Rain Garden
In this Hollywood District home, three downspouts were diverted into two rain gardens. The client had issues with water pooling against the foundation, so along with some re-grading the rain gardens provided the appropriate solution for this specific site.
A shady site also allowed me to incorporate some of my favorite plants. Ferns! What’s not to love about a fern gully! Blechnum spicant (Deer fern), Adiantum aleuticum (Maiden-hair fern), and the proverbial Western Sword Fern are the main players. The ferns are sited along the sides of the bowl, while native Blue Rush lies in the valley of the depression. I wanted to use a smaller sedge, such as (Carex pansa), but alas, many natives are hard to find for residential designs. Can’t wait to see how this design fills in.
Astrantia!
Why this wonderful perennial escapes most nursery plant lists, I don’t know. The flower emerges in spring and holds its color and shape through the summer. It has an uncanny ability to appear like its in continuous bloom.
This mini green roof shows off the wonderful world of succulents that seem to escape most green roof planting plans. These jewels performed mightily, as the roof filled in in less than a year. Sedum dasyphyllum, S. rupestre, Sempervivum arachnoideum, and Jovibarba ‘hirta’ are some of the species used in this design.
A “behind the scenes” look at the construction of the diamond pathway. Here we can see the layers of materials: base gravel, sand bedding, pavers, brick, and steel edging.
Diamond brick and paver pathway at Edgefield. This path was created using old brick and left over pavers from a previous project.
First step was to establish the shape of the path using corten steel edging. We wanted the path to flare out at each end to draw the user in, and create subtle curves (not loopy) for softer edges and a pleasing visual appeal.
The diamond pattern is ostensibly aesthetic, but by using a repeating pattern a sense of rythym is imbued with subtle changes in the patterns size and direction. The pavers are all arranged according to the direction of the path, which makes a distinct contrast to the diamond shape; as if the diamonds were cut into the pavers.
Speaking of cuts, this was not an easy path to construct. It required numerous cuts using a paver saw, and I would maybe opt for an easier pattern if I was a d.i.y. homeowner.
Irving Street Kitchen - Planters
These planters were designed for the opening of this restaurant in the Pearl District. The cool tones of grey-green are an easy match for other neutral colors. Simple, contemporary, and design-y.
Old Brick Path - Edgefield
I love this little brick path. It was built with materials found on property. Luckily there’s a lot of old brick lying around at Edgefield.
Edgefield Gardens - Pond Garden
This fence was made from Willow and Red-Osier Dogwood cuttings. All from plants on property. The Vineyard posts and Cedar 2x4’s with inserted dowels create the framework for the natural materials.
A really fun project, and very doable if you have lots of wild dogwood and willow on your property.
Oak Street Church
A nod to Piet Oudolf in this design for a church in Silverton. The classic grasses and perennials look that the Dutch designer has perfected.
This planting has a surprisingly long season of interest, and actually pretty low-maintenance.
