Building a Show Garden: Rockin' It with CEM Design and Construction

How thrilled am I to be working with Clayton Morgan  and CEM Design and Construction once again. I wrote up a little profile on him awhile back and you may have seen our photo when I attended his wedding two summers ago. He's been a very busy guy and now he's even busier having been married and, now, he's also A DAD!!  Congrats to Clayton, Jamie and their precious daughter, Hope.

Clayton and I informally discussed maybe doing a show garden together at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show many years ago. Having just taken the plunge on my own, I wanted to him to have some part of the show to gain the experience and get his work out there. Business has picked up for him considerably, but he was gracious enough to help out with the rock work involved for "The Lost Gardener". That meant my very first visit to the infamous Marenakos Rock Center in Issaquah, WA. They are one of the main sponsors for the show and graciously provide the awesome rocks for almost all of the show gardens being created.

 Being sort of new to the world of selecting landscape rock, Clayton was on hand when I met with Mr. Bill Hyde who was so informative and helpful throughout the process. Knowing that Clayton was on a tight schedule, I did my best to be as efficient and direct as I can. This whole process has been a true practice in taking control of a project and trusting those around you to guide and support your thoughts and decisions and overall vision.

I think we got a few useful pieces to be placed strategically by Mr. Morgan's crew come show time and about three pieces that are in the running as the main focal point of the display.

This was too small, but still intriguing

Will we figure it out and make it work??   We'll find out February 16 when Marenako's bring these rocks to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.


R

Container Craze

So, I've been on sort of a roll in assembling container plantings this fall and I've been trying to build up a portfolio of some of my work.

I can't tell you how much fun it is to pick out plants and create an instant garden in a portable object that can either remain as is or be allowed to develop into something grand, wild, and over-the-top fabulous!

Planting containers is like flower arranging. You tend to emphasize what it'll look like right now versus what it'll look like in a few months. When planting up containers for clients, it obviously has to look great from the get-go, but as you water and feed them like there's no tomorrow, they billow and grow and flop and, most importantly, they're usually fascinated by the transformation.

Here's some current examples of pots I threw together last week!




This container was donated for an auction to benefit the Dunn Garden in North Seattle. It features a golden Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Tetragona Aurea', Heucherella 'Stoplight', black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'), and a fabulously dwarf and delightful box honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida 'Twiggy').

Another container I put together was a bit of an ambitious attempt where, yes, I cared about its initial appearance, but I just jam-packed it full of wonderful stuff just to see what will happen.



So this container was actually a gift to Clayton's mom, who helps run CEM Design (read about him and his work). I actually surprised Clayton by visiting their headquarters in Kirkland and I just missed her by like 30 seconds to see what she thought. So, my "backbone" for this container is the elegant Japanese Cedar 'Sukkan Sugi' and at the base to the left is the whorl of fronds from Dryopteris erythosora or Autumn Fern left over from my nursery stock, I sneaked in 'Twiggy' on the other side with a corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus 'Spiralis') with sweetflag (Acorus gramineus 'Ogon') at the base behind, and towards the front you'll see the spiky evergreen foliage of a Pacific Coast Hybrid iris called 'Ami Royale', which is a pale violet with deep purple centers and a gold-highlighted crest and, finally, spilling over the front is another Heucherella 'Tapestry'. Oh, I think I tucked in a little black mondo as well. CRAZY! Hope Mrs. Morgan likes it! hehe.

Finally, I have this kick-ass ceramic, blue glazed bowl that I planted Mahonia 'Soft Caress' in. Near by are the same plant, but finally in the ground so I can compare the two growing conditions. (can you tell i have a thing for his lapis-blue color ceramic glazed containers? hahaah) Looking kind of boring by itself, I planted it with a dwarf creeping Euonymus fortunei 'Minimus', a few plugs of Cardamine trifolia, a winter Calluna vulgaris 'Firefly' and spilling over the edge is a dramatic Vinca 'Illuminator'.

Gardener Profile: Clayton Morgan of CEM Design

Ok, so he needs a little help in his own garden, but this was the only pic his g/f would let me use. hahaah..j/k


I've mentioned Clayton before in previous posts and I feel like he deserves his own little profile.

He and I go back a few years when we were undergrads at the UW. He thought about double majoring in landscape architecture and environmental horticulture and urban forestry, but he stuck to his BA as an LA and has implemented his knowledge of landscapes in his own enterprise as CEM Design; a company he started back when he was about 18 or 19 years old.

We worked on several projects together as undergrads and I helped TA a plant ID class he took and we just sort of started talking. He seemed like a nice guy, though really shy and quiet. He threw out the idea of collaborating on a project together and last fall was our opportunity to do so.

