The Whitmans bought their Kerns bungalow in 2022. The previous owners had stripped the back yard to bare ground for a pool that never got built. The brief: undo it. Bring it back. Make it a place the kids and a notebook full of birds wanted to spend time.
Site analysis took six weeks. The soil was compacted from foot traffic and three winters of bare exposure. Drainage was poor on the south fence. Sun was unobstructed front-to-back, with a single mature western red cedar in the back-east corner that we worked around.
Design happened over a full year of seasons. We installed in two phases — hardscape and bones in fall 2023, full planting in spring 2024. Plant succession is now in its third spring; everything is on its mature footing.
For homeowners considering a similar scope, we publish the build sheet on every garden — soil amendments, drainage solution, hardscape spec, irrigation, total budget tier.
| Designer of record | Mira Halász · Project led from discovery through year-three check-in |
| Plant lead | Tomás Renaud · Sourced 87% of plants through native-plant nurseries within 90 miles |
| Crew | Hedge & Stone build crew (4) · 9-week install window, fall '23 + spring '24 |
| Soil | Decompaction with broadfork, 5" of municipal compost over two seasons, leaf-mould top dress every fall |
| Drainage | South-fence French drain, rain-garden swale at NE corner, daylighted to street |
| Hardscape | Reclaimed Belgian block paths, basalt stepping stones, no concrete |
| Irrigation | Drip-only; no overhead spray. 43% reduction from typical lawn-yard water use |
| Plant count | 247 plants · 38 species · 31 native to Pacific Northwest |
| Pollinator value | Bloom sequence covers March 1 – October 30. Documented 19 native bee species in year-three counts. |
| Total budget | $48k all-in (design, install, plants, hardscape, drainage, year-one care) |
We publish the plant list on every garden so homeowners and future maintainers can identify, prune, and divide what's actually there. Browse the full library on the Plants page.
By the second June, the bees showed up. By the third, the goldfinches. We feel as though our yard was always this — and we just stopped pretending it wasn't.
Book a free 45-minute site visit — we bring soil sleeves, take notes, and leave you with three or four directions worth thinking about. No deposit, no obligation.