Alanna Matteson Alanna Matteson

Hellebores on the Seattle Waterfont

With flowers that emerge in early winter and tough evergreen foliage, hellebores are a mainstay of both our public and private gardens, where we always try to design for four seasons of interest. Exquisite on a small scale and sensational on a large scale, they are well-suited for a variety of different settings and styles.

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Alanna Matteson Alanna Matteson

Another Perfect Plant: Trachelospermum jasminoides

Trachelospermum jasminoides, or star jasmine, is a low-maintenance, evergreen vine with fragrant, white flowers. Native to Eastern and Southeastern Asia, it is dependably cold-hardy in the Puget Sound region. It creates a beautiful backdrop when trained up a trellis or over an arbor

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Jose Corona Jose Corona

Model Renderings

Models are a way to provide visuals for the client to see the spatial relationships, scale and the overall aesthetic of a project.

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Michael Lipko Michael Lipko

Timeless Boxwood

Our boxwood of choice is Korean boxwood, Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Wintergreen’ or Wintergreen boxwood, a variety that performs well and withstands blight.  

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Richard Hartlage Richard Hartlage

Planting a Garden

Above all, it is the inherent dynamic qualities of plants – the living, ever-changing aspect of garden spaces – that distinguishes gardens from more static structures like houses.

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Audrey McLane Audrey McLane

An Iterative Process

The iterative process of modifying and evolving the design is an important reminder to not get too attached to any one design.

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Alanna Matteson Alanna Matteson

Seattle Waterfront Perennials

It’s mid-June on the Seattle Waterfront, and the newly planted perennials have relaxed into the easy-breezy verdancy of early summer.  If you take a walk, here’s what you might see.

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Page Crutcher Page Crutcher

Seattle's New Waterfront Trees

While there is still much more to look forward to being planted along the western corridor, the presence of the trees along the road is beginning to define what one day soon will be a wonderful tree-lined corridor with gardens, parks, developed public spaces, the aquarium, and much more.

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Alanna Matteson Alanna Matteson

Another Perfect Plant: Sasanqua camellias

They light up the garden from October through January, a time of year when many other flowering plants are dormant. Graceful and upright in form, they look great in a variety of settings: in a large pot by a front door, espaliered against a wall, or planted in mass and maintained as an informal hedge.

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Greg Dahlke Greg Dahlke

Teaching Gardens

Botanic gardens lend themselves to teaching because of their inherent relationship to the land and plants, locations based in populated areas, expert staff, and institutional memory.

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Alanna Matteson Alanna Matteson

Resilient Planting Design

Plant communities have evolved over time to recover from and thrive in the wake of all kinds of disturbances including drought, fire, grazing, floods and landslides. By studying the resilience of natural ecologies, we can create gardens with dynamic and enduring beauty.

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Alanna Matteson Alanna Matteson

Another Perfect Plant: Itoh Peonies

While certainly handsome foliage plants, Itoh peonies are true showstoppers when in bloom. From late spring to early summer, they grace the garden with a profusion of gorgeous blossoms coming in a wide range of colors, including blends of white, pink, red, and apricot as well as some really beautiful, pure yellows.

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Renee Freier Renee Freier

On Earth Day: Considering Soil

Soil is a living system and vital for healthy, beautiful landscapes. When we design a new garden or renovate an existing one, maintaining and protecting the existing soil is highly important and is one of the first site resources to consider.

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Christine Nack Christine Nack

Celebrating One Year

As the one-year anniversary of Leach Botanical Garden’s reopening approaches, we’re revisiting our favorite features of the re-envisioned garden.

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