it's that time of year again... summer is but a distant memory and the glory that is fall has faded to shades of gray and brown. You may be looking at your garden with feelings of dread, knowing we won't be seeing any real signs of life for another few months...
Trees for a Contemporary Garden
Whether existing or new to a site, trees have the power to dictate the feel of a space - formal, woodland, contemporary... When creating a planting plan for a new design, it's often the trees I start with. They can serve a single or multiple functions all at once. For...
Bedrock Industries: A Treasure Trove of Recycled Glass Inspiration for the Garden
Creating succulent arrangements is one of my favorite types of container design. Their sculptural forms lend themselves perfectly to contemporary design. I recently put together a new succulent arrangement of icy blue and dusty purple tones. While the plants are...
Visualizing a Shady Seattle Backyard Border
I'll admit, coming from California I'm used to sun, sun, sun. Since moving to Seattle and beginning a career in landscape design, I've learned to embrace and appreciate plants that thrive in shade. And my goodness, as I delve deeper into this profession, I only...
Just in Time for Summer: Colorful and Contemporary Outdoor Seating
With our glorious Seattle summer only moments away it's time to bring out those lounge chairs! This year, instead of dragging out your old raggedy set from Home Depot (ok, maybe that's just me), think about updating your outdoor seating with one (or more) of these...
Shirley A. Watts: Artist and Landscape Designer
If you were lucky enough to get a ticket to this year's Northwest Horticultural Society Symposium (it's a sell-out event every year!), you were also lucky enough to hear about and see the work of Alameda, California based artist and landscape designer, Shirley A....
The Seattle Wholesale Growers Market: Elegant Blooms and More
Earlier this week I had the good fortune of visiting the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, located in a historic brick warehouse in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. The Seattle Wholesale Growers Market is unique in that it's a farmer-owned cooperative providing...
Visit the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden and Go Native
Two months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden, located in Claremont, CA. Plants I once considered 'ho hum' when I lived in Southern California, (in my defense, I didn't have my degree in horticulture yet) I now have a new...
Revolution Design House – Love What You Own
For the designers at Portland, OR based, Revolution Design House, the philosophy is simple, "Love what you own." I first became aware of Revolution Design House at the 2014 Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Their Belmont Lounge Chair played a feature role in the...
Bryant Mid-Century Modern: Two Visions Become One
When a husband and wife have very different ideas about how they envision a garden... how do you tie it all together while still giving them everything they want? I recently had the opportunity to work on a landscape design for a wonderful couple who'd just purchased...
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