DREAM
DESIGN
BUILD
From simple garden revisions to complex hardscape construction, Bloom Botanical Design is your partner through the entire process of transforming your space. The design process begins by assessing the site conditions and listening to our clients needs, desires and goals. We conduct an analysis of topography, drainage patterns, sunlight exposure, soil conditions, and the surrounding environment. Using the information collected and thoughtful research, your vision is developed into a conceptual landscape design. The initial design includes concept sketches, material suggestions, and preliminary plant selections. With your feedback, we make revisions and ensure that our concept reflects your needs and aligns with your budget. Once the design process is complete, we manage the installation of hardscape elements and procure and install plant material. Your garden is a living habitat and we are invested in ensuring it thrives. As it matures, we provide ongoing seasonal garden care and revision. Open communication, a clear understanding of your needs, and collaboration with the designer are crucial for a successful outcome.
SUN & SHADE GARDEN oases
Perched on a steep slope, this beautiful setting enjoys partial sun exposure in a maritime micro-climate. When remodeling their new home, our clients made the decision to clear an outdated plant palette. This gave us the wonderful opportunity to customize their garden especially for them. We worked intimately with them to select plants that they loved. Some of our choices were inspired by the the Northern California landscape they had recently moved from while others were new discoveries found on visits to to local botanical gardens and nurseries. Their terraced front garden presented a challenge because of the steep slope and clay soil. It was critical to stabilize the soil before the rainy season and we chose plants we knew would grow vigorous roots despite the tough conditions. Their shady, corridor like back yard was the perfect setting to create a peaceful, lush oasis. We designed and installed a soothing basalt rock water feature that brings pleasure year round. The shade garden plant palette highlights varying tones of green and white with occasional bursts of colorful flowers. We love to make subtle revisions to the prominent rectangular raised planters to ensure visual interest in every season. Both front and back gardens have thrived past expectations and we take great pleasure in stewarding the growth and health of this garden and especially in sharing in this joy with the homeowners.
BRACE POINT
We began working for our clients in the spring of 2021 before ever meeting them. Relocating from Texas, this adventurous couple bough their newly renovated Brace Point home sight unseen but would not be able to move in until months later mid summer. Seattle was experiencing an exceptionally hot and dry spring and their newly planted garden was beginning to suffer. We stepped in, installed a ‘smart’ irrigation system and began regular garden maintenance. The garden came back to life and we fondly recall meeting Stephanie and Dave and introducing them to their new landscape. Every corner of their unique garden offers something special and we continue to refine their outdoor spaces. This area of West Seattle has intensely compact clay soils which we work to improve with the regular addition of organic soil amendments. Today their garden feels lush and mature! We have helped them with thoughtful updates such as juniper timber and corten steel vegetable garden planters, steel edging and apple trees. Some of our most recent and favorite additions to the garden have been Cedrus deodara ‘Snow Sprite’, Chamaecyparis ‘Golden Surprise’, Leucothoe ‘Scarlet’ and many varieties of Hebe, Heuchera and Calluna. In addition to the landscape, we update their entry and patio pots for seasonal interest and you may find us enjoying their company and a breathtaking sunset on their incredible balcony!
Holubec HOUSE
This Seward Park family needed a re-imagining of their backyard after a house addition to accommodate a 4th bedroom for their growing family. We worked with them from conception to implementation to make the most of their landscape and create spaces where they could dine, garden, relax by the fire and still maintain ample room for backyard soccer matches. This project posed the interesting challenge of wanting to preserve existing hardscape and plant materials while maintaining a cohesive feel. We reused existing boulders to create structure and depth along the stairs and patios. A large custom corten steel planter divides the lawn area from the entryway and provides visual drama as you enter the space. Castohn concrete pavers create a staggered path surrounded by Mexican beach pebble adding texture and aiding drainage while rectangular pavers laid in a subway tile pattern provide continuity between the two patios.
We were able to preserve and integrate most of the existing plants into our design which provided mature plantings and saved on cost. This yard has a unique microclimate that heats up in summer but it also has dense clay soil that requires mitigation. We worked in compost and soil building conditioner to promote soil health and planted PNW native plants such as Mahonia, vaccinium and Sword Fern. We are continuously challenged to find drought tolerant plants that can tolerate clay and still establish deep roots to help stabilize the slope. Sun loving plants such as Grevillia, New Zealand Flax, Pittosporum and Spirea are thriving! The recent Installation of efficient drip irrigation has also been incredibly helpful and has allowed us to expand the garden to the 2nd story patio!
We continue to visit this lovely, vibrant garden for regular maintenance and seasonal updates to the containers and are thrilled to have provided such a comfortable space for this awesome family to enjoy.
CASITA PATIO
We were called in to update a mossy lawn into a hub for family and community to gather around a fire. We started by completely removing the lawn and replacing it with fine textured decorative gravel framed by steel edging. We incorporated new flagstone with the existing stone to create a larger sand set patio perfect for the homeowners beloved hammock. Freshly planted wooly thyme and leptinella will grow between the stones to create a soft, durable ground cover that softens the edges of the hardscape. A few choice plantings and a beautiful redbud tree complete the plant palette and tie it all together beautifully. Small thoughtful updates such as this project are so rewarding! By using existing materials we were able to freshen this space in an affordable way and help this awesome family revitalize their outdoor space.
Liberman LIVING ROOM
This new build construction in West Seattle came with contractor plantings in the front yard and a clean slate in the backyard. We worked closely with our client to design a space that feels like a natural extension of their living room. Poured concrete walls and a floating ipe wood bench create a cozy seating nook around a custom concrete propane fire pit. Blue ribbons of Mexican pebble provide contrast and continuity in the concrete patios.
Steel edging defines the border garden and delineates an eco clover lawn for furry family members and lawn game enthusiasts to enjoy. The young garden is a mix of native and ornamental plants that will thrive under the neighboring Douglas fir tree and provide year round interest in this partly shady area. We also added a few special plants to the front yard to spice up the contractor plantings. Our favorite addition is an Eastern Hemlock ‘Golden Duke’ (Tsuga Canandensis) that will delight the neighborhood for decades to come.