About

I think of wildscaping as building both ecology and beauty into the choices we make with our outdoor spaces. I started West Seattle Wildscaping in 2024 to add my grain of sand to reinvigorating our urban ecosystems with regionally native plants that:

• Contribute to a unique sense of place;

• Provide habitat and food for a wide range of animals, fungi, and plants that have evolved together;

• Collaborate and compete with each other in ways that bolster ecosystem resiliency;

• Feed people, too!

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I'm also passionate about thoughtfully managing plantscapes, nudging these spaces towards becoming wildscapes by:

• Leaving twigs, leaves, and other organic "debris" in place whenever possible to feed pollinator larvae and build soil health;

• Pruning trees and shrubs with a focus on overall health rather than forcing them into unnatural forms;

• Using best practices to remove noxious/invasive plants that can quickly overwhelm native plant communities;

• Watering rarely but deeply to promote robust root systems.

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The third leg of this stool is operating the business as responsibly as possible:

• I source plants locally and in bulk whenever feasible, which keeps costs and transportation mileage to a minimum.

• For personal and equipment transport, I use a RadWagon e-bike and fabulous steel trailer built by Cyclefab in Renton, and sold to me second-hand by Steve Richmond, generous mentor and owner of Garden Cycles on Vashon Island.

• I rent a truck for heavy hauling when needed, although leaving organic debris in place goes a long way towards minimizing the need.

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​​It's amazing what we can accomplish with sturdy tools, thoughtful practices, collaboration, and finding the right place for the right plants. Where better than here?

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-David Hancock, owner