Twentieth Avenue Gardens

08/18/2021

I still see people looking at Twentieth Avenue Gardens on FB these days so thought I’d post a quick update and share a photo of a project I designed and help build back in the early 90s. It was a pleasure to visit this site again over the weekend and see most of the original landscape features still intact and looking good! The owners have done an amazing job caring for this beautiful old home in the Laurelhurst Neighborhood in Seattle.

For now TAG as a business venture is still on pause. Stay tuned.

04/18/2020

Back at it! Jack and Casey have a break from school. Thought we’d get together and kill some scotch broom.

04/11/2020

Today we fired up the crew again. Thanks to Casey and Jack. More fun to come!

02/24/2019

Haven’t posted here for a while, as the “side business” has been focused on home remodeling. But I think it’s a good idea to keep my TAG page alive, and having just returned from an amazing adventure in Central America I have this to share:
The Manchineel Tree (which has toxic fruit, that can only be eaten by iguanas) has such a beautiful form and texture. It was nice to linger under the branches. This was the north-most beach at the park. Beautiful Costa Rica!

07/19/2017

This is taken from ground level looking up at the treeoffice and my baby madrona tree -- late afternoon lighting.
I'm finding pacific madrone particularly challenging to establish from seedlings. Several of the ones I planted last year died from deer browse. This one survived though and is in a nice spot. I might have to put a deer screen around it.

12/29/2016

I've been neglecting the TAG page lately, I know. We (I) haven't been doing as much work on this since Jack left for college, but we're planning on continuing at a low level with a very select clientele in the months ahead. Actually, the main focus for the next couple of years will be the Willard Residence. We have been planning and working toward a build out on our house since we moved here 21 years ago and this year will be the start of the final push toward completion. This will be the heart of our home and business in the years ahead and we hope to share it with many of you.

I will continue to put things up on this page when I find time or happen across interesting tidbits worth sharing. Thank you to everyone who is interested in following our progress over the years. Stay tuned for great things!

08/27/2016

I love these three guys. But if Luther only knew what Himalayan blackberry would do to the PNW ecosystem...

Growing up in Seattle I spent summer evenings like this picking blackberries. These days I spend more time trying to fend off blackberry vines in my

08/09/2016

Time is going so fast these days! With my main focus still at WSDOT, Twentieth Avenue Gardens (TAG) is developing at a gradual pace - A few projects over the past few months, in between working on renovation of our home in Olympia and trying to have some fun this summer, it starts to kind of blur together...

I'm going to post a series of short articles about the projects we've completed or are working on, starting with TAG Project #4.

TAG Project #4 - Spiral Garden - Thanks to clients Ned and Jill Hayes for the inspiration that resulted in the creation of this unique front yard garden. While Casey was away in France, the rest of the crew including Caroline, Jack and Jake, all contributed to the success of this project. Ned Hayes was also a huge help in processing and shoveling even while battling a flu bug. The pathway material is a mix of tumbled glass and rock - We processed nearly three yards in Pumpkin (our new cement mixer). Ned and Jill have since been packing in more flowering plants, and I need to get over there and help with some w**d control as things get established. Project #4 phase 1, hopefully more to come.

05/16/2016

Bamboo is amazing! Check out these stocks shooting out of the ground in the back yard. I think we might need to call in the pandas.

04/28/2016

Tree Sitting
We're taking care of a red Japanese maple for a few days and Caroline's kitty Maeve is helping take care of it.

04/24/2016

Ground breaking today on Tumwater Hill. Caroline and I had a nice picnic lunch at the viewpoint and got some interesting perspective on the capitol. Fun and productive day!

04/17/2016

Hanging flower baskets for sale!

As some of you may know, Jack plays baseball at Olympia High School. The baseball program is raising funds for the program by selling flower baskets. If anyone is interested in buying one, two, or more, they are $30 apiece and you can see from the pictures -- They look great!

Just send me a note and mail us a check and we'll deliver your basket(s) around the first of June.