About the designer
BumbleBee Gardens is Julia Harakay, gardener and food lover. My major inspirations are the Sawtooth Mountain Range, Idaho alpine wildflowers, and grandmother Cynthia.
Cynthia was a passionate gardener, and I recall her big yellow house with doors that opened from the sun room to very large formal squares of very informal wildflower madness. Large plum trees lining the mysterious guest house and honey bees and jacks on the small patch of concrete near the porch swing.
I have a new baby boy (Felix) and am enjoying gardening with a little one on my back. Also it is so much fun to imagine how he will explore our garden over the years. I am looking forward to constructing/growing a large bean tee pee for him to crawl throughout! Felix makes me remember how I viewed the landscape as a child. One trickle of water became a jungle river where I could juxtapose rocks and organic materials to create full ecosystems for my toys.
When I was traveling I realized I wanted to study urban design in the form of landscape architecture. I studied for six years at the University of Idaho and left with degrees in Landscape Architecture and Spanish as well as a minor in the fine arts. My studies took me all over the world. My most memorable classes were in Cremolino, Italy where we studied wetland ecology and permaculture.
(La Casa Wallace: Cremolino, Italy)
After having worked in several landscape architectural firms in Portland Oregon, I have decided I wanted to work for smaller, local clients and should be doing this on my own. So, here I am. I am enjoying such intimacy with land owners and care takers of the spaces I design!
Some of my favorite ways to design use native plants, rainwater, edibles and well-defined garden rooms. I strive to create beautiful, functional gardens that my clients will utilize and grow and nurture for years to come.
One of the aspects of design that I find many designers discard is the value of maintenance. The gardens I design should reflect the amount of time a client wants to put into their garden. I would like to work with educating clients more on the process of each specific maintenance job.
