Fine Foliage

Fine foliage and tranquillity – There seems to be a plague of high tension across the land. The holiday hustle is pretty much underway and while you’re pulling out the wrapping paper, Team Fine Foliage wants you to think about all of the ways that you can bring a sense of serenity and peace to […]

As Team Fine Foliage recovers from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show week, the official launch to the local gardening public of Gardening with Foliage First and as of today Karen Chapman is officially a “Nana”, we’re truly in recovery. So this post about “simplicity” seemed SO appropriate right now.  This shot above from the show last week was

Here in the Seattle area we have transitioned from endless rain  to  frosty mornings followed by chilly but sunny afternoons – perfect for gardening! I’m still cleaning up the last of the leaves which managed to weld themselves into the twiggy structures of deciduous shrubs and trees, and stomping down endless mole hills (a bizarre

Garden designers REALLY don’t want just anybody to be able to do what we do. We want there to be some mystique, some fascination, some magic to what we create for our clients. But we DO have secret weapons in our design arsenal that ANYONE can try out affordably and dramatically. Ready? FERNS! Yes, you heard

1. Opposites attract Koto-no-ito Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Koto-no-ito) behind Wissel’s Saguaro false cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Wissel’s Saguaro’) The warm tones of Koto-no-ito Japanese maple are tempered by the rich blue green of the conifer This is all about contrasts; lacy leaves and delicate branches juxtaposed with stiff spires of deep blue-green needles, and the wide dome shape of the maple

Autumn Attitude. Can I make a confession here? I’m utterly tired of whiny, bellyaching autumn gardeners. There, I said it,  already I feel better! Why? Because the answer to MANY of the questions I regularly deal with this time of the year are from gardeners who believe that FLOWERS ought to be as abundantly available

Grab your sunglasses, think warm tropical breezes, delicious cocktails with little umbrellas in them and sand between your toes. Think SUMMER. Ignore the snow, ice, hail, rain and bitingly cold wind and feast your eyes on these new introductions from Terra Nova Nurseries Inc., Start dreaming up your summer foliage combinations now. Coleus Hipsters™ ‘Zooey’ WOW! You did

No night vision goggles are needed here with these foliage plants. Though you do want see them up close and personal. Dark leaved plants are HOT in garden and landscape design and only getting hotter! Garden designers, TV Shows, Magazines and Botanic Gardens across the country are all talking about this craze. Now that its been a few years, new dark

Whether you’re looking for a design boost for your containers or need a little ‘something’ to perk up the summer border, FOLIAGE is the answer. Yes we know those geraniums and fuschias are so tempting – and we’re not suggesting you avoid them, but simply that you consider the leaf as well as the flower before making your selection.

Foliage Color Palette – Silver. Have you ever gone in to a fabric store and had the clerk snip samples of fabrics to help you with design ideas? You can come up with your own design palette with even the smallest pieces of fabric for an outfit or for an entire room, then springboard into