 We all need a special place to escape from reality from time to time, especially now. Because access to outdoor recreation is somewhat challenging, creating your own outdoor garden get-a-way may be your best option. The good news is, creating a happy outdoor space can be as simple as setting up a folding chair and enjoying the air around you. Big or small, the key is to keep your garden simple. Before you begin, you will need to answer two questions: What do you desire, and what are you drawn to? What Do You Desire? Write down a minimum of five reasons why you want a happy outdoor space? This exercise may take a while. Really dig down and find out what you desire most and how it makes you feel. What Are You Drawn To? To find the perfect spot for your garden or sitting area, take a good look at your surroundings. What are you drawn to? Stand and pause in several different locations and select the space you feel most comfortable in and free.  Create a Sense of Arrival By establishing an entrance to your outdoor landscape space, you are creating an invisible portal that leaves your worries behind. An entry may be created with a stack of smooth river stones, carved wood sign, artistic arbor, crushed stone path, or fragrant plant. Choose what gives you the best signal to disconnect with your daily routine. A Place to Sit By placing a chair, bench, or old stump in your space, it reminds you to sit and relax and enjoy your surroundings. Many clients tell me, the more simplistic the chair is, the more connected and happier they feel. Garden Feature Having a feature to gaze at in your garden space is the fun part of the equation. Outdoor art, whimsical paving stones, or a water feature are just a few examples. Here is where you can get creative and be a bit silly if you like. Choose what makes you smile, not what you think others will approve of and like.   Add Color
Choose colors that make you feel happy. Varying shades of reds, yellow, and purple are my favorites! Here’s a tip for finding your preferred colors: Bring home a collection of paint color samples from the hardware store like Home Depot. Spread them out over a table and individually see what color provokes what type of feeling. For many people, varying shades of blue, green, and purple are calming and inviting. On the other spectrum, others enjoy more energetic colors like orange and red. As your happy space develops and evolves, always remember your initial intent. Your efforts should bring you happiness, beauty, and harmony. Good luck and enjoy! If you are seeking new ideas for your outdoor space or need a Master Landscape Plan, please contact BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. Landscape Architecture. We are here to help! About Us BauerCombs is an award-winning landscape architecture firm that specializes in designing sensory gardens in the greater Seattle, Bellevue, Eastside areas, and across the United States. With our signature sensory design methods, we create captivating landscapes that bring life to outdoor spaces through the artistic balance of color and patterns, scent, touch, taste, and sound. 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, Landscape Architect, Copyright © 2020 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. www.bauercombs.com (425) 496-7772  We found some beauties! Uncovering big boulders on-site is always a big bonus for Susan Combs Bauer, landscape architect at BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. "With respect and gratitude, these boulder gems will be repurposed on-site to bring definition and sense of structure within the landscape.”
This Suncadia-Tumble Creek project is well underway, with completion scheduled for the fall of 2020. We are looking forward to sharing more photos as work progresses. Suncadia-Tumble Creek is a residential resort community located in the Cascade mountains between Cle Elum and Roslyn, Washington. This new residence, designed by Thielsen Architects, will be a “contemporary take on a mountain lodge with large window areas to allow maximum natural light and to capture mountain views.” The landscape, designed by BauerCombs & Associates, provides a soothing selection of natural materials, native plants, and contrasting textures. Outdoor spaces will be a series of garden rooms that visually connect interior living areas with nature outdoors. The repurposed big boulders will be nestled among native plants and serve the role of site caretaker, inviting visitors to sit, relax, and contemplate. We are excited to share more updates this spring and summer. Please check our blog for updates, or better yet, we hope to see you in Suncadia. If you are visiting during lunch time, we recommend Swiftwater Cellars in Suncadia, located on Rope Rider Dr., Cle Elum, WA. See you there! If you need a landscape architect for your residential or commercial property, we would love to help! Give us a call at (425) 496-7772, schedule a meeting, or connect with us on Facebook. About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. We are an award-winning landscape architecture and site planning firm located in beautiful North Bend, WA. We serve Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Cle Elum, Suncadia, and the greater Puget Sound area. With our signature sensory design methods, we create captivating landscapes that bring life to outdoor spaces through the artistic balance of color and patterns, scent, touch, taste, and sound. Our work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor environments for people and communities. To learn more about our design style and project tips, we invite you to download our free ebook. If you would like to discuss your upcoming project, please give us a call at (425) 496-7772. Copyright © 2020 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. www.bauercombs.com  Here in the Seattle Puget Sound area, many colorful plants have already had their last hoorah for the season. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Just because it’s cold and grey out there, it doesn’t mean your garden has to be drab and boring. With the right selection of plants, you can brighten up your garden in the dead of winter. Here are a few of my favorites. Forsythia (shown above) A favorite among northwest cottage-style landscapes. This deciduous shrub is covered in bright yellow flowers from top to bottom in early spring. Not only does it look great in the garden (cat not included), it may also be used in flower arrangements. Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) typically grows up to 6’ tall and often taller. If you prefer a shorter shrub, there are several dwarf varieties available.  Camellia (shown 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 typically grows 5’ to 10’ tall depending on the variety.  Sweetbox (shown above) If you are thinking, hey, this plant is nothing special, I have good news! Sweetbox (Sarcococca hookeriana humilis) is a handsome groundcover with an amazing fragrance. This low growing evergreen grows well in the shade and grows 12 to 14 inches high. The tiny white flowers bloom in late winter or early spring, followed by small berrylike fruit. You don’t need to plant many of these as they spread by underground runners to 8 feet or more.  Winterberry (shown above) This deciduous shrub looks somewhat like holly in the summer but loses its dark green leaves in the fall. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) has a spectacular array of bright red berries in winter months, and birds love the berries! Because Winterberry grows 6 to 15 feet tall and wide, make sure you have plenty of available room in your garden.  Lenten rose (shown above) Another one of my favorites is the Lenten rose (Helleborus hybrids). This winter-blooming beauty is a herbaceous perennial that grows 12 to 18 inches high. Flower colors available are white, pink, purple, and yellow. Bloom time is from late December to March and grows best in partial shade.  Beautyberry (shown above) It’s hard to top the color 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.  Japanese skimmia (shown above)
This shrub is all about the berries. Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica) is a densely branched evergreen shrub with a naturally rounded shape. The red berries, along with the glossy green-leaved backdrop, gives a rich accent to winter gardens. My favorite variety is Berri-Magic Japanese Skimmia. The standard variety needs a combination of a make and female plant to ensure an abundant growth of berries. For even more winter garden pizazz, how about adding colorful landscape lighting? If you are interested in learning more, click here. I hope you enjoyed this blog post and are inspired to get out there and enjoy your winter garden (if yes, please 'like' below)! If you need a professional design and landscape architect for your residential or commercial landscape, we would love to help! Give us a call at (425) 496-7772, schedule a meeting, or connect with us on Facebook. About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. We are an award-winning landscape architecture and site planning firm located in beautiful North Bend, WA. We serve Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Cle Elum, Suncadia, and the greater Puget Sound area. With our signature sensory design methods, we create captivating landscapes that bring life to outdoor spaces through the artistic balance of color and patterns, scent, touch, taste, and sound. Our work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor environments for people and communities. To learn more about our design style and project tips, we invite you to download our free ebook. If you would like to discuss your upcoming project, please give us a call at (425) 496-7772. Copyright © 2020 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. www.bauercombs.com  BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. is delighted to announce that our Landscape Architect, Susan Combs Bauer, was featured in WSU's Landscape Architecture Newsletter. Each quarter, their newsletter features one landscape architect alumni. Here's what they had to say:
Growing up in the Northwest, Susan has always enjoyed the outdoors and everything green! Her interest in Landscape Architecture blossomed at the young age of eleven when she discovered a miniature garden in a bottle (terrarium) at a local Gig Harbor boutique store. The world of art and science was introduced to Susan, and she was hooked! After graduating from WSU, Susan worked for an Urban Planning firm as a Site Planner. She later accepted a position at WA Department of Transportation, followed by a Landscape Architecture position at WA Department of Natural Resources. Although Susan enjoyed her work and colleagues, she knew it was time to develop her own firm. Since then, Susan has designed hundreds of projects across the United States to help people connect with community and nature through sensory design. Her projects range from private estates to sustainable housing developments, healing gardens, sensory trails, and senior living campuses. All-in-all, Susan has had a fun journey along the way and is looking forward to more exciting adventures ahead! Susan enjoys research and knowledge. She says it is a good day when she learns something new! As an award-winning landscape architect, Susan is also an accredited Rainwater Collection Systems Professional, certified Permaculture Design Consultant, and well-known leader in Sensory Design. Susan has fond memories of WSU's Landscape Architecture program and has kept in contact with several classmates over the years. "It is truly a joy to stay in touch with my old classmates and to learn how life brings us all together. To those of you just entering or graduating soon from the WSU Landscape architecture program, cheers to all of you! You have chosen a meaningful and gratifying career. " About BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. We are an award-winning landscape architecture and project management firm located in beautiful North Bend, WA. We serve Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Cle Elum, Suncadia, and the greater Puget Sound area. With our signature sensory design methods, we create captivating landscapes that bring life to outdoor spaces through the artistic balance of color and patterns, scent, touch, taste, and sound. Our work has been published in several magazines and continues to grow in reputation for creating healthy outdoor environments for people and communities. To learn more about our design style and project tips, we invite you to download our free ebook. If you would like to discuss your upcoming project, please give us a call at (425) 496-7772. Copyright © 2019 BauerCombs & Associates, Inc. www.bauercombs.com |
Blog ThemeBauerCombs News + Landscape Garden Design Tips with Susan. AuthorSusan Combs Bauer, Landscape Architect www.bauercombs.com 
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