The Bellevue residence we landscaped together is establishing well and what a treat for our clients to witness the bloom of rare Himalayan blue poppies and giant lilies.



A few weeks back, I hired him to redo our driveway and here's the beginning of a new look to Landwave:





Clayton's strength lies in not just his sense of space and design, but his skills as a contractor. He likes the BIG projects and the construction aspects of his work.





A Medina residence


Medina residence


Edmonds residence


Snohomish residence


Clayton creates a wonderful canvas for me and I hope he can continue to expand his work. He's a young entrepreneur like myself and we've got a ways to go, but the progress and the quality of work he and his crew produce is outstanding and it will only get better.

While business has been busy, he's on the look out for future potential clients and projects. You can contact him and see more of his work at www.cemlandscapes.com

Landscape Install Update: Bellevue Residence with CEM Designs

Oh, I'm absolutely pleased with how things have established and grown since last fall's installation at this Bellevue residence.

Recall the "collaborative efforts" I posted last fall when I worked with Clayton Morgan at CEM Design.

1. Original site and demo
2. Post intial planting

And here it about 7 months later:








I guess what has made this project exciting is the fact that almost all the plant materials, including two rare woodland perennials have thrived and will offer flowers this first year in their Himalayan themed landscape.




Here's the stately Giant Himalayan lily (Cardiocrinum gigatneum) and the delicately elegant and rare Blue Poppy (Meconopsis baileyi)

I did a site visit with Clayton recently and he showed me how to operate the irrigation system. I hope he's proud of this project. It just needs to fill in a little more, but most imporantly, the clients are VERY pleased!

I'm drafting a profile on Clayton very soon so people get to know him and more of this work.


Riz

A collaborative effort. (PART 2)

So, we did an install last Wednesday here here's are some views before the plants came in and some photos after the first phase of installation.

I have more work to do this week to add just a few more things and then we'll be complete with fall planting. Come spring, we'll include more perennials and ground covers and begin to closely monitor each plant as it gets established.

In selecting plant material for this space, a Himalayan theme emerged as a grouping of clumping Himalayan Birches (Betula jacquemontii) was selected as a focal point. In communicating with the clients, I learned about their close ties to Nepal and I wanted to integrate elements in the landscape that would allow them a glimpse of a Nepalese woodland forest and hillside outside their Bellevue home.
Here's the dry river bed from the street(the magnolia installed in the back will actually be moved):
Underneath these stately birches, assorted Mahonias, Rhododendron yakushianum hybrids, and a trio of Viburnum plicatum v. tomentosum with excellent fall color will compliment the birches very well when they mature and produce their "double-file" white flowers.



Approaching their front door and turning to the right, we see this stunning flagstone pathway installed by Clayton's crew. It is flanked with evergreen Sarcoccoca and an assortment of various clumping bamboos that enclose the space and frame a few of the woodland and dry river bed below.
With Rhododendron species from my friends at Chimacum Woods, including a planned Rhododendron arboreum (the national flower of Nepal), the goal is for these plants to reach their tree like proportions in a few years. Alongside these rhododendrons, a wide assortment of shrubs including Osmanthus, Viburnum, Camellia, Magnolia, Daphne, and stands of assorted clumping bamboos complete the picture.



More plants to come and a few things that need to be tweaked and then it's all up to Mother nature to do her thing. We are satisfied with the work we've done and we are looking forward to watching this landscape mature and evolve.

A collaborative effort. (PART 1)

For the past few weeks, I've been working with a colleague in designing and installing a landscape for a client and the process has been incredibly worthwhile.

Clayton Morgan, of CEM Design, Inc., is a former classmate, student, and friend. He finished his BLA (Bachelors of Landscape Architecture) when I finished my hort degree at the UW. We've been talking about doing a project together for some time now and an opportunity arose when a client in Bellevue called RHR (moi) to renovate and re-design their yard.

Since I don't do major demolition and hardscapes, Clayton (who just loves to do these sorts of things with his big power toys! lol ) took on this role. With the hard-working CEM crew, they clean up the site, installed an irrigation system, and transformed an overgrown and uninspiring front slope and uncovered a new canvas for us to create something very special.

EXISTING LANDSCAPE


DEMO & CONSTRUCTION


ROCK & HARDSCAPE INSTALLED (stupid DEAD END sign. We're hoping they can get it moved)



So, most of the plant material was delivered today and the first phase of plant installation begins first thing in the morning. Clayton and I took some time earlier this evening to discuss placements and I couldn't be more pleased to work with someone with a keen eye for design and the experience and patience of a gardener. He's a quiet fellow, but he takes on and accomplishes big things that truly make a statement! Watch out, he's also YOUNGER THAN ME! haha.

Next generation of professional gardeners at work. Stay tuned for views of the first phase of installation.

Cheers,


Riz