This garden was a transition away from boxy hedges, boring lawn, and sheared shrubs, into something softer and more natural. We used the client’s inspiration for a Japanese garden and blended it with our particular style of using natives and prioritizing pollinator habitat and soil health, and the results were fabulous. A dry creek bed helps manage storm water runoff for the property and helps create microclimates and moisture retention for the site, while pacific wax myrtles and a pacific crabapple will provide visual structure and bird habitat as they grow up. Natural flagstone and accent boulders help soften the transition between the style of the house and the garden, creating a dynamic relationship between the naturalistic planting style and the home. Installed January of 2024.
This family wanted a garden for their little one to play in and explore nature, as well as utilizing the landscape to grow fruits and vegetables. The design emphasizes circular elements which are echoed throughout, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The bare soil has been seeded with native wildflowers and will soon bloom into a beautiful meadow. A sensory pathway leads to the sandbox and a custom seesaw, which can support children as well as those adults who like to unleash their inner child. Engaging all the senses, there are soft, soothing colored tiles for the eyes and chalking on, a pathway filled with strongly scented Corsican mint, as well as a tile embedded with smooth stones, which will soak up the sun. The wood seesaw and logs lining the sandbox allow the playground to blend with the rest of the scene. The front of the yard is dedicated to edible growing space, featuring in the center an herb spiral. The structure of the spiral creates many different microclimates, allowing a variety of herbs to be grown. The spiral is surrounded by a small path lined with planter boxes with ample space to walk between them. Installed June of 2023.
This two-level backyard transformed into a native forest oasis. Small berms were created to add both dimension and a natural feel. A creek-bed curves through the back, serving as drainage, breathing room for the eye, and access for the family dogs. The dogs were also in mind for the gravel dog run that lines the side of the yard, allowing them access to their favorite rock climbing wall without disturbing the landscape. The lush green follows up to the top deck, where the eye is naturally drawn to the beautiful beach vignette. Scavenged driftwood appear as natural sculptures in the scene. Similarly, a tree slated for removal was repurposed to provide structure and form to the lower level. Installed May of 2023.
This client is designing a small teahouse for the corner of their yard and wanted an inspiring scene to look out on. The grass lawn was significantly downsized to create room for both flowering and edible natives. Swathes of chives, strawberries, herbs and daylilies create an enticing feast for the eyes and tastebuds. The blue steel sculpture was already a part of the garden, which inspired the beautiful curves and angles of the raised planters, creating flow within the space. The oversized flagstones offer a strong grounding point, and the oval lawn will host many dinner parties to come. We had a great time collaborating with Made Cascade LLC and Todd of All Trades to construct the Corten Steel garden beds. Installed April of 2023.
We worked with a new designer on this project to build this 7-circuit meditation labyrinth and add new plantings for this front yard. The soil space between the brick guides have been planted with creeping thyme, which will provide a soft and lush pathway once it grows in.
This bare parking strip was transformed into a beautiful prairie scene. Rocks line the sidewalks to protect the plants and offer a line for the eye to follow. Beach strawberries will offer protective ground cover as they spread out, and create abundant flowers for a wide range of native pollinators. Kinnikinnick is dotted throughout, which will grow in and create structure and form throughout the beautiful wind-blown grasses.
Revamping this sloped front lawn added to the beauty of the entire neighborhood. The meandering dry creek acts as a swale, capturing rain runoff, and the pathway offers a sense of direction in the garden and a route to the backyard. A collage of flowers creates beautiful texture and color, backed up by the structure of larger native plants such as vine maple, red flowering currant, and Oregon grape, all of which will feed native birds and insects. A combination of evergreen and deciduous plants will keep the garden interesting year round, and creeping groundcovers will fill in any open space over time. Designed in autumn of 2021, creek & pathway installed spring of 2022, and planted autumn 2022.
