About Banana Slug Landscaping
Connecting Experience,
Skill, Passion, and Place
Hello! I’m Alex Benskin and I have spent my entire life living in, learning about, and connecting with the plants, creatures, and landscapes of Bellingham and the Salish Sea region. For over 20 years my personal and professional passions have centered on landscaping, native plant restoration, and salmon habitat restoration.
I started Benskin Co. in 2010 and in 2022 changed our name to Banana Slug Landscaping LLC to reflect our love of the wild and wonderful creatures of the Pacific Northwest. We are leading local specialists in native planting and ecological landscaping and dedicated members of the Bellingham community.
Native Plants
We are fortunate to live in one of the most vibrant and diverse landscapes in the world: the traditional homelands of the Lhaq'temish (Lummi) and Nuxwsa'7aq (Nooksack) Peoples. We strive to help our clients meet their visions while also respecting the ecosystems we share with other flora and fauna. Unfortunately, many imported plants don't play well with others and push out native species. Just one plant in one yard can become a seed source carried by birds or the wind for miles around. While we work with some non-invasive, non-natives at clients' requests (especially medicinal and edible), we prioritize native plants in our landscaping as they are well adapted to our temperatures and weather, they help integrate human habitation into the landscape, and the wide range of colors, textures and patterns look beautiful! See our Gallery of Native Plants for a small sample of our local biodiversity.
Climate Change
The impacts of climate change are no longer abstractions of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. The heatwaves, droughts, cold shocks, and flooding are part of the current reality of our lives and landscape. We see our work as one part of the mosaic of people and communities around the world addressing climate change and mitigating its impacts. We are inspired to create water-permeable landscapes with plants that are resilient to extreme temperature variation, sequester carbon, shade the earth, promote healthy soil, and extend habitat for all kinds of creatures, especially pollinators like bees and hummingbirds.
Backyard Habitat
Humans and other-than-human life all deserve space to live, and our can be mutual rather exclusive. We create stunning landscapes that are accessible and enjoyable for people while also providing areas for birds to nest and shelter, berries and other sources of food, and ponds and streams for drinking water year round. There are many beautiful symbioses between humans and the rest of our neighbors and we work to help you foster these relationships in your yard.