Here are some photos of gardens I’ve installed and care for.

My Own Garden

I love creating arches over pathways. This arch is half apple tree half pacific ninebark. Oregon Hazel, native willows, redgtwig dogwood and osoberry make the best small living arches in my experience but I would bet it could be done with just about any small native shrub.

This is my own driveway pollinator garden. When we moved here this entire planting area was a layer of black plastic covered with gravel covered with weeds growing on top and roots through the plastic. I still come across bits of plastic, it is so gross. I would not ever recommend landscaping fabric or plastic in any garden!

I was struck by the lovely heart shape of this native Oregon Sorrel leaf.

Leave the leaves and leave the SEEDS! These spent amaranth seedheads were flopping over in the rain so I bundled them up and placed them where I could see them from my kitchen sink window. There are nearly always birds coming by for a snack, makes doing the dishes slightly less tedious.

This is an example of one of the things I love about habitat gardening. I came across this amazing scene as I was performing the mundane task of taking the garbage out at night. This praying mantis looks to me to be conducting the orchestra of nature perched atop a native douglas aster. I know praying mantises are not native but they are beautiful and as far as I know not considered to be invasive. I love the chance to come across one in my garden.

Here is another arched pathway featuring an osoberry and sitka willow arch and blooming nootka roses.

School Pollinator Garden

First photo is from September 2018 before I took over as school garden coordinator. The following photos are from 2023 after the red rubber mulch was removed, compost and arborist chips improved the soil and native and pollinator supporting plants were added over time. I built a wooden raised bed over the circular shaped garden due to it being a low point that filled with water during heavy rain. I designed it to give students a place to safely step into the garden to interact with the plants. Signage is rotated through the seasons to feature information about pollinators and gardening that will appeal to students and the community.