Whidbey Island Landscaping, Design & Installation
Whidbey Island landscaping in balance with a delicate ecosystem.
Creative Gardens, Inc. is a locally owned landscape design and build company based in Coupeville. Founder Robert Rochholz grew up in the green industry, working alongside his family, and started his first landscaping business in 1988. He moved to Whidbey Island in 1994 and has been designing, building and caring for island gardens ever since.
That experience matters here. Whidbey Island landscaping means dealing with salt wind on waterfront lots, steep bluffs, heavy clay soils and hungry deer. Our crews plan around those conditions from the first site visit, and we use organic practices, so every landscape is built to last.
We stay with you from the first consultation through design, installation and years of ongoing care. That includes stone patios, rockeries, water features and garden restoration. No project is too complex or too simple. Creative Gardens is bonded and insured, Washington license #CREATGI015O8.
Our Services
Whidbey Island Landscaping Services
From the first design sketch to seasonal care, we handle every part of your landscaping project: landscape design, hardscaping and patios, water features, rockeries and lawn and garden maintenance. Every service is planned for Whidbey Island’s slopes, salt wind and soils.
FROM DESIGN TO MAINTENANCE:
- Unique water features, ponds, and irrigation systems
- Stone patios and walkways, boulder work, and rockeries
- Custom fences and living walls
- Estate grounds care and landscape maintenance
- Specialty pruning and garden restoration
- Organic best practices and compost tea applications
Relax, we’ll do the hard work for you.
Decorative Wood Garden Structures
HANDCRAFTED AT THE RIGHT SCALE
- Arbors
- Fencing
- Pergolas
- Enclosed Vegetable/Flower Gardens
- Benches
ENJOY EVERY STEP
- Flagstone
- Speciality Stone Work
- Pavers
- Hardscaping
- Natural and Chip paths
GET THE LOOK YOU WANT
- Dry Stack Natural Stone
- Rockery Style
- Living Walls and Outcropings
- Retention Block System
Audio, Lighting & Utility work
ENTERTAIN WITH PRIDE
- Specializing in outdoor stereo systems
- Lighting design
- Entertainment concepting
Rooted in Whidbey Island
Landscaping Design Services Throughout Whidbey Island
From the bluffs of Oak Harbor to the gardens of Langley, Creative Gardens has designed, built and cared for Whidbey Island landscapes since 1994. Our crews know the island's conditions firsthand: salt wind on waterfront lots, steep slopes, heavy clay soils and deer that treat gardens like a buffet. We plan every project to thrive here.
Areas we serve:
- Oak Harbor: Stone patios, rockeries and low-maintenance landscapes for North Whidbey homes.
- Coupeville: Landscape design and garden restoration around Penn Cove and Central Whidbey.
- Greenbank: Water features, pathways and naturalized gardens for rural and wooded properties.
- Freeland: Hardscaping, boulder work and outdoor living spaces near Holmes Harbor.
- Langley: Custom garden design, garden art and stonework for South Whidbey homes.
- Clinton: Slope stabilization, rockeries and year-round landscape maintenance.
Don't see your town? If you're on Whidbey Island, we likely serve your area. Contact us to talk about your project.
What Our Clients Say
“In the case of CG, we found the pricing to be fair and accurate and not once did we ever doubt our decision to contract Robert. We just look out our bay kitchen window facing the new look…and grin.”—Greg/Darlene Davis, Coupeville, WA
“He and his crew showed up on time, worked with speed and efficiency did a great job… When they left, it did not take days to clean up after them. I had expected a 90% job satisfaction, but got 110% of what I paid for!”—Creative Gardens client
Frequently Asked Questions about Whidbey Island Landscaping
Why does landscaping on Whidbey Island need a different approach than the mainland?
The island has several microclimates in a short drive. Central Whidbey sits in the Olympic rain shadow and gets noticeably less rain than South Whidbey. Waterfront lots on Penn Cove or Holmes Harbor take salt wind, and wooded lots near Langley and Clinton deal with shade and moisture. A plant that thrives in a Clinton garden can struggle on an exposed bluff in Oak Harbor. After three decades here, we plan each landscape around the site rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.
What plants hold up best to Whidbey Island deer?
Black-tailed deer browse almost everywhere on the island. In our experience, plants like kinnikinnick, Oregon grape, salal, lavender and many ornamental grasses are left alone more often. Hostas, tulips and arborvitae rarely survive unprotected. No plant is fully deer-proof, so for vegetable and cut-flower gardens we often build enclosed garden structures.
How do you build landscapes on Whidbey Island’s bluffs and slopes?
Much of the island sits on glacial soils: dense, compacted till in some places and heavy clay in others. Water often runs across it instead of soaking in. On slopes, we use rockeries, boulder work and dry-stack stone walls, along with drainage, to hold soil in place. Work near shoreline bluffs may require review from Island County, and we factor that into planning.
Which native plants do you recommend for Whidbey Island gardens?
Natives like red flowering currant, vine maple, snowberry, sword fern and kinnikinnick are adapted to our dry summers and wet winters. Once established, they need less water. They also support pollinators and birds, and fit the island’s natural character. We often mix them with well-chosen ornamentals so the garden looks designed, not wild. The Whidbey Island Conservation District’s annual native plant sale is a great resource for homeowners.
Can you design a fire-resistant landscape on Whidbey Island?
Yes. Summers in Central and North Whidbey are getting drier, and more homeowners ask about defensible space. We can create stone patios, gravel paths and well-spaced, low-growing plantings close to the house, and keep denser vegetation farther out. Firewise planning works well alongside the hardscaping we already do.
What areas of Whidbey Island do you serve?
All of it, including Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Greenbank, Freeland, Langley and Clinton. Our central Coupeville location means we can reach North and South Whidbey properties regularly for both installation and ongoing maintenance. We do serve Anacortes on Fidalgo Island as well.
Are you licensed and insured, and how long have you been in business?
Creative Gardens, Inc. is bonded and insured in Washington State, license #CREATGI01508. Robert started his first landscaping business in 1988, and he founded Creative Gardens in Coupeville in 1994.