Front yard views full of texture and color

Camille and Dirk Paulsen bought their Washington home 12 days ago and transmute a yard with basic landscape gardening into a garden filled with people of color , texture and lashings of views — along with mass of seating areas to enjoy them from ! One of the thing that attracted the Paulsens to this property was all of the matured coniferous tree and Japanese maples . Camille loves the statuesque tree and see that they were a big service as she set off adding boundary line — thing did n’t look quite so raw and bare with a ripe tree or two as part of the planting . As she designs , she thinks of the garden bed like tapestries , and plant life in layer : Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , shrubs , perennials and ground covers weave together as they grow to mimic the natural landscape . The garden has evolved in stage over the years and now hem in the total business firm . You canfollow Camille on Instagramto see more of this beautiful garden throughout the year .

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A place for conversation

Several years ago the match was disappoint when they lost a large Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) next to the driveway above . They missed the privateness it provided and the shade it offered from the afternoon Sunday in this northwest - face front one thousand . They could have just embed another tree diagram and called it good , but Camille saw an opportunity to create a garden that was unambiguously hers and make more use of this part of the yard . So they converted the blank space to a patio with a garden .

The 16 - foot - all-inclusive round patio above baby-sit just behind the planting next to the driveway . It ’s large enough for small gatherings and the perfect sizing for conversation ( specially when the subject is garden . ) And the pergola provide height and helps define the seating blank space .

To get moreprivacyand a sense of shelter for this front yard terrace , Camille decide to surround it with a berm up to 3 invertebrate foot tall at some points . As the gang dug up the space for the terrace , they pile the turf and excess territory up on the street side to make the mound . That minimized the amount of extra soil that needed to be brought in .

Sherri Ribbey

Garden changes

Once the terrace and the berm ( which is 15 feet deep at its widest breaker point ) were built , it was time to mean about what to implant . Slow - growing dwarfconifersthat can take 10 years to reach their mature top of 5 to 6 foot tall were at the top of Camille ’s flora leaning for this freshly sunny country . Camille found the tears Serbian spruce ( Picea amorika ) in the photo at the back of a local nursery . Although it had fallen over and was acquire in an strange manner , the tree diagram was firm and sizable so she bribe it ( and even gravel a discount ! ) . Other Lord’s Day plants , such as Spanish dagger , agave ( Agave americana ) and ‘ All Gold ’ retem ( Juniperus rigidasubsp.conferta ) , complete the tapestry of color and grain and do n’t take care the reflect heat from the driveway .

Add a water feature to your garden

After get the terrace and surrounding garden complete , Camille and Dirk adjudicate to add a dual - sided water feature near the front room access . It ’s built on a berm and has two falls that flow in diametrical focal point from a central catchment area at the top . The photo above shows what you’re able to see from the entry and the view below is from the terrace .

Each side has its own look and sound even though there ’s just one pump for this recirculating piss feature . On the front door side the incline is smaller and the stream narrower , so the water has a restrained , gentle flow . The terrace side below is unconscionable with a wide mouth so it has a more active flow . Camille and Dirk have find that they can move stones around to make allowance to the phone if they want to .

On this terrace side of the falls , the watercourse flows into a 10- to 12 - foot - wide of the mark pond with an irregular shape . It ’s 4 groundwork cryptic with straight sides so predators ca n’t wade in to get the colourful koi living there and is deep enough the fish can get out of reach as well as baffle the heating system in summer .

Sherri Ribbey

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Impressive gabion pillars

These impressive gabion pillars flanking the path mark the transition from the front to the side of the house . Camille bought the 4 - foot - marvellous sullen metal wire kind from a local glasshouse and fill up them with I. F. Stone gather around the holding . They ’re 16 inches square at the base and taper to 12 inches at the top ; large enough to pull in tending but not so big that they hover over you as you take the air by . The mix of stone shapes and colour is a great contrast to the surrounding garden .

After the gabions had been in place for a duet of eld , they started to incline as the stones settled . So Camille break up both and had concrete ground poured . Once reassemble on their new sturdy bases , they ’ve remained straight and stable ever since .

Ceramic bowl - form planters on top get a new look each year and provide long - lasting color to the entranceway . Since this is a sheltered spot and the bowls are heavy , there ’s no real headache of them being blown off in the wind .

Camille Paulsen Patio Zoom: Surrounded by trees, shrubs and perennials growing on a berm, this sheltered patio doesn’t feel like it’s near the street.

Sophisticated side yard

As she design the side yard , Camille incorporatedelements inspired by time her family spent in Japanwhen she was a child . Under the shade of the existing quaking aspens(Populus tremuloides ) and conifers , she planted leafage perennial to add colour and texture , such as hakonechloa ( Hakonechloa macra),fernsand hostas ( Hostaspp . and hybrids ) . With the addition of a bench and the casual ornament , this field has become a lush and loosen up blank space to baby-sit or take a saunter .

go along the gabions and brush up a bend in the path and you ’ll come upon the Torii gate above . Traditionally , these Bill Gates were used to symbolize the transition between the mundane and the sacred . Here it simply marks your progress from the front to the backyard and redact a gorgeous perspective of Mt. Rainier . One year Camille ’s garden was the last full point on a garden tour . The weary guests were make their way through the garden when they notice the view above , which was perfect that day — with no cloud or haze to obnubilate it . Many of them annotate on its stunner and were reinvigorated by this serendipitous and inspirational gift .

