 Image provided by Sonance If you spend a lot of time outdoors, love music, or want to mask city noise with nature sounds, an all-weather audio system may be just what you need. Audio speakers are becoming more and more attractive and fit beautifully in outdoor environments. You can choose speakers that blend into the landscape and even look like rocks or small boulders, but beware the quality of the sound varies greatly among manufacturers. If you are looking for an outdoor audio system with wi-fi, keep in mind the best systems still require a power source near the speakers for quality sound and low maintenance. For most circumstances, I do not recommend battery operated speakers for outdoor installations.  Image provided by Sonance In addition to personal enjoyment, outdoor audio is a useful tool to help influence our mood. Music can create an uplifting, calming, energizing, or nostalgic response. My favorite experience was seeing the delight of memory care patients as they listened to Frank Sinatra in an assisted living courtyard that I designed. Over last decade, residential outdoor audio systems have made many improvements such as smaller speakers and wi-fi capabilities. Did you know you can control individual audio zones with your smartphone, change volume, pause, search, and much more? There are several excellent systems to choose from, and the best selection will depend on the music source you use (such as Apple streaming, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify, CDs, etc.). One of the most critical factors for a great outdoor audio system is quality and sound. The higher quality sound systems will have multiple speakers along with a subwoofer for each zone. I have found the essential design element to start with is to identify your zones and know your environment.  Define Your Zones
Begin by mapping out your landscape by activity. For instance, you will want a separate zone for your fire pit area, entertainment patio, bocce ball court, meditation garden, etc. The reason for this is that experience shows when you try to spread the sound out over a large outdoor area, the sound quality degrades rather quickly. Many homeowners are sensitive to sound drifting over that may bother the neighbors. By incorporating multiple zones, you can deliver quality sound to a smaller area where you want it. With higher quality sound, you can keep the volume down and provide a much more pleasant experience for your family and guests. Know Your Environment Here in the rainy Northwest, it is important to start out with a quality speaker. Know the difference between “weather-resistant” and “weather-proof” speakers. Weather-resistant speakers need to be sheltered from open areas exposed to rain, snow, and hot sun. Speakers placed near pools need to be enclosed and surrounding materials to withstand chlorine. Routine landscape maintenance around your new speakers and subwoofers could be a disaster. Weed whackers are the worst! If you have a maintenance crew, please inform them of the new system and equipment locations. The audio-visual technology is changing at a rapid pace and advances seem to happen monthly. We have found best results is to make sure your landscape architect or contractor has partnered with a reputable sound engineer and a designer who has hands-on experience installing systems with proven references and testimonials. Here at BauerCombs we work with some of the best sound suppliers in the business and bring them into our projects. We know we can count on their years of experience and with happy customers to prove it. About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. Serving the greater Puget Sound, Seattle, Eastside and Cle Elum areas, we specialize in custom resort-style luxury landscape designs and rejuvenating outdoor retreats. As a Northwest leader in sensory landscape design, our captivating landscapes bring refreshing life to outdoor spaces through the artistic balance of sight, color, scent, touch, taste, and sound. With a deep appreciation for nature, our focus is to blend eco-friendly landscape design practices and materials into each landscaping design project. We are excited to say that our landscape work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor living environments for people and communities. Based in North Bend, we have brought the joy of outdoor environments to homes and local communities in western Washington and across the United States. Author: Susan Combs Bauer, Landscape Architect, Copyright © 2018 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. Landscape Architects www.bauercombs.com (425) 496-7772 
Houzz.com is a homeowner’s guide to the top landscape architects, architects, and interior designers in the Seattle area and cities across the United States. This website is an amazing platform that provides inspiration, information, DYI advice, and support from luxury estates to tiny backyard gardens.
