Rain Gardens

Rain Gardens are an environmentally sound choice for your garden. Trillium Design can help you design and create an eco-friendly garden that will manage your storm water run-off, thereby minimizing your impact on the Puget Sound and enhancing your overall landscape.

This full sun rain garden features
colorful grasses and drought tolerant perennials.

Lush plantings of various textures create year round
interest in this rain garden in the shade. 

Through the RainWise program, the City of Seattle offers rebates to residents in designated neighboroods to offset a portion of the cost of installing a rain garden and/or cistern.  In some cases, the rebate can cover up to 100% of the installation cost.  Trillium Design been designing rain gardens since 2013 and is on the approved contractor list with the RainWise program. 

Bryant Entry Garden, Seattle

This garden received a complete makeover in both the front entry garden and backyard.  The entry garden showcases a plant pallet of cool celadon grasses and burgundy foliage accents that harmonize with the house and door color scheme.  A specimen 'Forest Pansy' Redbud tree provides a focal point and softens the house facade.  Drought tolerant plantings of our native kinnickinick and various sedums and herbs fill the retaining beds and add textural interest  year round.

A collection of low maintenance herbs,
grasses and succulents are highlighted here

Slate retaining walls manage the slope and
allow for lush plantings to enhance the entry

Bryant Backyard, Seattle

This backyard patio design has two raised planters that serve as informal seating and create a more intimate space.  The planters are achored with Fireglow Japanese Maples and are underplanted with textural grasses and perennials.  Beyond the patio, the garden flows into a restful lawn area surrounded by native plantings and mature trees.  A rockery was designed along the south border and provides screening with the use of Vine Maple and Stewartia trees, and many grasses and evergreen flowering shrubs for year round interest.

Montlake Entry, Seattle

A Dwarf Hinoki Cypress anchors the corner of this small planting bed

This Montlake Entry garden features a bluestone walkway and diverse plant pallet.  A variety of small trees were selected to add structure and foliage interest year round.  The evergreen trees include a Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, Korean Fir, and Golden Fernspray Cypress. A Bloodgood Japanese Maple and 'Diane' Witch Hazel tree were selected for their contrasting foliage color in spring and fall.

Foliage of varying size and color adds interest to this garden year round

Simplistic Sand Point Garden

A simple line of ornamental grasses line the bold walkway of this traditional Sand Point home.  The entry patio is enhanced by container plantings and a collection of native groundcovers and Weeping Alaska Cedar tree.

Orange sedge grasses pick up the warm
brick tones from house and steel panels

Blue Oat Grasses provide crisp contrast
to the weathered steel  panels

Edible Gardens

A kitchen garden at its peak in early summer

 Edible gardens can be very rewarding -- not only from the standpoint of growing your own fresh and organic food -- but they can be beautiful as well.  I offer 10 years experience as a Master Gardener and active P Patch member to clients who want to start vegetable gardening or add edibles to their gardens.

Children love growing food  -- start when they are young!

A creative space saver for growing potatoes

Edible foliage of many colors

Laurelhurst Courtyard Entry, Seattle

A small, private courtyard garden enhances the entry to this charming Tudor home in the Laurelhurst neighborhood.   The fence and retaining walls blend with the house exterior and lush plantings soften the hardscape.  Dark slate flagstone creates an informal patio area with creeping thyme softening the stone edges.

A Smoke Tree and Hinoki Cypress add
structure to this small garden

The Japanese Maple on left was chosen for its
light texture and fall color