Design a garden path

Pass through the Torii gate , turn over around and look back and you’re able to delight this beautiful aspect . Moss - coveredstones scattered throughout the garden next to the path give the garden a sense of age . But Camille did n’t have to wait for the moss to arise . She just need a few neighbors if they ’d be uncoerced to sell the stodgy stone in their yard . Their answer was “ Oh please , take them ! ” So she sent them a thank you note and an orchidaceous plant alternatively .

At first Camille require to use mulch on this path because it ’s so hushed to take the air on . But to merge the garden , she prefer stone instead . A combining of rectangular and irregular contour gives this granite track a singular look and its simplicity fits well with the Japanese - inspired borders surrounding it .

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Camille Paulsen Patio Zoom: Surrounded by trees, shrubs and perennials growing on a berm, this sheltered patio doesn’t feel like it’s near the street.

Backyard oasis full of color and texture

The backyard is for think about . The pool , passel of seating room and a view of the raft and foothill make this a great position for hang out with friends and family .

Beat the heat with a shade structure

The shade marquee sit down on the gradient above the pool under the shade of a big Douglas fir . Even before it was built , Camille and Dirk used to puff their deck chairs to this spot because they liked the cool shade and nice gentle wind they could count on discover there . Eventually Dirk helped design this social system with a simple-minded style and plenty of built - in seating . keep it overt on three side meant that they would n’t lose out on the breeze and could still revel the position . There ’s also a roof fan for the days when the wind is n’t enough . The shade marquee is a natural position to congregate during garden tour of duty and has been the location of many parties with friends and family .

Greenhouse help

Thegreenhouseabove is relate to the house , and Camille visits often in winter to enjoy the warmth and the plants when it ’s dusty and rainy in the garden .

Araised bedjust outside the nursery has loads of tropicals , such as banana tree ( Musa cross ) , mandevilla ( Mandevillahybrid ) and hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa - sinensis ) in summertime . They are n’t frigid hardy in her zone 8 garden , but develop them right next to the greenhouse make it well-situated to play them in for winter . This space is jam - packed with works then and has light source and a heater in case temperature drop too low . This is also where Camille starts novel dahlias ( Dahliahybrid ) in early spring . The Tuber take warm soil to take off , so she start them in pots in March then frame the flora in the ground by May . If she starts them indoors like this , they flower sooner than if she set the tubers now in the priming .

Make space for a wildlife haven

At the back of the yard and down the slope , you ’ll discover the quiet seats arena above along with a pond and another tranquil waterfall . The water feature was here when they bought the house , but Camille and Dirk clean it up and add some pace and a path for easier admittance . There are n’t any fish because of all the predators , such as raccoons , that oft wander through . insert under the trees , this out - of - the way garden is a act more casual , though Camille repeatedJapanese maplesand other plant here so it still feels unite to the yard above . Now this countryfied hideout has become one of the Paulsens ’ favourite blot to sit around , watch the wildlife that passes by ( they even saw an red deer recently ! ) and delight all the views .

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Camille Paulsen front garden with plant labels: Keep the garden interesting all year with ‘Pendula Bruns’ weeping Serbian spruce, ‘Blue Surprise’ Lawson’s false cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), Spanish dagger and agave provide great contrasts in shape, color and texture with just foliage. There’s always something beautiful to enjoy in this highly visible spot next to the driveway.

Paulsen water feature view from entry: The slope is smaller here and the stream narrower, so the water has a quiet, gentle flow that provides a peaceful mood for the entry garden.

Paulsen water feature view from patio: The slope is steeper and the stream is wider on the patio side so the stream has a more active flow that’s easier to appreciate from a distance.

Stone Gabion pillars Camille Paulsen garden: Each gabion pillar is topped with a 12-inch square tile that holds a 20-inch container filled with annuals.

Tori Gate and view of Mt. Rainier in WA: Dirk built the Torii gate of Alaskan yellow cedar, which is super resilient in all kinds of weather, and sealed with tinted timber oil.

Camille Paulsen stone pathway: The irregular shapes came from one boulder that Camille picked out at a local stone company and had cut into 2-inch slices.

Camille Paulsen Garden structure & Japanese maple in a container: A Japanese maple and bamboo growing in containers next to the path on the way to the shade pavilion provide color and texture. They can stay in the pots for years with the occasional root pruning or division.

Camille Paulsen Greenhouse:Summer temperatures in the greenhouse can get extra hot even with the automatic windows open. Keeping the door open encourages air flow.

Paulsen pond seating: Camille and Dirk don’t use chemicals in the water or clean out the leaves in fall, which has led to this pond becoming a haven for frogs.