Nancy Short's Garden Wisdom: A Lifetime of Passion

An Extraordinary Gardener's Philosophy

"Your garden is one of the few places where you can do exactly as you please," says Nancy Davidson Short, former Northwest editor of Sunset. On her ¾-acre lakefront property in Bellevue, Washington, decades of experimentation have created a horticultural treasure—sunken garden, sun border, dry shade garden, bog garden, cutting garden, and containers everywhere.

Design for Year-Round Interest

Plants are chosen for leaf color, form, texture, and year-round appeal, with bloom as a bonus. "To choose a plant for its bloom is like marrying a woman because you like her Easter hat." Northwest natives weave a continuous thread; benches on small landings offer changing views.

Sustainable Practices

Fallen leaves become mulch; prunings and spent annuals are composted. Winter reveals structure for health checks. New shrubs may spend years in pots, underplanted with bulbs, before joining the garden.

Advice for New Gardeners

"Fear is an inhibiting emotion. Look at the garden as an exciting challenge, a bold life experience. Reinvent it every year. Never come to the end of it."