OLANDER GARDEN DESIGN
outdoor living | design + inspiration
2019 – A Year to Remember
2019 was a year I will never forget. It started with an image of one of the gardens I designed appearing on the cover of Fine Gardening. Surprise! It was one of many gardens on the Northwest Perennial Alliance's annual Hardy Plant Study Weekend tour, the previous...
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...
The Landscape Design Process: From Scribble to Finished Project
Not every project takes the same trajectory, but I find I travel through similar steps when seeing a design through to fruition. Here's a brief outline of the the design process. I always have an on site meeting with a client,...
Fine Gardening Regional Picks: Unusual Autumn Stars
This fall, I had the honor of being featured in Fine Gardening magazine's 'Regional Picks', representing the Northwest. I was asked to select four "Unusual Autumn Star's". My selections included: Guernsey lily, Nerine sarniensis 'Gilt Edge' toad lily',...
Northwest Flower and Garden Show: Highlights and Trends for 2015 and Beyond
Every February the Northwest Flower and Garden Show swings into town, and transforms the halls of the Seattle Convention Center into a 5-day jolt of garden inspiration - or as their hashtag reads,"#SpringinFeb". This year's show, themed "Romance Blooms", featured 23...
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...
Artist Paul Schick: Organic Twig Sculpture
Geometric and organic - terms that often rest at opposite ends of the spectrum. However, it's the embodiment of this juxtaposition that resonates through the work of fine artist Paul Schick. Schick is a Mountain View, CA based artist who creates sculpture and wall...
2014 Holiday Gift Guide: West Coast Style
Bang! And we're off. Just like that, the holidays are upon us. Is it just me, or do the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Years Day feel like some crazed version of a steeplechase race - but instead of jumping over hurdles and splashing through water traps, we're...
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...
DIG Nursery: Be Bold, Be Inspired
I was first introduced to DIG Nursery two years ago while taking a summer garden tour on Vashon Island. Upon walking through the gabion tower flanked entry I was instantly struck by the fact that DIG was no ordinary nursery - perennials down isle 1, evergreen shrubs...
From Barren to Bountiful: The Evolution of an Edmonds Garden
Seeing the evolution of a garden from an overgrown thicket or in this case, a bare patch of soil, to a thriving, verdant and useful space is, for me, the most rewarding aspect of being a landscape designer. Even better when the client sends you pictures to show you...
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...
Pencil to Paper: A Connection to Site
With technology comes convenience and speed. What could once be done in days can now be done in hours, even minutes. The landscape design / architecture field is no different. In many, if not most, cases, drafting boards and blue prints have given way to computer...
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...
How to Create a Succulent Container Garden
Gardening and designing with succulents has been extremely popular in recent years. Most specifically, with creating container gardens. It's easy to see the appeal - succulents are low maintenance, require less water than conventional plantings and let's face it, look...
Shoreline’s Rain Gardens: A Beautiful Commitment to Low Impact Development
In 2007 my husband I were happily renting a little craftsman home in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. We loved being able to walk to the shops and restaurants lining Market Street, to Old Ballard Ave for the weekly Farmer's Market, and to Golden Gardens for a game of...
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...
Recent Comments