Ravenna · Northeast Seattle
A gardener who actually lives down the street.
I'm Petra. I plant, prune, weed, and keep gardens in Ravenna and the blocks around it looking like someone loves them — one visit or all year round.
- Free
- 20-minute walkthrough
- Half day
- smallest booking
- No
- synthetic pesticides
“Gardens here are patient. Wet winters, dry Augusts, and clay that rewards anyone willing to wait a season.”
Services
Everything a city garden needs, done by hand
No crews, no leaf blowers at 7am. Just steady, careful work on the garden you already have.
Seasonal cleanups
Spring wake-ups and fall tidy-ups — cutting back, weeding, clearing leaves, and hauling the debris away with me.
Pruning & shaping
Well-timed cuts for shrubs, hedges, roses, and small fruit trees, made to keep light and airflow where the plant wants them.
Planting & bed design
Right plant, right place for our wet winters and dry Augusts — borders, shade beds, and pollinator patches that fill in over time.
Weeding & soil care
Mulching, edging, and compost top-ups that make beds look cared for now and cut down the weeding next season.
Containers & small spaces
Porch pots, balconies, and parking strips planted for year-round interest in a very small footprint.
Ongoing maintenance
A standing visit — weekly, every other week, or monthly — so the garden never gets far enough ahead to feel like a project.
About Petra
Hello from a few blocks away
I garden in Northeast Seattle, mostly within walking distance of Ravenna Park. I take on a small number of gardens on purpose — it means I know which hydrangea sulks in August and which corner floods every November, and I can plan around both.
I work without synthetic pesticides, compost what I cut, and choose plants that suit Puget Sound rather than fighting it. If something in your garden is struggling, I'd rather tell you why than sell you a replacement.
Most of my work comes from neighbors talking to neighbors, which is the way I like it.
- One gardener, start to finish — you always know who's coming
- Debris hauled away and composted, never left in bags
- Photos and a short note after every visit
- Quotes in writing before any work starts
How it works
Three steps, no pressure
- 1
Say hello
Send a note with your address and a couple of photos. I'll come by for a free 20-minute walkthrough, usually within a week.
- 2
A plain quote
You get it in writing: what gets done, how long it takes, what it costs. No packages, no subscriptions, nothing automatic.
- 3
Steady care
One visit or a standing schedule, your call. After each visit I leave a short note on what I did and what's coming next.
Where I work
Ravenna first, then the neighbors
I keep the service area small enough to reach every garden without getting in the car more than I have to.
- Ravenna
- Bryant
- Wedgwood
- Roosevelt
- Maple Leaf
- Laurelhurst
- View Ridge
- Hawthorne Hills
- University District
- Windermere
Somewhere close by but not on the list? Ask anyway — if I can walk or bike to it, the answer is usually yes.
Questions
The things people ask first
- Do I need to be home?
- No. As long as I can reach the garden and a water spigot, you can be at work — I'll send photos afterwards.
- What happens to the clippings?
- They leave with me. Green waste goes to compost; anything diseased is bagged separately so it doesn't spread.
- Do you work in the rain?
- This is Seattle, so yes. Only hard freezes, high wind, or a real downpour move a visit, and I'll always tell you the day before.
- What's the smallest job you take?
- A half day, about three hours. That's usually enough for a small city garden to feel completely different.
Tell me about your garden
Send a note with your address and a photo or two. I'll reply within a couple of days with a time to come look — no charge, no obligation.
Monday–Saturday, 8am–5pm · Ravenna, Seattle, WA