Fretter Design Inc

Small backyard garden, South Surrey.

Evening Heron at Weirs beach

Puffy little clouds this morning...

The Fall colour of Virginia Creeper is fantastic. Yes, it's soon time to trim it back from the yew hedge, but I'll wait a little longer. The colour contrast is great.

Plant layout day today. The perfect day to paint 🎨 with plants. Contrasting leaf colours and textures to make things more interesting. This is one of my favourite things to do. (The next favourite is to do donuts on the lawn on a quad around Vanier Park in Vancouver. Stay tuned for November!)

There are 4 colour pockets left open for seasonal display. Fall flowers, Spring bulbs and Summer display.
Off to David Hunter Nursery for bulbs and something splashy for Fall.

I believe that there is a misconception that we are just a garden 🪏 design company. In truth we are much more.
We do more maintenance and construction of garden features than design. Simple jobs like pruning and weeding beds keep us busy between garden construction projects.

If it weren't for our dedicated clients, some whom we've known for decades, we wouldn't keep busy.
Thanks to all of you who have supported me and my family.

In late summer the garden transitions from hot, dry conditions to cooler autumn weather. Here's a checklist for late summer cleanup tasks:

- Cut back dead and dying perennials and deadhead spent blooms
- Remove garden debris that has accumulated over the summer
- Trim shrubs and evergreens
- W**d and edge garden beds
- Apply fresh mulch to beds
- Add plants to fill bare patches
- Apply fertilizer to lawns
- Pressure-wash patios and walkways
- Add Polymeric sand to paving stones to seal gaps

It's also a good time to consider projects to prepare for enjoying the garden in the dormant season. Here are just a few ideas:

- Add a water feature
- Install low-voltage garden lighting
- Plant seasonal displays in garden planters

Why not use the checklists as a menu to select ways to show your garden some late-summer love? Call Gordon at 604-240-8171 or email [email protected] to talk about your ideas and schedule a
visit.

White lavender in full bloom. I often plant purple, forgetting its'
white flowering cousin. It's striking because it is rarely used.

Summer time at one of my favorite places. This project was constructed by us in 2014. Time flies. The garden has grown in beautifully.

Setting out plants for dry shade. These conditions make plant choices difficult.
Great Plant Picks is a great site to consult for choices- it's full of lists of tried and true plants for all conditions. Site contributors are real gardeners- people with dirt under their nails.