About Ian
I am the owner of The Desert Northwest, a nursery in Sequim, Washington specializing in drought tolerant and rare plants!
Experience
– Xeriscape garden design/consulting, including a project for the Woodland Park Zoo
– Provided presentations and taught classes about plants/gardening
– Written numerous articles about plants
– Worked at several Northwest retail and specialty nurseries before starting The Desert Northwest.
– Eucalyptus specialist/consultant
Education
– B.S. Ornamental Horticulture, Washington State University
– Certified Professional Horticulturist (WSNLA)
Interests
– rare and exciting plants, their conservation, frost hardiness, drought tolerance, breeding potential, etc.
– botany
– garden design using appropriate plants
– climatology and glaciers
– unusual and drought tolerant plants
– hiking, snowboarding
– music, especially choral/vocal, traditional
– did I mention plants?
Contact
Have me speak at your nursery, garden club, or event! I offer very reasonable rates. Possible topics include xeriscaping, cacti and succulents, rare plants, plant hardiness, and related topics – and pretty much anything I have written about!
e-mail: [email protected]
“Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."
-J. R. R. Tolkien
THE DESERT NORTHWEST [blog] 
Alan Orsborn
Apr 04, 2011 @ 23:01:12
I loved your discussion of the native cacti of Washington. I had been aware of cacti in eastern Washington, but your explanations of the species and their appearances were very interesting.
Ian
Apr 08, 2011 @ 10:36:04
Alan, Thanks – I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Jean-Laurent Félizia
Sep 02, 2011 @ 21:49:52
I Ian,
I’m writting from France (South east) where there’s a Mediterranean climate.
I’m naturalist-landscaper and I make growing some plants from mediterranean zones (RSA, Canary Islands, Australia, Chile, NZ) in an experimental nursery.
I’m interested in your botanical competences especially about Califonian plants because most of them grow like our plants in difficult conditions
(thin soil, drainy, long time of dry and warm temperature).
Could you tell me if you’re able to sell me some seeds or plants from your country trough France. Thank you for you website which is so full of precious things.
JL
Ian
Sep 14, 2011 @ 12:52:30
Hi Jean-Laurent, I don’t have a lot of seeds right now but please send me an email privately and I will tell you how I can help. Do you know Olivier Filippi? [email protected]
gregdraiss
Sep 20, 2011 @ 08:15:14
Thanks for listing my blog “The Real Dirt on Gardening………..
Greg Draiss
Kate Gormley
Jan 18, 2012 @ 15:13:56
What about Schizophragma hydrangeoides? And Orthrosanthus multiflorus? Two of my favorite plants and plant names. I agree that Latin is the best and only way to talk about plants. See you at our (Bloedel Reserve) Plant Sale in April!
Ian
Jan 20, 2012 @ 11:12:59
Greg – you’re very welcome.
Kate, I’m sure many more could be added to that list! See you in April – Ian
David Lyman
Oct 04, 2016 @ 06:00:33
Ian, sent an order for plants, including a check, in April. Never received anything. Let a message on FB and did not receive a reply. How does one go about mail order plants other than what I have already done? Thanks for your help.
George Zhovreboff
Oct 26, 2018 @ 23:40:01
Ian, I have emailed you a few times I am the purchaser for the Santa Cruz garden club. We are very interested in purchasing some Eucrythia nymaness. We have an order of 3 plants maybe a few more. Can you please let us know if you have them. The plant list you have is from 2016. George email [email protected]