Leaving Astoria and the Astoria gardens, we drove to Warrenton, a neighbouring town toward the ocean; Whiskey Road looked like this, very bucolic even though it was close to Highway 101.
Of course, I itched to prune the dead fronds off of the sword ferns along the road.
Entering the property we walked past an enviable guest house. It would have suited us perfectly for our main house.
(I’ve often thought if one could find just the right employer, it would work to live on a big property and be the fulltime gardener. To be a Fergus Garrett to a Christopher Lloyd. There would have to be great trust and some guarantee of security in old age.)
An entry to a woodland path led to lively chickens and another view of the guest house.
Further along, we came upon a vegetable patch and a garden described in the tour guide as Japanese in style.
Past the shrubby shady garden we saw Smith Lake. And turning to our left, we passed through an arbour into the sunny flower garden between the house and the lake.
Below: Looking from the house to the lake, and from mid-lawn back up to the house.
You know I would have had more garden and less lawn…but with a desired view of the lake all garden beds would have to be low growing. The garden might have lost some plants to the harsh winter of 09-10.
Above, to the left was the arbour we came through from the Japanese style garden and veg patch. On the other side of the lawn a gorgeous brick path wended gently uphill.
We could not tell if this fireplace belonged to the Hatfield garden or the next door garden (which was next on the tour), and we forgot to go to these stairs from the other side.
Soon we reached a Koi pond in the house garden; the owner told Allan that a heron had recently snatched some fish. The waterfall cunningly emerged from dark shrubbery uphill.
We had missed meeting the gardener on the way in. I believe that is Mr. Hatfield in the pink shirt. On that table was a bowl of beautiful polished rocks and each tourer was allowed to choose one. That’s the sort of kind touch that makes a garden especially memorable.
We left the garden via a woodsy area….
Not only was the friendliness of the gardeners memorable but we also were impressed with the pond and stream (and the way it cleverly emerged from the undergrowth) and that beautifully designed and maintained curving brick path. I’ve enjoyed revisiting it while writing about it.
[…] flashback: 10 July 2010 — Astoria garden tour, Hatfield garden Alliums, why? […]
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