“We are very happy with the creative ideas and professional commitment Teddy brought to our garden of 20+ years. The fresh perspective, thoughtful planning, timely communication, and efficient work ethic led to excellent results! After all these years, it’s great to have these hardscape projects in place so we can enjoy them this summer before we do water-wise replanting in the front yard this Fall. We heartily recommend Rutheo Designs and will use them in the future for any other garden updates and improvements.”
– Sue & Steve P.
In this yard we used sheet mulching to remove the lawn in the most cost and energy effective way, and then planted a wide variety of native plants, pollinator attracting flowers, and edible herbs, fruits, and flowers. Including both evergreen and deciduous species means this yard always has something interesting happening, for passerby and for wildlife. Later on, a rain garden was added to help manage runoff from the gutters, and we installed beautiful flagstone pathways to guide curious feet through the garden. Planted autumn 2018.
“Rutheo Designs transformed my grass lawn (ugly and high maintenance) into a garden full of native plants, fruit trees and bushes for the wildlife, and flowers that bloom much of the year. They even put in a meandering stone walk that pulls everything together. I don’t have to do much with it, just a bit of trimming, and the garden looks spectacular in the spring.”
-Anne M.
This backyard was all ivy & dandelions before we got started, and through our custom design/build process we transformed it into a peaceful pollinator oasis. Our client put habitat first in her requests, and we delivered with over 500 plants and 45 native species. We planted different zones for the deep shade section with forest understory plants, and meadow flowers where there was enough sunlight. We limbed up a mature Douglas fir & silver maple to let more sunshine into the garden, and used the branches and rocks found on-site to line our mulched pathways. Within a few months of planting we were getting blossoms from the native columbine and larkspur we added, and this will be an impressive array of flowers as it grows in!
This small cottage garden needed something a little more interesting, and our client had a vision of a rock garden overflowing with plants of different textures and colors. We worked together to design a small space that would create a draw to the sitting area out front of the house, and be a pollinator haven. We selected wildflower and native prairie grass species which will provide spring & summer butterfly and bee forage and lots of color, plus winter habitat for butterfly eggs and caterpillars. We also re-set the paver pathway at a new grade, to take out an awkward single stair which was right in front of the front door.
A little native planting & curb-side stepping stones to revamp this front yard space.
The side of this backyard needed some care and attention. We removed the decaying wood & plaster planter holding dead underbrush and overgrowth so we could rebuild a new brick retaining wall . We added a layer of organic compost and mulch, then planted the raised planter bed with artichokes, a rhubarb plant, plus some day lilies which we salvaged. We planted the lower bed around the side of the house with a variety of self sufficient native shrubs and ground covers, with enough room left to grow!
“We are really happy about the backyard improvements… very fun, and looking forward to spring when we can start into more gardening with your handiwork as our base!”
-Mary W.
This yard is being revitalized after being completely torn up by a flock of chickens. After learning more about animal rights and how urban chickens don’t contribute to a sustainable garden, the homeowners were ready for a yard that was inviting to guests and wildlife alike. A patio expansion, native plant areas, new garden and flower beds, and a pathway has turned this yard from a muddy mess into a peaceful nature retreat. Installed summer 2021.
“We’re loving how much time we spend outside now, it’s a joy to have our morning coffee and entertain friends on summer nights in our beautiful backyard. And when we serve up dinner or desserts made from our food forest, it’s just perfect.”
-Bryan R.
Another beautiful lawn replacement project. Perennial herbs will fill in this driveway strip, creating a fragrant and useful area of the front yard. Evergreen foliage and spring flowers make perennial herbs an attractive drought-tolerant option for our climate. We allowed a patch of self-sowing flowers such as calendula and California poppy, also useful herbs, to remain during the installation — they will continue to set seeds and fill in the space with annual growth each year. Installed summer 2022.
