The Curated Garden Angie Narus, owner & garden designer

I am a garden designer and 20-year resident of Kitsap County in West Sound--home to state ferries, Navy ships, submarines, a Navy shipyard and an abundance of wildlife. Kitsap County is a beautiful place to live and garden, which is why I am excited to start my garden design business, The Curated Garden, in this part of the Pacific Northwest.

When my husband and I moved here from Colorado in 2006, I was immediately bit by the gardening bug and couldn't wait to buy a home to start planting flower beds. Over the next two decades, while adding flower beds, a garden, paver patio and making other enhancements to our small .38 acre lot, I began to increase my knowledge of gardening in the Pacific Northwest. I toured more than 30 public and private gardens in our state, wrote a book on public gardens titled Walking Washington's Gardens, wrote garden articles and blog posts for West Sound Home & Garden magazine and began my journey to become a horticulturist and garden designer. 

My training includes coursework in landscape design through the New York Institute of Art & Design, individual horticulture courses offered by the Master Gardener program, courses on bird identification and bird-friendly gardening through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and additional studies in native plants commonly used in landscaping, how to grow and harvest herbs, and butterfly garden design. 

I am retiring from my career as a school counselor this year and am embarking on this new journey as a PNW garden designer to help other homeowners across the Kitsap Peninsula beautify their outdoor spaces with small, specialty gardens that support wildlife and are easy to maintain. My designs include custom herb and butterfly gardens, custom container gardens and other unique, personalized services such as coaching on how to plant a strawberry pot and consultation on ways to attract birds to your yard. 

INITIAL CONSULTATION

Each garden design begins with a fee-based, 45-minute personalized consultation at your property to look at your outdoor space, discuss your design needs and style preferences, and decide which services are the best fit for your budget and needs. Following my site visit, I will put together a Client Brief or summary of my observations, recommendations and price estimate and contract. 

Price: $150

SPECIALTY GARDEN DESIGN

My herb garden designs make it simple and enjoyable to grow the kitchen herbs you love. Your herb garden can be designed as a in-ground bed, raised bed or a cluster of containers, tailored to make the most of your available light and space. The goal is to create a small, manageable herb garden you can use year after year, whenever you need herbs for cooking, tea, simmering potpourri or medicinal uses. 

Price: initial consultation fee + $650 and any additional fees (agreed to in advance). Requires a $300 deposit prior to my second site visit.

My butterfly garden designs are inspired by a desire to support declining butterfly populations on the West Coast. Using plant recommendations from the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) and other groups, I create butterfly habitats that are small enough to grow along a fence, in a corner of your lot, under a tree or in containers. Each garden is tailored to the client's site and design style with plants that support various butterfly species through their life cycle, so no two are alike.

Price: initial consultation fee + $650 and any additional fees (agreed to in advance). Requires a $300 deposit prior to my second site visit

My container garden designs focus on creating a cohesive group of up to 6 containers that will enhance a front entrance, patio, deck or other area of the property, or improve a home's curb appeal. The design process includes creating a curated plant palette tailored to your space and design style, selecting containers that complement the space and plants, and ordering the arrangements from a local nursery or garden center. I will coordinate every aspect of the design and installation process or arrange a shared approach for planting, delivery and installation with the client. 

Price: initial consultation fee + $750 and any additional fees (agreed to in advance). Requires a $300 deposit prior to my second site visit.

Clients are welcome to request a single garden design that can be completed in a couple weeks, or a combination spread out over several weeks. Each design is intended to fit within a space up to about 200 sq ft, but adjustments can be made for larger spaces. The final plan wil be presented as a full-color scaled drawing or labeled sketch to reference during professional or DIY installation.

INSTALLATION

I coordinate installation for my container garden designs. Available only to clients in Kitsap County, included in the design price.  My herb and butterfly garden services are design-only, but I can provide a reference for professional installation and be available to offer on-site guidance during installation at a fee of $100 per hour up to two hours, due in advance.

BIRD-FRIENDLY GARDEN CONSULTATION

This is a separate fee-based, 45-minute consultation where I will walk your property with you and recommend ways to attract more birds to the your yard using information from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Audubon Society and other similar groups. If time permits, I will use the Merlin Bird ID app to help us identify birds we hear during my visit. 

Following the walk-through, I'll provide a summary of notes, recommendations and a curated list of plants and garden accents you can add to your yard to support birds and other wildlife. For an additional fee, I can also schedule a nursery visit with you to look for some of the items I recommended.

Price: $200 (no initial consultation required). Due at the time of scheduling.

Nursery co-visit: $100 per hour up to two hours. Due at the time of scheduling.

COACHING SESSION ON HERB OR STRAWBERRY PLANTING

This is a unique fee-based service focused on coaching rather than consultation or design. If you have an empty herb planter or strawberry pot, I can show you how to plant it like a pro in this 60-to 90-minute personal coaching session using materials you provide--including the plants, potting medium and container. A brief 30-minute site visit is needed prior to the session to determine where we will do the planting and decide on the materials needed. For an additional fee, I can arrange a nursery visit with you to select the materials. This service is currently only available to residents of Kitsap County.

Price: $250 (includes an initial 30-minute site visit for planning purposes). Due at the time of scheduling.

PAYMENT

I accept payment through PayPal and Google Pay for all of my services, and cash payments are accepted if paid in full when the contract is signed. My prices will be listed in July or August. Cash payments may offer a small discount.

Payment for initial consultations, coaching sessions and bird-friendly consultations are due at the time the session is scheduled.

My three design plans require a $300 deposit due prior to my site assessment visit, with the balance due the day I deliver the final plan drawing. 

SCHEDULE OF OPERATION

This is an outdoor, seasonal business operating from mid-March to the end of October. Information will be posted in July on how to inquire about my services and schedule an initial consultation.

I communicate with clients by phone and text, as well as in-person and follow a flexible schedule: Please visit my Schedule of Operation page for details.

Ready when you are! 

I would love to provide a custom garden design or consultation for you and help you become a steward of wildlife! Please check back in late July or early August for my contact information.

Angie Narus, Garden Designer