The Dusking Garden
From overwhelm to belonging… An edible landscape designed for connection, reflection, and community
When Jo-Anne and Nancy purchased their Oak Bay home, they loved the house and neighbourhood, but the landscape felt overwhelming.
Years of overgrowth, invasive bamboo, and disconnected garden spaces left them feeling uncertain about where to begin. During our earliest conversations, we spent less time talking about plants and more time exploring a simple question:
How do you want to feel in this space?
Their answer became the foundation for the project.
Together, we transformed the property into a calm, welcoming, and food-producing landscape filled with pollinator habitat, gathering spaces, edible plants, and places to pause and reflect.
A custom compass-inspired stone patio anchors the front garden, while heart-shaped pathways, layered plantings, and meandering garden rooms invite exploration throughout the property.
"Our goal was to create an outdoor environment that felt calm, restorative, and full of life, and they embraced that vision completely."
— Nancy Sieber
One of our favourite outcomes wasn't part of the original design brief.
The front patio inspired a new family ritual that Jo-Anne and Nancy now call "dusking."
"The compass-inspired patio has become our favourite place to sit at the end of the day. It has inspired a new 'dusking' tradition for us, to sit quietly at twilight, reflect, and observe the fading light."
— Jo-Anne van Draanen
Today, the garden is filled with bees, hummingbirds, neighbours, friends, and family. What was once an overwhelming landscape has become a place of connection, beauty, and belonging.
"A day does not go by without people stopping to admire, ask questions and walk through our gardens. This is exactly what we wanted to create... a space where we could welcome others."
— Jo-Anne van Draanen
Project Highlights
Complete front and backyard transformation
Invasive bamboo removal and site restoration
Custom compass-inspired stone patio
Heart-shaped pathway design
Edible and pollinator-supporting plant communities
Outdoor gathering and reflection spaces
Soil building and ecological restoration
Low-maintenance, biodiversity-focused design
"The backyard is a true oasis. Every detail reflected care, creativity, and a deep understanding of how outdoor spaces can bring people together."
— Nancy Sieber
