The story behind the name of Lakamas Landscape Design

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.

What a Nighttime Hoot Reveals About Landscape Design Great horned owl , photo credit: Jake Bonello/USFWS, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/great-horned-owl-5 A deep hoot in the dark can change how you see a garden. Recently, a Great Horned Owl called from nearby trees on a winter evening in my backyard garden in NE Seattle. Not a rapid exchange, just an occasional, resonant hoot that carried through the neighborhood. Moments like this shift perspective. A garden stop

A bumblebee on a Mahonia 'Winter Sun'. Photo credit: A French Garden What winter-active bumblebees reveal about how gardens function in Seattle LAKAMAS | WILDLIFE BY DESIGN If bumblebees are active in your garden during winter, especially around flowering shrubs like mahonia, it’s not an anomaly. It’s a sign that your landscape is offering food and shelter at one of the most vulnerable points in the year. In Seattle and on Camano Island, winter-active bumblebees are native qu

Anna's Hummingbird on her nest before tree leaves out. Photo by Tara Lemiezis of Bird Alliance of Oregon Anna's Hummingbirds Nesting Season in Winter in Seattle If you’ve been seeing Anna’s hummingbirds more frequently this winter, you’re not imagining things. While most birds are still focused on survival, Anna’s hummingbirds are already turning their attention to the next generation. They are one of the earliest nesting birds in North America, and in the Pacific Northwe

Designing Winter Garden Color Beyond Green The dun color of last year's flowers and stalks contrast with the blue of the rock and the green of the evergreen shrubs on a frosty day in winter When flowers step aside, structure, color, and life take the lead. The idea that gardens are dull in winter usually comes from landscapes that were never designed for  winter. When flowers fade and leaves fall, what remains is not emptiness, but clarity. Winter reveals structure, color, an

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.

A designed garden is like a novel with its first chapter complete. The rest depends on the gardener who takes it from here.

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.

Osoberry is one of the earliest signs of spring in the Pacific Northwest. Blooming in late winter when most shrubs remain dormant, Osoberry brings movement, subtle fragrance, and ecological value to both cultivated gardens and naturalistic designs. In Seattle and Camano Island landscapes, it signals the shift toward longer days and becomes an important nectar source when few others are available.

Lakamas Winter Design Series James Roof Silktassel blooms in the winter with long icicle-like tendrils Winter reveals the true bones of a landscape. In Seattle and Camano Island, where soft light and cool, wet soils define the season, native evergreens bring essential structure, texture, and ecological function. Thoughtfully chosen evergreen shrubs and groundcovers create a layered, winter-ready framework that feels deeply tied to the region. Below is a focused look at native

Discover how deciduous trees, shrubs, and groundcovers create winter structure in Pacific Northwest gardens. Part 3 of our Winter Design Series.

The Best Time to Design and Plant a Garden in Seattle and Camano Island Winter Design Series If you’ve been thinking about refreshing your landscape—or starting from scratch—there is  a right time to begin. In the Pacific Northwest, two seasons rise above the rest for creating resilient, beautiful gardens: fall and early spring . Each brings unique advantages, especially when we’re designing with ecology, long-term plant health, and the natural rhythms of our climate in mind.

Tiger swallowtail butterfly Creating Wildlife Habitat I got into gardening with native plants when I realized a few things: we are losing native wildlife species quickly, and I didn't know there were native plants that could be used in the garden. Additionally, I couldn't find the ones I learned about. Today I'll write a bit about creating wildlife habitat intentionally through garden design. Since then, gardening with native plants has become a movement embraced by many gar

Part of the Lakamas Winter Design Series Anna's hummingbird perched on top of a Mahonia 'Arthur Menzies' Winter Evergreens for Structure, Color & Seasonal Interest Winter gardens in the Pacific Northwest are defined by structure, contrast, and subtle shifts in texture. Evergreens are the backbone, offering depth and continuity during the quiet months. In a season where deciduous plants take a rest, evergreens keep the garden looking intentional, layered, and alive. This post

Lakamas Winter Design Series Evergreens are particularly strong in the winter landscape Winter is the season when the true architecture of a garden comes into focus. Without the lush foliage and colorful blooms of summer, we are left with form, line, texture, and shadow—the essential structure that gives a landscape its identity. In the Pacific Northwest, where winter light is soft and the palette becomes more subdued, structure becomes especially important. It creates comfor

🌿 Acer circinatum — Vine Maple Red fall color with yellow and green - superb! It's fall, and what a great time to talk about Vine Maples (Acer circinatum). This small tree is perfect for an urban or suburban yard, or really, just about any yard. It does everything you ask of it - fall colors of orange, reds and yellows, and I'd say just as wonderful, lime green spring leaves that unfurl with red petioles and samaras (those adorable winged seeds). I love the color contrast, w

A dry creek bed symbolizes a stream in a Japanese Garden at the Seattle Arboretum Japanese-inspired hardscape design integrates seamlessly with Pacific Northwest landscapes because both styles celebrate natural materials, restraint, and a deep connection to place. Mossy boulders, rain-textured stone, filtered woodland light, cedar, and seasonal water movement already echo the atmosphere of traditional Japanese gardens. When adapted with regional plants and geology, these elem

What is a Sense of Place? As a landscape designer, one of my guiding themes is creating a sense of place . This concept can mean many things—the surrounding plants and natural features, the street you live on, the architecture of your home, or even the views beyond your property. In this post, I’ll focus on one of my favorite aspects: the plants that shape and reinforce that sense of place . Why Sense of Place Matters Mossy Bigleaf Maples in the Hoh River Valley A true sense

Lovely soft lavender flower of the Great Camas plant in the wild Camassia leichtlinii (Great Camas, Large Camas) 🌿💙 Description 📝 Camassia leichtlinii is a striking native bulb of the Pacific Northwest, known for its tall spires of star-shaped blue to violet flowers in late spring to early summer. Historically valued as a food source by Indigenous peoples, Camas meadows once carpeted valleys and prairies in vibrant blue. Today, it is prized in both naturalistic and designe