flashback: 18 June 2010 — two gardens (Edmonds and North Seattle)

Every year in June comes the Hardy Plant Society study weekend, which rotates between Portland, Eugene, the Seattle area, and Victoria and Vancouver, BC.  The 2010 weekend in Bellevue (across Lake Washington from Seattle) was hosted by the Northwest Perennial Alliance. I was very sick indeed during most of it:  I had to leave part of a seminar by the always funny and informative team of Withey and Price because of a coughing attack; woke up sure I was dying from rattling lungs; disinfected everything I touched to avoid getting my friend Sheila sick as well.  (It worked; she survived without a touch of what ailed me.)  The illness came on fiercely on the way up to Bellevue so I at first hoped it was from allergies.

However, I enjoyed the garden touring very much.  On the first touring day, Friday, my old friend Maggie (from Star Wars fan days way back in the first trilogy) drove us around.  Oh my, that was relaxing.  (And still hoping I only had allergies, I still disinfected with a little Purell sprayer everything I touched in the car.)

I might enjoy looking back on the photos in comfort and health even more than I enjoyed being there, so join me if you will as I reminisce.

The first day of touring started north of Seattle in Edmonds.  So nice for Sheila to not have to drive!  Maggie knew just where to go to GET to Edmonds, and we took Sheila’s GPS (aka the voice of God) to help us in the neighbourhoods.

Garden 1:  McKereghan & Deeley garden, Edmonds (designed with Carine Langstraat)

formal hedges and rooms...

path with blue star creeper

I loved the sunny curving path.  The edging of blue star creeper reminding me of that plant, whose existence I had forgotten although I used to grow it. I did think parts of  this garden had too much of the dreaded Aegepodium groundcover…which is a terrible thug once you fall for its pretty green and white foliage..you can see some just at the turn of the path. I have planted it too, once upon a time, and regretted it!

Stacie and John Crooks garden, North Seattle

A sloping garden accessed by steep paths.  Happily for me and my acrophobia, it worked out that I could walk up the steep steps rather than down.

up the steps...

admirably lush, mature, contrasty plantings

beautiful garden decor

sunny borders with a view

verticality and roundness

the good company of other gardeners (Sheila on the right)

I'm always pleased to see a cat...

an expanse of lawn (and chair with cat)

artfully placed containers

dense planting leading to....

....a colourful sit spot

The very grown up garden had a secret playhouse in the shrubbery.

more roundness at a transition from sun to shade

I especially liked the transitions from narrow paths to wide grassy sit spots.  (Ann Lovejoy calls this a “squeeze effect”.)  The repetition of the round containers of water often with floating glass balls tied the different areas together.

We were indeed sorry to leave this garden, but the duty of touring called, and we had several gardens left to visit before returning all the way to Bellevue for the evening lectures.