flashback: 10 July 2010 — Astoria garden tour, Hatfield garden

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.

approach to Hatfield garden

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.

the guest 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.

along a woodland path

Further along, we came upon a vegetable patch and a garden described in the tour guide as Japanese in style.

further along

by the lake

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.

arbour view

Below:  Looking from the house to the lake, and from mid-lawn back up to the house.

dock at the bottom of the garden

Smith Lake from the dock

a photographer kneels for a good shot

looking from the dock 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.

another view up the garden

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.

looking back to the dock

path from dock

partway up

along the path

shared fireplace?

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.

along the path

looking through to the lawn beds

along the path

path detail

near the house

on a patio

alongside the house; I love this sort of artful display.

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.

a lovely pond

pond detail

by the pond

naturalistic stream

the streamhead

A path beckoned.

From the pond, a path lead by the garage to a deck.

From there, we crossed the deck back to the entry driveway.

the greeting committee

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….

passing this landscaped pumphouse (?)...

and briefly exploring the woods by the road.

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.