Gardens by the Sea Tour: Ron Stefani garden

29 July, 2013: Gearhart Oregon, a benefit for Clatsop County CASA.

outside the garden

front courtyard

After a happy chance interlude in a non-tour garden just up the block, we began the official Gardens by the Sea tour in Ron Stefani’s garden, described in the programme as having “Masses of hydrangeas and sweeping tall grasses surround the front yard seating and in the back, a deck that makes your heart sing.”   A soothing garden, it consisted of boxwood, Hydrangeas, and Miscanthus.

front gate

front porch with hydrangeas

back garden: boxwood

It is a tidy, clipped garden. I could do this for a client. In fact, we had a client who wanted this sort of garden and we succeeded. ‘Twas very soothing. But I need to go wild to be a happy gardener!!  I enjoyed this garden very much but would not have the discipline to stick to the three plant scheme.

back deck, container with Euphorbia

Boxwood and Hydrangeas

The other side of the back garden continued with the clipped boxwood, banks with white hydrangeas, and then a gently sloping mound topped with Miscanthus.

white Hydrangeas, Miscanthus (Ornamental grass)

Interlude

next door

As we walked on to the next garden, a few blocks west, we passed several gardens that inspired me to get out the camera.  Just east of the Stefani garden, the neighbours had a simple, beachy landscape (left) with some bags of soil set out but not yet applied.  Up the block and just next to Roger’s fabulous garden, an exuberant cottage garden contained a white and green variegated member of the mint family that  I used to have, and no longer do, but I could not and cannot remember its name.  (below, right)

cottage garden

Sheila thinks the mystery plant is a variegated Agastache and she might be right!

Walking on….a pretty, simple driveway garden

Could this be a Gearhart house that we could afford?

Like Cannon Beach, but moreso, Gearhart is an expensive town with a reputation for exclusivity.  Even the rare derelict house probably costs a fortune.  But oh, what I could do with the one above…and look at all those windows!

beachy arbour and driftwood

wildlife habitat

Walking on, and almost to the second tour garden, we passed a house with such a beachy, weathered arbour.  Judy’s friend Liz observed that, in the photo above, the driftwood piece by the gate looks like a sea lion balancing a yellow beach ball on its nose.  On the fence, a sign (left) informed us that the garden is an official wildlife habitat.

Directly across the street from the second tour garden, a newly planted landscape (below) caught our eyes.  Later in the day of touring we learned that it had been installed by Steve Clarke, from Seaview, former owner of an excellent Willapa bayside nursery called Clarke’s that we had frequented often back in the day.  He has now gone mostly into creating gardens and while touring, we met a nice fellow who works with him.

a Steve Clarke garden

detail, Clarke garden

Now at last, after much distraction, we turn our attention across the street to tour garden number two…