Garden Design Services

Through my business Creative Gardener, I work with clients to personalize garden spaces and consult on everything from seasonal tasks to the design of large-scale projects. I bring over 30 years of experience with nurturing soil, plant identification, and full-scale landscape design.
My design work has earned medals at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show and awards from Sunset Magazine, Fine Gardening magazine, and the American Horticultural Society.

Mid-Mod-Mad… It’s Cocktail Hour!

The Rat Pack would be right at home in the midst of this “less is more” garden and its updated mid-century design. It embraces simplistic plant choices, strong angles and geometry of hardscaping made popular in the 1950’s and 60’s—and making a big comeback today.
For those special cocktails and Pheasant Under Glass accompaniments, plantings of herbs and edibles in wall containers are just steps away. And the guys and gals will have a few laughs around the fire pit while admiring the low-maintenance garden design with its touch of artificial turf. No mowing, baby!

THE ART OF RETREAT - TWO GENERATIONS DEFINE

A mother-daughter design team bring their special perspectives to this “dual generation” garden. Mom (Sue Goetz) wants to “unplug” in her artist retreat, fondly dubbed “Studio Botanica,” with its vintage botanical etchings. Daughter (Courtney Goetz) wants to “plug and play” in a vibrant haven inspired by video game storyboards. Even with their differences, both gardens share a thread of similarity: living walls, lush meadows and rivers of plants selected for their foliage textures and colors. Rather than sheer numbers of plant varieties, the co-designers embrace the elegance of design using well-chosen plants. 

PARADISE TO BE REGAINED - BORROWING THOREAU

"Not everyone can afford solar panels or hybrid cars, but anyone can and will make a difference by using a little bit less and utilizing what they already have." The intent of Paradise (to be) Regained was to educate people how to garden in a more creative and eco-friendly way - Recycling, re-purposing, and “re-characterizing” used materials - including an old shipping cargo container as a garden shed, heater vents for a patio, retaining wall radiators, and much more. The plant material consisted of drought-tolerant and drought-resistant plantings to educate the public on water conservation. 

There is so much clutter in our lives and it continues to grow exponentially every day. While no universal remedy exists, it could start with simple changes that every person can make. (This garden showcases the work of 17-year-old student, Courtney Goetz.)

L’eau Sage

It all started with a French curve template on my drafting table...I began to wonder what a patio would feel like if it were shaped like the template. The organic feel and movement of gravel to make the curves began the next phase of  the plan. The European effect of gravel terraces inspired a water wise gravel garden design titled L'eau sage. eau (water) sage (wise). The plant palette was used and specifically adhered to for plants that could only be in a drought tolerant gravel garden. 

Southern Living

Imagine the sip of a mint julep on a sweet summer day… join us for a gathering of friends and laughter in the garden. Cushioned and comfy seating set in the midst of blooming abundance is framed by the elegance of trellis work that creates an enclosed room. Blooms and vines peek through the fretwork as an outside glance in allows a view into the southern hospitality and charm of a courtyard garden.

Marvelous Night for a moondance

Pick your passion and build a garden around it. Whatever the space becomes it surrounds the owner with things they love,  be it a pastime or a collection.   In this garden, a passion for the elegant art of dance becomes a dance floor in the garden surrounded by plants that capture the light of the moon....just in case the urge to tango at midnight strikes. The foliage, flowers and branching habits of plants play in the brightness of the moon with a palette of light and dark to capture natural illumination and create silhouettes. Thank you to the Ballroom dancers for sharing their talent and bringing living elegance to the dance floor!

In the news:

• Featured Designer of Association of Professional Landscape Designers

• Garden Design Dilemmas Solved! | West Sound Home & Garden

• Perennial Borders - A Path to Beauty | The News Tribune