Fidalgo Island · Locally owned since 1994
Landscaping Company in Anacortes, WA
Hand-cut stone, rockeries and gardens built for rock, wind and water views.
Who provides landscaping in Anacortes, WA?
- Founded
- 1994, by Robert Rochholz
- Credentials
- Licensed, bonded and insured
- Shop
- Coupeville, across Deception Pass
Creative Gardens, Inc. is a landscape design and build company working in Anacortes, where our River of Rock project features a hand-cut flagstone terrace above the water. Founder Robert Rochholz started the company in 1994. We hold a Washington contractor license ( License #: CREATGI015O8 ), are bonded and insured, and work from our shop just across Deception Pass in Coupeville.
Anacortes sits on the north shore of Fidalgo Island. The town was founded in 1879, incorporated in 1891, and is the ferry gateway to the San Juan Islands. Mount Erie rises 1,273 feet over a community forest of roughly 2,800 acres, and many homes look out over Guemes Channel, Burrows Bay or Rosario Strait.
That setting shapes the gardens. Rock is close to the surface in much of town, native madrones grow on dry, sunny slopes, and summers are dry. A station in town averages about 31 inches of rain a year, yet July and August bring only about an inch each. We plan stonework, planting and watering around all of it.
Featured Anacortes project
River of Rock
River of Rock is a large flagstone terrace set against a sweeping water view. We chose and hand-cut the stone so its blues, grays and tans echo the Guemes Island waterways around it, then laid each piece with tight, even joints.
It shows the kind of stonework we bring to every Anacortes property, from a single entry path to a full waterfront terrace. See the River of Rock project →
Landscaping Services in Anacortes
We handle each of these on its own or as part of one design.
Flagstone & Patios
Hand-cut flagstone terraces, patios and walkways.
Landscape Design
Plans for view homes, rocky lots and wooded parcels.
Rockeries
Boulder walls that level slopes without heavy excavation.
Water Features
Ponds, streams and waterfalls built from natural rock.
Landscape Lighting
Low-voltage lighting for paths, patios and water.
Garden Care
Pruning, seasonal cleanups and ongoing maintenance.
Landscaping for Fidalgo Island Conditions
Anacortes gardens deal with rock, wind, protected trees and dry summers. This is how we design for them.
Rock and shallow soil
Where bedrock sits near the surface, we make the rock part of the design, build planting pockets and raised beds, and use boulders instead of deep excavation.
Pacific madrones
These native trees dislike root disturbance and summer water. We keep construction and irrigation away from their root zones and plant drought-tolerant natives beneath them.
Wind and salt air
Homes facing Rosario Strait, Burrows Bay and Guemes Channel take strong winter winds. We use tough, salt-tolerant plants and set stonework and structures to stay put.
View corridors
We keep plantings low on view sides and save height for privacy screening where you want it.
Dry summers
With only about an inch of rain in July and in August, drip irrigation and native plants keep the garden healthy through the dry months.
Tree rules
The city’s tree chapter covers removing and topping trees and requires tree protection during clearing and grading. We flag trees that may need city review before work begins.
More Stonework and Gardens
Browse the stone and boulder work, pavers and hardscape and bluestone patio and walkway galleries.
Creative. Trusted.
Timeless. Local.
Planning an Anacortes Landscape
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Site walk
We look at rock, slope, drainage, existing trees, views and wind exposure with you.
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Design and estimate
You get a plan and a written price, with any trees or shoreline areas that may need city review noted up front.
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Build
Our crew cuts and sets the stone, plants and installs irrigation and lighting.
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Care
Seasonal visits keep the garden looking the way it was designed.
What Our Clients Say
“Robert really has a way with visualization of what he wants to create… When finished, it was just as he described, and we were 100% satisfied.”
“Beating down contractors by shopping for low bid has never worked for us. In the case of CG, we found the pricing to be fair and accurate.”
“The new garden is just beautiful… Lots of people ask who installed it.”
Why Anacortes Homeowners Choose Creative Gardens
Robert Rochholz grew up in the landscape trade, launched his first company in 1988, then founded Creative Gardens, Inc. in 1994. He still leads every project, and hand-cut stonework like River of Rock is one of the company’s signatures.
- A completed Anacortes flagstone project you can see on our site
- More than 30 years of landscaping experience in the islands
- Stone chosen and cut to suit each property
- Planting plans that protect madrones and native trees
- Written estimates before work begins
- Design, installation and maintenance from one team
Serving Anacortes and Fidalgo Island
We work throughout Anacortes, including Old Town and downtown, Cap Sante, Skyline, Shannon Point, the Guemes Channel shoreline, Burrows Bay, and homes near Mount Erie, Lake Erie and Lake Campbell, as well as Dewey Beach and Similk Beach.
On Whidbey Island, see our Oak Harbor and Langley pages, or learn more about our landscape design, rockeries and water features, read client testimonials and meet Robert.
Frequently Asked Questions about Anacortes Landscaping
Who provides landscaping in Anacortes, WA?
Creative Gardens, Inc. plans, installs and cares for landscapes in Anacortes and across Fidalgo Island, including the River of Rock flagstone terrace shown on our website. Robert Rochholz founded the company in 1994, and it is licensed, bonded and insured.
Do you work off Whidbey Island?
Yes. Our shop is in Coupeville, a short drive across Deception Pass from Fidalgo Island, and we take on design, stonework and maintenance projects in Anacortes.
How do you landscape a yard with rock outcrops and shallow soil?
We work with the rock instead of fighting it. Exposed rock becomes part of the design, planting pockets and raised beds are filled with good soil, and we choose plants that root well in shallow ground. Boulders and rockeries can level slopes without heavy excavation.
How do you protect madrone trees in a new landscape?
Pacific madrones are native here and sensitive to change around their roots. We keep digging, fill and patios out of the root zone, avoid summer irrigation near the trunk and plant drought-tolerant natives beneath them.
Do I need city approval to remove or top a tree?
Possibly. The city’s tree chapter (AMC 16.50) covers removing and topping trees within city limits and requires tree protection during clearing and grading. Ask the planning department first; we’ll lay out the design to keep the trees you value.
What plants handle wind and dry summers on Fidalgo Island?
Natives such as kinnikinnick, salal, Oregon grape, ocean spray, Nootka rose and shore pine cope well with wind, salt air and dry Julys and Augusts. Many are also less appealing to deer.
Can you match stone to the colors of my property?
Yes. Hand-cut stone is a specialty. On our River of Rock project, the flagstone colors were chosen to match the surrounding Guemes Island waterways, and we select and cut stone the same way for every patio and walkway.