This patio and low retaining wall combo turned an empty and unusable sloping area of this backyard into a new entertaining space. Overlooking a forest and stream adjacent to the property, this patio will draw visitors to spend time connecting with each other and the lush PNW forest surrounding them. Designed and built by Rutheo Designs, summer 2022.
This Seattle front yard food forest has created a lush environment for people and critters to spend time in. Wildflowers take over in the spring, fruit trees drop apples and pears in the fall, and an abundance of herbs and berries make it a pleasure to explore all summer long. This food forest is continually expanding and changing, and as it grows, many types of birds, insects, and small mammals come to visit it. Neighbors are always stopping to look & learn, too! Began in spring 2015.
“Rutheo Designs has done a beautiful job of transforming our yard. We wanted to get rid of our high-maintenance lawns and bring in sustainable plantings. Teddy designed the garden beds and hardscaping, picked out the plants, and even did our installation. Teddy has an amazing eye for space and color and an encyclopedic knowledge of native plants. Our garden is now beautiful in every season, needs little watering in the summer, and produces fruit, berries, and vegetables for us to eat. We highly recommend Rutheo Designs for your landscaping project!”
-Sharon R.
A sturdy cedar trellis frames the entryway of this garden well, and will offer support for grape vines for many years to come. Designed and built spring 2022.
Another worn-out lawn in need of replacing, these clients wanted a low-growing and low-maintenance blend of native plants to replace the lawn, without having a completely wild garden. I mapped out the shade levels of the yard and planted a range of ten native groundcovers, which I matched with the appropriate shade levels. As the plants establish and fill in, they will naturally find the areas of the yard best suited to them and create an organic mosaic of lush plants. The plants I selected produce flowers and fruits to support pollinators and birds. Using native forest plants also means that the yard no longer needs raking in the Fall, helping the soil build up a healthy layer of humus while increasing drought resistance in the long term. Planted autumn 2020.
“I love seeing all the plants that are thriving, and can’t wait to see what happens in the Spring.”
Maya S.
This front yard area is rapidly filling in with PNW native forest species such as evergreen huckleberry, red elderberry, blackcap raspberry, salal, trailing blackberry, and kinnikinnick. It also has tree species such as vine maple, cascara, chokecherry, and douglas fir, which will provide shade and moisture retention. As these plants grow up, habitat is created for numerous bird species, and it fills in Seattle’s urban forest canopy which can use as much help as it can get. Densely planted mini forests help to cool the air, sequester carbon, create habitat, and slow down storm water runoff, in addition to providing edible and medicinal resources for people and animals alike.
This nine-by-ten lateral trellis will provide structure for hardy kiwi vines to grow up, making use of marginal space directly against the house. As the vines grow, they will help shade the home and keep it cool in the summer.
Renovations of this backyard included removal of an old concrete pad, replacement of posts and footers for the raised deck, and installation of a drain paver patio. These pavers have spacer bars between them, and a 6″ base of compacted draining gravel to allow rainwater to filter through. New plantings will be added to the beds around the new patio.
This patio and pathway was created to offer a place to entertain and enjoy the sunshine, and offer long-term sturdy walking paths instead of the preexisting muddy lawn. Designed and installed winter 2021.
A simple stepping stone path can do a lot to make an area more visually appealing, as well as keep your shoes dry & protect a lawn during wet and muddy winters. Summer 2022.
This large backyard had been taken over by invasive morning glory, and the decades-old original landscaping had suffered wind and snow damage from recent Winter storms. The open space was all primarily grass and weeds, which turned brown throughout the Summer, and didn’t create a very inviting place to sit. I created a design that created a sense of purpose for the yard, including a flowing pathway to a central patio and crescent-moon shaped lawn area, and a shady sitting area East of the large cedar tree. The design includes garden beds for the homeowner to maintain, and transitioned a large portion of the yard into a low-maintenance habitat and food forest area, which will be planted with resilient native plants and berry bushes. Designed winter of 2020.
At Rutheo Designs, we strive to let nature take the lead.
