Oh, how our lives evolve.  My current adventure is finally switching over to a full website. The biggest reason I felt compelled to mak...

Every year this question ultimately comes up in my landscape design studio: "How large should I make a patio for a certain number of pe...

I discovered this flower only a few years ago and now cannot imagine living without it.  In early spring it pops out like orange polka-dots ...

Though I officially learned planting design in college, I didn't begin my real education until I began creating my own garden. These a...

As you may know, I enjoy exploring garden blogs. I even keep a board of them on Pinterest .  Once in a while I love pulling out a few fo...

There are three design elements to consider when creating a planting design: form, texture and color. Each plant you choose encompasses t...

My husband and I love antique shopping.  Some of the things I enjoy searching out is anything garden-related: books, tools, fabrics...and ev...

When we create a landscape design it's important that we communicate what's on the plan. The plants are one of the most important el...

Last week I wrote a post on rain gardens and thought it would be fun to use my theme garden design process to add a little more punch to t...

For those that enjoyed my How to Draw a Plant Symbol tutorial, here is the next step...grouping plant symbols.  A general rule of thumb f...

I was poking around my previous garden blog and came across this little ditty I wrote in 2011. I just love designing around patterns and hop...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can't believe the whirlwind I've been through the past year. At the beginning of 2013 I was uncertain about...

How do I stop the madness of crazy bedlines? These are the lines that slither through the lawn without a care in the world. Those new to lan...

A great way to add pop to your garden is through contrast. Contrast is an art principle that refers to placing opposing elements together (l...

Over the last few weeks I've made a lot of big decisions in terms of how I want to focus this blog and share my love of garden design. ...

In 2009 I began my blogging career with a goal to paint one food illustration a day for an entire year. That adventure was coined  THE LUNCH...

People often ask where I search out new plants for my designs. Besides books, I enjoy perusing online plant databases. These are great for n...

A couple of months ago I visited a small, yet amazing garden in central Iowa. I learned something that day:  size doesn't matter...it...

Let me tell you a little secret about garden design. It's important to keep your livable spaces positive . What do I mean? Often we...

This week I had the privilege of visiting a stunning Iowa garden. When I swung open the ornate wooden gate I was greeted by two sweet little...