Houzz is easy and fun to use for homeowners, businesses, and residential communities such as, senior living campuses and sustainable-eco-friendly neighborhoods. It is an interactive site where people search what interests them and save favorite photos in their personal ideabooks. We really enjoy receiving emails from people saying they like our work or ask questions about our designs. Emails come from all over the US and Canada. It’s fun to be connected with people from far-away places! January 2018 has started out with several new projects on the boards, and we anticipate posting many new projects throughout the year. You can find our featured projects at https://www.houzz.com/pro/bauercombs/__public and while there, check out our ideabooks and testimonials. From Houzz “The Houzz community selected a phenomenal group of Best of Houzz 2018 award winners, so this year’s recipients should be very proud,” said Liza Hausman, vice presideint of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “Best of Houzz winners represent some of the most talented and customer-focused professionals in our industry, and we are extremely pleased to give them both this recognition and a platform on which to showcase their expertise.” About BauerCombs Landscape Architects Serving the greater Puget Sound, Seattle, and Eastside areas, we specialize in custom resort-style luxury landscape designs and rejuvenating outdoor retreats. As a Northwest leader in sensory landscape design, our captivating landscapes bring refreshing life to outdoor spaces through the artistic balance of sight, color, scent, touch, taste, and sound. With a deep appreciation for nature, our focus is to blend eco-friendly landscape design practices and materials into each landscaping design project. We are excited to say that our landscape work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor living environments for people and communities. Based in North Bend, we have brought the joy of outdoor environments to homes and local communities in western Washington and across the United States. Author: Susan Combs Bauer, Landscape Architect, Copyright © 2018 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. www.bauercombs.com (425) 496-777 As the winter holidays approach, color is everywhere except in your garden! Here in the Seattle - Bellevue area, most gardens have already had their last hoorah for the season. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of plants that can add pizzazz to your garden in the dead of winter. Here are a few of my favorites that do great in the Puget Sound area.  Camellia (above) My personal favorite! Camellia (Camellia japonica) is an evergreen shrub with rose-like flowers. It comes in many color variations of red, pink and white. This stunning shrub blooms from fall to early spring and grows 5’ to 10’ high depending on the variety.  Lenten rose (above) Another eye-catching plant is the Lenten rose (Helleborus hybrids), a herbaceous perennial that grows 12 to 18 inches high. It comes in color variations of white, pink, purple, and yellow. Bloom time is from late December to March and grows best in partial shade.  Winterberry (above) This deciduous shrub looks somewhat like holly, however, loses its dark green leaves in the fall. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) has a spectacular array of bright red berries. And the good news is, birds love to snack on these berries! Make sure you have plenty of room, Winterberry grows 6 to 15 feet tall and just as wide.  Sweet box (above) If you are looking for a handsome groundcover that smells great and does well in the shade, Sweet box (Sarcococca hookerana humilis) is your answer. This low growing evergreen plant grows 12 to 14 inches high and has very fragrant white blossoms. The tiny flowers bloom in late winter or early spring followed by small berrylike fruit. You don’t need to plant many as they spread by underground runners to 8 feet or more.  Beautyberry (above)
Yes, purple in the winter! This deciduous shrub is covered with small violet purple berries that hang on well into winter. Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) has slender arching branches that grows 4 feet tall and slightly wider. I hope these 5 plants give you a good starting point to work from, and you'll enjoy more color in your winter garden. I'm curious to know, what is your favorite winter plant? Just click on the comment button at the end of this blog. Looking forward to your comment! About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. An award-winning landscape architecture and project management firm, BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. creates fun and entertaining landscapes throughout the Northwest and western states. With an emphasis on sensory design and eco-friendly practices, we provide creative problem-solving and innovative designs that embrace outdoor spaces and enjoyment. Based out of North Bend, Washington, our work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor environments for people and communities. If you need a professional designer for your landscape project, BauerCombs Landscape Architects would love to help! Give us a call at (425) 496-7772, learn more at www.bauercombs.com, or connect with us on Facebook. Author: Susan Combs Bauer, Landscape Architect, Copyright © 2017 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. www.bauercombs.com  When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, many of us plan on having turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. This year, how about celebrating Thanksgiving by inviting three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) to the table? This garden trio has been used by Native Americans to grow sustainable food sources for centuries and is increasing in popularity for northwest urban gardens (and mine as well). How does it work?
