top of page
Lakamas Landscape Design
Landscape Design Studio | Seattle, the Eastside & Camano Island
Where Artistry Meets Ecology
Search
All Posts
What's in a Name?
The story behind the name of Lakamas Landscape Design
Jonna Semke
May 1, 20252 min read
Pollinator Garden vs. Meadow Garden in Seattle, Camano Island, and the Eastside: What’s the Difference?
Pollinator gardens and meadow gardens are often grouped together, but they are built from different design priorities. When comparing a pollinator garden vs meadow garden in Seattle and Camano Island, the biggest distinction is often how the planting is structured and how the landscape is intended to function over time. While both can support wildlife beautifully, they differ in maintenance, irrigation needs, seasonal character, and ecological strategy.
Jonna Semke
1 hour ago4 min read
Pollinator Gardens in Seattle and Camano Island | Lakamas Landscape Design
Pollinator gardens can be far more than flower beds. In Seattle and Camano Island, thoughtfully layered landscapes can support bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and seasonal ecology while still feeling intentional, refined, and deeply beautiful.
Jonna Semke
1 day ago5 min read
The Glory of Blue: Native Delphinium and Camas in Seattle, the Eastside, and Camano Island
In early May, the garden resolves into blue. Native delphinium and camas bloom together across Seattle, the Eastside, and Camano Island—one of the most distinct seasonal moments in the landscape, where color, ecology, and design begin to align.
Jonna Semke
Apr 303 min read
Serviceberry in Spring: Structure, Bloom, and Seasonal Timing in Seattle, Camano Island, and the Eastside
A native tree with spring bloom, edible berries, and strong wildlife value, serviceberry supports both ecological function and refined garden design in Seattle, Camano Island, and the Eastside.
Jonna Semke
Apr 104 min read
Song of Spring: Spring Garden Sound in Seattle, the Eastside, and Camano Island
Spring gardens begin with sound. In Seattle, the Eastside, and Camano Island, birds, insects, and amphibians create layered soundscapes that reveal how a garden is functioning.
Jonna Semke
Apr 95 min read
Designing for Lean, Dry Soils in Seattle, Camano Island, and the Eastside
Many landscapes in Seattle, Camano Island, and the Eastside have fast-draining soils that are often treated as a problem. In a winter-wet, summer-dry climate, these conditions can be an advantage—if planted correctly.
Jonna Semke
Mar 304 min read
Red-Flowering Currant: Early Spring Color for Seattle, the Eastside, and Camano Island Gardens
Red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) is one of the earliest blooming native shrubs in Seattle and Camano Island gardens. Its vivid pink flowers support hummingbirds and early pollinators while helping create layered, seasonally rich landscapes that connect beauty with ecological function.
Jonna Semke
Mar 113 min read
Early Spring Bloom Sequencing in Seattle and Camano Island Gardens
Landscape designers often think in terms of bloom sequencing, arranging plants so that one species comes into flower as another begins to fade. This creates continuity in the garden and ensures that seasonal change feels intentional rather than abrupt.
Jonna Semke
Mar 55 min read
How to Support Mason Bees in Seattle and Camano Island Gardens
Mason bees Seattle gardens host each spring depend on early flowers and nesting habitat. Learn how landscape design can support these remarkable native pollinators.
Jonna Semke
Mar 44 min read
When to Design a Garden in Spring in Seattle and Camano Island
Spring is when the garden comes back into focus. Here’s how to approach design timing in Seattle and Camano Island without rushing the process.
Jonna Semke
Feb 234 min read
How to Attract Woodpeckers in Seattle and Camano Island Gardens
Woodpeckers bring life, movement, and ecological function to a garden. In Seattle and Camano Island, species like flickers, downy, hairy, and pileated woodpeckers respond to thoughtful landscape design that supports habitat, structure, and insect diversity.
Jonna Semke
Feb 114 min read
Wildlife-Friendly Garden Design in Seattle and Camano Island
A wildlife-friendly garden is not simply a garden that feels natural or slightly untamed. Some landscapes genuinely support birds and beneficial wildlife. Others unintentionally create shelter for rodents and nuisance species.
Jonna Semke
Jan 303 min read
Owls in the Garden in Seattle and Camano Island
How garden design can support owl habitat for Seattle and Camano Island.
Jonna Semke
Jan 303 min read
Seeing Bumblebees in Winter in Seattle and Camano Island?
The reasons bumblebees are active in the winter in the Seattle and Camano Island area.
Jonna Semke
Jan 264 min read
Anna's Hummingbirds Nesting Season in Winter in Seattle
Anna's Hummingbirds begin courtship and nesting in the winter. This article describes how to support them in the garden.
Jonna Semke
Jan 194 min read
Winter Garden Color: Designing Beyond Green in Seattle and Camano Island
Careful garden planning can create a garden that truly shines even in winter by using texture, color and hardscape elements.
Jonna Semke
Jan 113 min read
Anna's Hummingbirds in the Winter Garden
Anna’s hummingbirds don’t migrate. They stay. Through freezing nights, cold rain, and short days, relying entirely on what the landscape can still provide. Which makes winter the most honest season for understanding whether a garden truly works.
Jonna Semke
Jan 113 min read
Why Your Garden Needs a Fine Gardener
A designed garden is like a novel with its first chapter complete. The rest depends on the gardener who takes it from here.
Jonna Semke
Dec 12, 20253 min read
The Tiny Singer of Cascadia: Welcoming the Pacific Chorus Frog to the Garden
Where Pacific Chorus Frogs live, how they overwinter, how to encourage the vernal pools they adore, and what these frogs contribute to an ecologically vibrant landscape.
Jonna Semke
Dec 11, 20256 min read
bottom of page