The idea starts sprouting with the first sunny days of spring. It grows as you walk by beautiful flowers, blossoming trees, and eye-catching sculptures. This is the year I’ll start sprucing up my place!
Of course, the challenge to all great ideas is the details. What kinds of plants and trees should I add to give me color for most of the year? Where should I place them to ensure they’ll thrive? The concept of plantscaping design evolved to answer those questions and more for people who would like to make some improvements to their residential or commercial properties without committing to the time and expense of more comprehensive landscaping design.
“Landscaping often involves outdoor construction components,” says Isaac Burrous, co-owner of Kent’s Garden & Nursery in Bellingham. “Patios, retaining walls, and water features are closer to outdoor construction. Constructing those things takes a lot of skill and knowledge. Plantscaping is all about living, soft beauty achieved with trees and plants that make those spaces come alive.”
Kent’s Garden & Nursery was founded in 1976 in a quiet rural area just a couple of miles away from Bellingham and Ferndale. Isaac and his wife, Laurie Burrous, became only the third set of owners in 2022 and added plantscaping design and installation services for customers.
“Homeowners, landscapers, contractors, and businesses all hire Kent’s because of our intimate knowledge of Whatcom County’s various microclimates,” Burrous says. “We know that north-county areas such as Lynden are completely different zones from Fairhaven because of the soil and the exposure to the northeast wind. We’re known for having the largest selection of regionally appropriate quality plants at our nursery.”
Fairhaven resident Kristine McKay was ecstatic about her experience. McKay described the look she wanted to a plantscaping designer from Kent’s Garden & Nursery. The designer visited her house, created a plan with plant locations and suggestions that would provide year-round color and require low-level maintenance, then asked McKay to come see the plants.
“I went to the nursery, keeping some recommendations and changing others,” McKay said.
Susan Langley of Everson is a longtime gardener, but realized she didn’t know as much as she would like before starting work on her yard.
“I wanted to ensure the plants I chose would be the right plants in the right area,” Langley said, adding that she is “beyond pleased” with the results.
The process starts with a questionnaire. Customers describe the area they want to plant, how they envision it becoming, and their preferences about specific plants and colors. Their goals, such as pollination, privacy, low maintenance, and year-round flowering are particularly important, Burrous said.
The plantscaping designer then meets with the customer at their property to better understand their goals and tastes. Soil type, sun exposure, pest risks, drainage, and wind conditions are among the factors considered before a comprehensive plant design is drawn to scale.
Stephanie Peterson of Bellingham said she inherited overgrown landscaping that didn’t mesh with her tastes. She had a vision of something whimsical that would attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, but not take much to maintain.
“I think we saved a lot of money and endless time by having a designer work for us,” Peterson said. “It would have taken me years, and I still wouldn’t have executed it as well.”
Kent’s Garden & Nursery, 5428 Northwest Rd., Bellingham, kentsgardenandnursery.com
Photograph by Dave Brumbaugh
