Support Your Ecosystem

I love adding support for pollinators, and creating  plantings that provide insect life to feed birds, habitat for other non-threatening wildlife, plus soil and water management to improve your garden's capacity to do all of the above. Much of this starts with the use of native plants and removal of invasives, but it does not end there.

Make it Beautiful!

Native, ecosystem supporting gardens do not need to be messy or chaotic. They can be, and that too can be beautiful! But you can also use all of the other principles mentioned here to create or manage a traditional / tidy suburban garden with clean lines, symmetry and uniform color schemes. 

Start with Native Plants

I do not exclusively use native plants, but I understand their value both to support local food webs AND to make your life easier as a gardener and homeowner. My planting suggestions will always include some native species, or a suggestion of native alternatives to plants already in consideration.  But I will not take away any plant that you love simply because it's not native. 

Grow Some Food, If You Can

Home-grown food is delicious, nutritious, and any thing grown on your existing property is likely to have a much lower carbon footprint than the food you buy at the store. Why not add some asparagus into a traditional perennial plantings? Or plant a fruit-bearing tree rather than a purely ornamental option? 

Layer Garden Functions

I am an avid student of the permaculture movement, which aims to reduce waste and maximize the functionality of our gardens and the world beyond, taking the idea of companion plantings to the next level. It could include setting up a designated yard waste compost area, a mushroom bed, or training pole beans up your lilies. Let me know if / how you would like me to incorporate these ideas in your garden. 

Your Garden, Your Style

I have my own personal style that I apply to my home garden. But in your garden I will listen to what you want and do my best to plant, prune and plan according to your goals and taste, offering input on how to do the most within whatever constraints or guidelines that you share.