Just out., March 17, 2000, Page 25, Image 25

that they will design a landscape to be installed
in stages over a period of years.
As the name of their company, the Garden
Artists, implies, they love to incorporate origi­
nal art in their designs.
“We enjoy doing cooperative projects with
artists,” Campbell says, adding that they’ll track
down unusual pieces for their clients.
They are also developing their own designs
for trelli -.es and other elements.
“I like to create sanctuaries where you can
sit or lie down comfortably, in all weather, per­
haps with some type of canopy,” Campbell says,
adding, “You should feel very protected."
I
fly habitat gardens, O ’Hallo­
ran rejects the use of pesti­
cides and herbicides— “They
all go into storm drains and
end up in the Willamette
River,” she says.
Also leached into the
river are all the chemicals
used by commercial growers
and agribiz. But there are
organic alternatives that
keep your yard safe for the
people and animals who live
there.
“There’s no reason not to
have a healthy garden going
organic,” O ’Halloran maintains.
esigners Julienne Campbell and
her partner, Carol Whitten, also
are organic gardening enthusiasts.
They encourage use of low-maintenance
ground covers in place of lawns and try to
steer people away from problem plants.
“We don’t want to put in an artificial gar­
den,” Campbell explains, adding that she redi­
rects clients to plants that will thrive in this
region.
Campbell and Whitten specialize in small
gardens and consider themselves very detail-
oriented, striving to coordinate the style of a
garden with the architecture of the house.
They also pay attention to often ignored areas,
such as side yards and narrow strips around
garages. One of their cost-saving practices is
#
TIP:
When choosing a landscape m aintenance
company, request references and ask if the
company is bonded and insured against
dam age. If you hire a worker who isn’t
covered by w orkers' compensation insurance
through her or his company, you could be
liable for any injuries sustained
on your property.
Whitten and Campbell offer one hour of
free consultation and can usually do a ballpark
estimate at that time; each additional hour
costs $45. They charge $25 per hour for prun­
ing, and that comes with plant care informa­
tion. They prefer to subcontract the implemen­
tation of their designs, but they do supervise
the installation, saving customers from many
headaches.
Kate O ’Halloran— some of her best friends are nematodes
aybe you grew up in a typical American
■ f If house with a typical American lawn and
' If I a dad who faithfully mowed it every Sat­
urday. And maybe you’ve continued the tradi­
tion for lack of a better idea.
Garden designer Kate O ’Halloran has plen­
ty of better ideas.
“Lawns are the evil monoculture, and
require so much to stay healthy and green year-
round,” she explains, adding that she advises
clients to aim for more horticultural diversity
and to wean themselves off lawns by gradually
increasing the size of their planting beds each
year.
O ’Halloran does allow that small patches of
grass are a "nice visual balance” and that it’s
fun to have some room to play and walk bare­
foot. She is also happy simply to consult and go
plant shopping with customers.
“ 1 love it the more they want to partici­
pate,” she says. “A garden is such a sacred
place, and it’s important to feel like it’s yours.”
O ’Halloran is a feisty plant expert who calls
her company Hallow Scape and practices
socially conscious gardening by trying to work
100 percent organically. While she concedes it
may take some work to reach that point, the
ultimate rewards are worth it.
“Once a customer gets soils in balance and
has a diverse garden, it begins to take care of
itself; it has less disease and fewer predatory
insects,” she says, adding that insects always
attack stressed plants first, so taking gtxxi care
of your garden is crucial.
Especially fond of creating bird and butter-
“Over 90 percent of the gardens we design
we also maintain,” she adds.
Campbell and company refuse to use
obnoxious leaf blowers (for which some would
say they deserve a medal) and use low-emission
mowers.
Continued on Page 26
J(a te
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Oraanic^^icli vice
• Watch your garden for a full year—
take photos, inventory what blooms
when. Just water and mow and keep it
alive. Then hire a plant expert to walk it
with you and identify your plants and
provide care information.
The
Garden
Artists
prove that
even a tiny strip
of earth can be
enhanced by gifted designers
She also likes gardens that offer more than
one type of experience, different moods.
They also emphasize customer service.
“We go overboard,” Campbell says. “We
spend a lot of time with our clients to make
sure what they receive really reflects them.”
They also like to stay connected to their
projects.
• Introduce beneficial insects and wonns.
Nematodes, for example, are dormant
when added to the garden; then they
wake up and go after 230 different garden
pests.
• Try Sluggo or Worry Free Slug and Snail,
new organic slug killers, to overcome
one of the Northwest’s most annoying
predators.
• To banish aphids, combine two parts
oil soap with one part water and spray
plants. It may take up to three
applications to get results.
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Unique garden gifts
and one-of-a-kind art
s p e c ia liz in g in yea>*>*cmnd colo*4,
K ate O'HaWorcxrx g 2 5 3 - 2 1 2 5
_____________________ I
garden essentials
_______________________________________
■ ■ I
The Garden A r t ist s , Inc.
Garden Design and Exterior Decoration
Environmentaily-Consaous Maintenance
Phone: 503-478-0716
Fax: 503-295-0446
2707 SE Belm ont St Portland O R 972 I 9 Fa* S03 234 6609
Em ail hollyhocksge@ earthlm l< net
Phone 503 872 8672