23 June: 3 Georgetown gardens

Monday, 23 June 2014

Hardy Plant Study Weekend, sponsored by the Northwest Perennial Alliance

After a frustrating misadventure between Normandy Park and Georgetown, with an important small bridge over the Duwamish Waterway being closed for construction, with no detour sign pointing anywhere useful, and going in circles (“Recalculating! Recalculating!” cried our New Zealand accented GPS guide, because she neither knew or believed the bridge was closed), we finally asked for directions and got out of the mess. Sometimes one can drive far enough from a detour to have the navigator find a new route, but that method did not work for us; I almost gave up and said “Let’s just head south, to home” (on the horrible freeway!); I am so glad we preservered.

Georgetown was all I hoped it would be: a neighbourhood that I would be very happy to live in. I have read that it gets lots of railway noise from a couple of train tracks, and it has frequent airplanes flying low overhead to Boeing Field. That might have kept the property values lower, although certainly not low enough for us to move back to the city (should we ever so desire).

Seattle neighbourhoods; Phinney Ridge was where I lived till moving to the beach in December 1992. Bellevue, where the Hardy Plant weekend took place, is to the right across Lake Washington.

First Georgetown garden: Reiquam garden

This description had me curious and excited all weekend, looking forward to the Monday tour.

I pictured a slice of ground between two buildings reminiscent of the tiny sliver of garden next to the old Café Septieme in Seattle’s Belltown neighbourhood (just north of downtown). The garden turned out to be more residential than I had expected, and to my sorrow:

NOOOOOOO!!!!

the posture of sorrow

and again NOOOOOO!!!!

We had heard a rumour while at the Normandy Park gardens earlier in the day that a garden was closed. This one was, it turned out, perhaps the best one to not be able to enter because we could see some of it from the street.

I poked my camera lens through the fence to photograph the front garden. (The advantage of a tiny pocket camera!) There was a raised round pool (metal, I think) to my right, hidden behind some greenery.

The narrow beds were barked.

the house, passiflora in bloom

the side garden with motorcycle sculpture

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

We wish the Reiquams the best for the emergency that must have arisen, and we enjoyed every bit that we could see of the garden.

interlude

We strolled down to the other end of the block for the next garden.

two lovely painted ladies on the way

Wiley garden

I had NO unsureness about the colours and combination in the little city garden we toured next. I found it so refreshing to be in a tiny garden in a working class style house.

Allan’s photo

purple!

a simple house; garden owner in red shirt

the owner’s card!

Allan’s photo: Wiley Youngblood

Allan’s photo, front of house

from the front gate

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

going around the side; the stakes are tree stakes from the Chihuly garden, painted purple

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo with Eryngiums ‘Sapphire Blue’ and ‘Jade Frost’

Allan’s photo, bright and dark coleus

chicken coop in back yard

Allan’s photo of me taking a chicken photo

chickens!

Allan’s photo

on the shed, another touch that made me happy

corner of back yard

Looking down over the back fence…veg growing in hay bales.

in the alley behind the back fence

I love alleys. My house in the Phinney Ridge neighbourhood had an alley behind it and I used to take alley walks throughout the neighbourhoods. Alleys are rare, perhaps non existent on the Long Beach Peninsula. I miss alley walks.

looking back at the sweet little house…

the back yard gathering place is to my right

back porch

The silhouette is of a hen who had run up the back stairs and gone into the kitchen to drink from a bowl on the floor!

Allan’s photo

interlude

a nearby grocery store

We drove off (could have walked) to the next stop, passing this cute little grocery store that would be so handy to walk to.

art in the traffic circle by the grocery store

more traffic circle art (reward of being too lazy to walk)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo. I am loving Georgetown

By our next parking spot, we walked down the block to see…this!

a stunning house

detail of grand house and an outbuilding? set further back

an impressive tetrapanax papyrifer

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Could it be for sale?!? No, this turned out to be for a tiny house tucked back in the deep shade next door.

We thought this was part of the garden but have now realized it’s a walkway to the house next door.

from the realtor: tiny hidden house

real estate photo

“Fabulous condo alternative. Next to the Castle in Georgetown you will find this remarkable carriage house. Cute & cozy. Set off the street and very private. Across the way, you will find the community pea patch and “The Hat and Boots”, local icons. Come live in this hip neighborhood near restaurants & services. ” See more (while it lasts) at: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6422-Carleton-Ave-S-Seattle-WA-98108/48822160_zpid/

When I learned that the tower house is called the Georgetown Castle, I found some articles about it here, here, and a tour of the inside here.

Oxbow Park (Hat and Boots Park)

While not one of the tour gardens, the Hat and Boots was a suggested stop, and I was pleased to find a P Patch (allotment garden) there.

from Seattle Parks and Recreation: In 1953, Seattle artist Lewis Nasmyth was hired to “rustle up” a design for a western-style gas station in Georgetown. Featuring a 44-ft. wide cowboy hat and 22-ft. high boots, the Hat n’ Boots opened the next year to a stampede of customers. In fact, for a time it was the biggest selling station in the state. Legend has it even Elvis dropped by when he was in town during the World’s Fair in ’62. But in the early 60’s, a brand new interstate, I-5, started diverting traffic away from the station. By the late 80’s it pretty much looked like trail’s end for the Hat n’ Boots. That’s when some Georgetown residents saddled up to rescue the soul of their community. “The Hat n’ Boots is as important to Georgetown as the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco,” says Allan Phillips, former director of the Georgetown Community Council. “If the Hat n’ Boots were ever to be gone from Georgetown, it would be like losing our soul.”

“Respect the Hard Work of Your Neighbors; Please Do Not Disturb the Gardens”

mosaic wall

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

the back of a bench made of recycled plastic: “378 milk jugs were recycled to make this nice place to sit”

Allan’s photo

Oh, yes, and the hat and boots

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo