Thursday, 23 September 2015
I have so been looking forward to taking the owner of this Oysterville garden up on his recent invitation to visit. His other garden up north, which I saw in 2010, has haunted me ever since with its rendition of a perfect “village green garden” and is a garden I have thought about with persistent frequency since seeing it over five years ago.
I had peeked wistfully over the fence of his Oysterville garden several times before I figured out it was the home of the same gardener, and then looked even more wistfully from the street every time we went to Oysterville. I was envious that Our Kathleen had been given one or more tours, and that Todd had visited regularly and even helped weed. So you can bet I was eager for our north end day to arrive this week.
The Oysterville garden from the road
We will proceed around the garden in an orderly fashion even though in reality we went round parts of it twice.
Allan’s photo: My heart was all aflutter.
one of the times when I peeked at the garden, in February of 2013
the garden on 11-7- 2013, another day I looked from the outside
Today: At last I get to enter. We walked down the driveway and I got teary eyed at the terrace by the side porch. So perfect, and it reminded me of the owner’s Ruston garden.
Allan’s photo: I was filled with joy.
It is no exaggeration that I teared up at this view.
The house was made of two houses joined together with a covered walkway in the middle.
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
I actually returned around the house and took these photos after finding the owner, whom I will just call G.E. (Gardener Extraordinaire) in the back garden and asking permission. I was thrilled to get permission to share here with our readers (all 20 of you!)
Looking at the south side patio from assorted angles.
south-facing window
Note how the chair backs echo the window design.
At the west end of the driveway, sunflowers and squash have all volunteered from last year’s compost pile. The recent 70 mph windstorm knocked over most of the sunflowers.
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
G.E. has in past years decorated the town with a wealth of pumpkins and has also planted heirloom narcissi down the roadways.
the pumpkins of Oysterville in autumn of 2013, all provided by the Oysterville garden’s owner (photo by Tom Hornbuckle)
Returning to today: We turned to the right, followed the sound of a blower or strimmer and found the owner, “G.E.”, gardening in an allée of hornbeam and white hydrangeas.
looking west down the allée
at the west end of the allée
I wish I had gotten in closer to examine this whole area. Is it a bog garden or water feature? Happily, I have been invited to return and walk through the garden again so I will examine it more closely next time.
Something watery is going on here. How far back does it go?
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo of a living arch being grown to further frame this feature
looking back toward the house…the hydrangea is ‘Incrediball’.
Allan’s photo
We left the allée and strolled north with our host, between large pots of tree ferns.
looking north
The ferns had begun to unfurl new fronds after the windstorm.
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
looking south toward the allée
Allan’s photo
Soon Wayne came to join in hosting the garden tour. He was a little camera shy.
Wayne
my new friend, very soft and friendly.
Part of the garden lies behind the next door church.
Allan’s photo
on the north side of the house, an expanse of lawn leading to the front garden
a deciduous ilex which will be stripped of its berries by birds soon after its leaves fall
Allan’s photo (with some orange berries also)
Allan’s photo
Japanese anemones. I love the plants intermingling.
The lawn curving around to the front of the house.
lavish lawn borders
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo of a frog
the north end of the front garden
We heard a voice. The neighbour from across the road had come by on her way to the post office, with her lovely dog, who especially likes rolling on the lawn.
All these photos were taken from the same angle. She likes to whirl on the lawn.
Here comes Wayne!
We returned with our hosts (man and dog), passing through the allée to the south side of the house.
at the corner of the garage
Beside the driveway grows a collection of asters.
Allan’s photo
This one will soon have a multitude of tiny flowers.
Allan’s photo
beside the driveway, south side of house
looking north down the front border
at the southeast corner of the house
Allan’s photo
Tetrapanax in the front border
I have never seen it flowering before!
Tetrapanax flowers (Allan’s photo)
Allan’s photo
front border, looking north
Eutrochium (used to be Eupatorium!), AKA Joe Pye weed, with Boltonia asteroides.
I was pleased to be reminded of Boltonia asteroides, a sublime plant that I used to have and had lost and forgotten about.
I was smitten with the little white tufts on this pennisetum.
Just look at that!
Allan’s photo
looking northwest from the front border
Allan’s photo
That gorgeous tall pink aster is something pink, but not ‘Harrington’s Pink’ (another tall one). I should have made a note.
Oysterville has many tourists passing through in summer enjoying the quaint village walking tour experience. These tall plants provide the sort of privacy that I seek in my front garden.
looking south along the front border
from just outside the fence
Wayne on the driveway following us out to the road
Allan’s photo
looking north down the road…Who do we see?
Our Todd, with two Plant Delights friends from North Carolina, and his dog Shadow of the Moon Pie.
Allan’s photo
We did have to depart for work. It is hard to shake off the spell of this garden and I’m so glad I will get to tour it again next week; I have permission to bring Dave and Melissa to see it. Just looking at these photos makes me realize that there are so many parts of the garden that I want to examine more closely. The design is deep and multi-layered and I know that I missed a lot.
Next: the rest of the day.
Oh what an incredible garden! I’ve looked at it and wondered too. So glad you took a tour.
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Fantastic! And fun to know where the pumpkins come from. I would love a tour too, alas so far to go… I live vicariously through you.
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When you are here next, I will ask to take you through.
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A very impressive garden indeed.
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Oh, my!
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