typical seattle day

Another rainy day in Seattle...sitting here drinking my tea I can watch the rain flow down through the rain chain cups out on the porch. I guess the one good thing is, I don't have to water our new plantings! And our grass is coming in beautifully. We had to purchase a mower it was coming in so fast. I originally wanted to get a hand push, but we decided on an electric one instead.

It definitely helps on these wet days to bring a little springtime inside. These are fresh from the garden. A mix of lavender, dusty miller, and strawflower.

groundcovers

I chose a variety of ground covers for different sun exposures and to provide a variety of texture around larger plants. Above is Phlox with Ogon Sedum in the background. These are located out front near the rockery. The Ogon Sedum is doing really well. It looks like it has doubled in 2 months.

The other ground cover that has doubled is the Mother of Thyme. Here it is next to the Nandina.
I'm thinking of getting more since it's doing so well in the direct sun. Here it is moving up the concrete stoop.

On the other side of the stoop I planted New Zealand Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida) These are under the Nandina Firepower in front of the porch.


Along the path I wanted a strip of low planting before the grass to keep the grass out of the path. I alternated between Saxifraga “White Pixie” and Mother of Thyme (Thymus serpyllum). Both have done really well and the thyme will eventually have lavender flowers.


Under the Red Twig Dogwood, I planted Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) which also does well in full sun. I had raised the bed to give the area more of an accent. The trick with this plant will be to keep the off spurts on the mound and not out into the grass.


To cover a larger area, I chose Perwinkle (Vinca minor 'Bowles').

karina description

Beautifully crafted, thoughtfully designed, all new home in Madison Valley. Two blocks to neighborhood stores & restaurants, including Cafe Flora & Essential Baking Company. Around the corner from the Arboretum and minutes to downtown and 520. Oriented to the south, this sensibly sized home is filled with natural light.Wrap around back deck opens to south patio. Main floor bedroom, bathroom off master, wool carpeting upstairs, custom maple cabinets, 9' and vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets, ceiling fans, upstairs washer/dryer, alley access with off street parking. Attention to detail throughout the house.

Green Features
• 4 star Built Green/Energy Star/Third party verified (by the O’Brien Company)
• A compact, well designed home is more energy efficient. A major impact from building homes is the extraction, processing, transportation and maintenance of building materials and the long-term energy use.
• Exceeded Energy Star home requirements – Energy Star homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to Washington state energy codes
• Increased insulation effectiveness with BIBS (Blown-In-Blanket-Insulation) in the walls – Blown-In System fills all the voids around electrical wiring and plumbing pipes providing more effective insulation and improved sound control
• Energy Star appliances
• Non-ducted natural gas stove heating system. Use of ceiling fans. Improves air quality and energy efficiency - Supplementary convection heaters & thermostats in other rooms
• Blower door rating exceeding Built Green targets – house is built tight and fresh air comes in where designed to come in through the window vents, not through the crawl, walls or attic.
• Energy efficient compact fluorescent light fixtures in at least 50% of sockets
• Lighting dimmers for better light control and to save energy
• Lighting timers and compact fluorescent used for exterior lights to save energy
• Maximum use of engineered building products – minimal use of old-growth wood
• Low VOC paint on all major surfaces for better indoor air quality
• Used formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation for improved air quality
• Up to R-49 EcoBatts in the vaulted ceilings (code is R-38)
• Large front porch and south facing, wrap-around back porch with usable room for outdoor living
• Centrally located water heater to save energy
• Light-colored interior finishes and skylights for natural lighting
• 100% wool carpeting installed by tacking - no glue for better indoor air quality
• Brought in 20 yards of Cedar Grove Compost to amended the soil
• Installed materials with longer life cycles – fiber-cement siding, porcelain tile, 50-year roofing

House Features
• Cable ready and Cat5 wiring in every bedroom, living room and kitchen
• 800 sqft extra deep crawl space with concrete slab for dry storage
• Chroma quartz countertops – highly heat, stain and scratch resistant needing little maintenance
• Custom maple cabinets featuring “soft close” hardware, pullout pantries, recycling center pullout
• First floor bedroom and full bath allows for one story living – or used as home office or guest suite
• Large walk-in closets in every bedroom provides ample storage
• FSC Brazilian Tigerwood floors, 100% wool carpet, porcelain tile
• Bottom up/Top down blinds maximize privacy, light and options
• 2nd floor laundry, attic space, ceiling fans, skylights

For more photos and info click here.

the karina