Soil sustainability While beans help to stabilize the tall corn stalks during heavy winds, they also provide nitrogen to help fertilize the soil. Balanced food source
Although a balanced diet is relatively readily available today, the Three Sisters (corn, beans, and squash) had a vital importance to a healthy diet for native peoples. The corn provided carbohydrates, dried beans provided protein and amino acids, and squash offered a variety of vitamins and minerals. When to plant for northwest gardens Plant corn seeds in late spring when the soil begins to warm. Next, plant bean seeds 2 -3 weeks later (or when the corn is 4” tall). Squash seeds are the last to be planted about one week after the beans have emerged. Be sure that your garden receives a minimum of 6 hours of sun per day (more is better)! Select seed varieties that do well in your area and choose organic or heirloom varieties if available. Most important, have fun growing your own Three Sisters vegetable garden and find a few kids to get involved! Please donate to your local food bank Thanksgiving and holidays are a difficult time for many families and individuals. If you can, please donate to your local food bank, thank you. About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. - Landscape Architects Our award-winning landscape architecture firm creates fun and entertaining landscapes throughout the Northwest, Seattle, and Eastside areas since 1991. With an emphasis on sensory design and eco-friendly practices, we provide creative problem-solving and innovative designs that embrace outdoor spaces and enjoyment. Based out of North Bend, Washington, our work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor environments for people and communities. Author: Susan Combs Bauer. Copyright © 2017 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. www.bauercombs.com (425) 496-7772  If you are thinking about buying a property in Suncadia Resort, I highly recommend it! If you are not familiar with Suncadia, it is a residential community resort located in Cle Elum, WA (about 50 minutes east of North Bend, WA). Our project manager and I enjoyed a wonderful morning at our client’s property to discuss landscape design options, outdoor spaces, desired views, and overall style preferences. The early morning started out with dense fog but lifted by 10:30 AM to reveal a gorgeous mountain view.  After our meeting, we headed over to Central Nursery in Ellensburg to see what trees and shrubs were in stock. The fall colors were spectacular!   About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc.
An award-winning landscape architecture and project management firm, BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. creates fun and entertaining landscapes throughout the Northwest. With an emphasis on sensory design and eco-friendly practices, we provide creative problem-solving and innovative designs that embrace outdoor spaces and enjoyment. Based out of North Bend, WA, our work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor environments for people and communities. We love everything outdoors! Give us a call at (425) 496-7772 to discuss your next landscape project. Author & photos by Susan Combs Bauer. Copyright © 2017 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. www.bauercombs.com (425) 496-7772  Photo image by El Galguito As you know, the recent Harvey, Irma, and Maria Hurricane tragedies have been devastating. Not only thousands of people and families have been displaced and lost their homes, but “pets have faced extraordinary hardships in the aftermath” as stated by Ian Livingston’s article in The Washington Post. Ian also states “Thousands are thought to be displaced or missing. Organizations have rushed in from all parts of the country to help. Hurricane-displaced cats and dogs are on the move." The good news is that rescued pets are being adopted all around the United States including here in the Seattle area. Taking in a pet is an incredible act of kindness, but is a big responsibility as well. If you are thinking about adopting a pet, or have already, it’s important to create a safe outdoor area that your pet will love. Landscape Elements for Happy Pets Sensible Plants First and foremost, check to see if there are any toxic plants your pets may have access to and remove them. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) maintains lists of plants that are toxic to dogs and cats. Please note that some dahlia plants are toxic to dogs. Choose non-thorny plants that have soft foliage near doors and pathways but are sturdy enough to survive rambunctious jumping and tail wagging. Find plants that are toxic to dogs at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/dogs-plant-list Find plants that are toxic to cats at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/cats-plant-list Smooth Hardscapes Smooth pavers or flagstone slabs set in a sand base create a comfortable surface for play or napping. I’m not sure what it is, but dogs love to hang out in areas with pea gravel. If you have space, provide a kennel with a pea gravel base, your dog will love it!  Ground Covers & Lawn Keep in mind that rescued dogs may be nervous or protective of their new environment and may pace. Pacing tends to wear paths in lawn areas. Consider replacing your lawn (or a portion) with ground covers that will hold up to pets such as Elfin thyme -Thymus serpyllum 'Elfin'.  Fences & Digging Dogs
Keep your pets safe and happy by providing them a fenced-in area. A fenced-in area will give them independence and freedom to frolic around unsupervised. If you have a pet that likes to dig (like our Alaskan Husky did), it’s a good idea to bury chicken wire up to 14” under the fence or place large rocks along the base. If you are interested in adopting a pet from the recent hurricanes or donating, here is one website to check out http://www.seattlehumane.org/donate/donate-now Need Help with your project? Give us a call at (425) 496-7772 and chat with our landscape architect. We serve the greater Seattle and Eastside areas including North Bend and Cle Elum. Learn how to get started on our Getting Started page. Author: Susan Combs Bauer. Copyright © 2017 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. Photo credits (happy dog in flowers) by El Galguito at flickr.com |
Blog ThemeBauerCombs News + Landscape Garden Design Tips with Susan. AuthorSusan Combs Bauer, Landscape Architect www.bauercombs.com 
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