Stacie Crooksis a Seattle - based garden room decorator who has created beautiful , ecologically favorable , low - maintenance gardensthroughout thePacific Northwest . She is also a contribute editor program forFine Gardeningmagazine and has shared her perceptiveness with our reader through 10 feature article and several departments over the preceding 17 yr . In this episode , Carolinterviews Stacie about the lesson that she has gained from her years of garden designing experience .
Stacie Crooks’s Garden Design Rules of Thumb
1. Identify your project.
Ask yourself “ What do I want to achieve ? ” and “ Why do I require to do this ? ” Having a unmortgaged goal in mind- be it lowly alimony , bettercurb charm , or morewildlifein the garden- will help you make the right design , panache , and plant choices .
2. Know your site.
Before you’re able to make any changes , you need to know your limitations . define the garden ’s faint exposure and angles , soil types , drain , topography , and size of it . Considerirrigation(if you need water , where will it make out from ? ) and access ( how will you get into the garden and move through it ? ) Bearing all this in mind , set a budget .
3. Get inspired.
With your goals and guideline clear , It ’s time for a whole plan . People always inquire , “ Where do I start ? ” Engage in activities that foster learning and friendships . interpret Holy Writ and magazines and go to lectures . bring together a garden nine . unpaid worker at apublic garden . Look in the newsprint and on the cyberspace for chance . Take notes , make lists and make cartoon . Take photos of gardens you visitand re-create them .
4. No zone denial.
When you go to buy your plants at your local nursery , read the tag carefully . Choose only that which is suit for your internet site and to your modus vivendi . If it is not clear , ask a nursery person . Be trusted that the amount of care that works needs tally the fourth dimension and energy you could open .
5. Finish one garden before you start another.
Resistbuying plantsthat are not for your current project- they ’ll just give way look for you to implant them . Stick to the list .
6. Be responsible environmentally.
Always drive to useless water , lessfertilizer , and no chemical substance . The in force you know your site , the easy it is to achieve achiever by nature . There ’s an grandness to NOT garden , using fewer resources and less labor and just enjoying your blank more .
05 Agave planted in gravel
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The front cover ofFine Gardening’sDecember 2023 issuefeaturing a photo from Stacie’s article,“So Long, Lawn”.Photo: doreenwynja.com
The front cover ofFine Gardening’sDecember 2023 issuefeaturing a photo from Stacie’s article,“So Long, Lawn”.Photo: doreenwynja.com
By repeating hues and generously filling the space with stalwart plants, Stacie has made the fence in her back yard disappear.Photo: doreenwynja.com
In Stacie’s designs, reliable perennials that require little care are often used to provide pleasing pockets of color and texture.Photo: doreenwynja.com
Bold colors and forms take center stage in Stacie’s back garden.Photo: doreenwynja.com
‘Silver Surfer’ agavethrives in Seattle’s temperate climate.Photo: doreenwynja.com
Another stunning plant combo from Stacie’s home garden.Photo: doreenwynja.com
A path that is at least 5 feet wide allows two people to walk side by side.Photo: doreenwynja.com
Coiling a hose inside an empty planter is an attractive solution for keeping a hose handy but out of sight.Photo: courtesy of Stacie Crooks
This lawn replacement project features low-maintenance plants and hardscaping that can accommodate a wheelchair or walker.Photo: doreenwynja.com
Outdoor living areas have experienced a surge in popularity in recent years.Photo: doreenwynja.com
A palette of plants adapted to Seatte’s dry summers and mild, rainy winters blend beautifully in this low-maintenance landscape.Photo: doreenwynja.com
A seating are in the center of this garden bed feels set apart from the world, but in reality it is just steps away from the home’s front entrance.Photo: doreenwynja.com
