The wilder West Coast garden

Landscape design by Andrew van Egmond of Designing Landscape. Photo by Andrew van Egmond

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A manicured lawn is no longer the default dream.

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Across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, a quiet shift is taking place in backyards, side gardens and outdoor areas. Homeowners want beauty, comfort and privacy, but are increasingly asking for spaces that feel less controlled and more alive, says landscape architect Andrew van Egmond, founder of Designing Landscape.

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The wild is being embraced more and more, he says:

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“It’s a movement that is present in landscape design and landscape architecture globally.”

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Originally from the Netherlands and now based in British Columbia, van Egmond works on projects across the province, from Ucluelet and Whistler to Quadra Island and Summerland. His work is subtle, minimal and deeply site-specific, shaped by local materials, native planting and the surrounding landscape.

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This fall, he will bring that thinking to IDS Vancouver with a feature installation exploring the relationship between design and the dynamic forces of nature. The project will use layered planting, biodiversity-focused design and circular and upcycled materials to create an immersive landscape that changes over time.

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A restrained concrete terrace opens to a dramatic West Coast water view. Hardscape is balanced with moss and surrounding rock. Landscape design by Andrew van Egmond. Photo by Ema Peter

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Embracing the wild

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There is a growing awareness that we’ve moved away from nature too much, and need to reconnect, and he’s seeing this in West Coast garden design, says van Egmond.

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He points to designers such as Dave Demers and Botanica Design, as well as the Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, whose work includes Millennium Park in Chicago and the High Line in New York, as helping make looser, more naturalistic planting feel accepted by a wider public.

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The next step is more radical and more local, says van Egmond.

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“I think now it’s time to go one step further and let the spontaneity of a real native planting system back into our spaces close to where we live, our homes,” he says.

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This means less yearly mulching, less heavy irrigation and less reliance on exotic plants that can become invasive.

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“I think we are moving to a yard that is more in tune with nature, supporting the local ecosystem and accepting the flux of the seasons and nature that we so much value in B.C.”

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Go green for a sanctuary feeling, says landscape architect Andrew van Egmond. Photo by Andrew van Egmond

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A situated garden

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In B.C., the mountains, forests, shorelines and native plant communities are so prominent, says van Egmond.

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“We are fortunate to live in such an amazing part of the world, where nature is abundant, and what we all value and enjoy is something we want to have closer to home.”

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For homeowners, the takeaway is practical. Look first at what is already around you. The trees beyond the fence, the borrowed view, the slope of the site, the light, the native plants that thrive nearby. 

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Subtle luxury

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If you want to make an outdoor space feel elevated without being overdesigned, van Egmond suggests going big, matched with restraint.