Needing an idea for a festive evening stroll? How about a destination for out of town guests? The Bellevue Botanical Garden Society has been lighting up the night sky for almost 30 years at the Bellevue Botanical Garden. With thousands of volunteer hours, more than a half a million colored lights are woven into flora and fauna […]

(Cough, SNEEZE, sniffle) Have you heard these sounds while riding in a crowded elevator and realized that someone in there with you has a horrible cold? Then you notice they coughed into their hand and pushed a button with that same hand and then sneezed without covering. And you have 20 more floors to go […]

Well, do you? It is nearing the end of summer and as the floral displays from perennials start to fade in your landscape, this is the moment of stardom for dahlias. They cherish these hot dry summer days (given they have had adequate watering) and burst forth with a encore of ‘fall out of your chair’ bloomerific […]

When guests come to stay with us, I’m always thinking of favorite locations to take them that everyone will enjoy.  For the young and young at heart, for the walkers and strollers, for those that enjoy being inside and outside – the Chihuly Garden and Glass at the Seattle Center has something that everyone will […]

Before there were gardens and flowers and veggies. Before landscape design and school and family. Before Duvall, Peace Corps and the wheat farm. My earliest memories were of horses, farms and animals. As a toddler, I was told that I would beg my Dad to carry me, rain or shine, to feed the horses and let me sit […]

All clients of Gardens ALIVE Design learn many valuable lessons about creating a healthy, thriving landscape. It is with joy that I’ve repeated myself hundreds of times when I say, “It isn’t just about putting plants in the ground. It is about all the pieces such as soil testing to see how deficient your soil is […]

What does it take to be a Certified Professional Horticulturist?  Ever wonder about endorsements in the landscape industry?  Why should I hire a C.P.H. for my landscape needs?  Learn more here . . . To become a Certified Professional Horticulturist there is a 3 part exam consisting of about 3 hours of testing that includes; […]

If you need help cleaning up your property Aaron O’Neal owner of Competition Hydro a power washing business operates out of Duvall, Washington but serves the greater Seattle area. Specializing in washing houses partnering with Amsberrys painting thru the summer months. Services: -House washes/prep for paint -Pressure washing concrete, pavers, and patios. -Cedar deck & […]

Hello Gardens ALIVE Design Clients and Friends, As you may know, we love our property in rural Duvall. We have a large yard, of course! And a bursting veggie garden along with 4 acres of fenced pasture that used to house my 3 horses that I had since I was 13. As animals do, they got old […]

Reasons to create an improved landscape differ from person to person. Sometimes, the landscape is simply there to be beautiful and admired by others. Houses left to stand in an unfinished yard can seem stoic with nothing to detract from squareness and predictable lines. In a neighborhood of closely spaced houses, overlooked landscape improvements can mean […]