Saturday, 16 July 2016
To new readers: As we take you with us on a tour through a garden, some of our photos are almost repetitive for two reasons. One: We want to share with you the progress of the garden stroll and how a bit more is revealed with each step. Two: Allan and I tour at a different pace and usually in a different direction, and it interests me to see his views, and amuses me when we take almost the same photo. I try to present the story of each garden in a way that explains how the paths flow and how the garden areas segue from one to the other. If there are lots of details that I like, I’ll obsess over every one. When I fall in love with a garden, as I did with this one, it can make for a long post.
The WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties present:
garden two: For the Birds
from the street
Tervetuloa means “Welcome” in Finnish.
inside the fence
borrowed view of neighbours’ green roof
Garden there’s magic in the dirt!
against the wall of the house
well grown sweet peas
entry to back garden
Allan’s photo
I was starting to feel excited as I glimpsed what was in store.
Gorgeous, with rich shade planting.
to my right as we enter the back garden
L Shaped arbor with benches, what a great idea.
Allan’s photo
Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary sign
I love an intricate shade planting. Ferns, Brunnera, Baby’s Tears, and more
koi water bowl
Allan’s photo.
As we began oohing and aahing, the owners greeted us with recognition. They had been to our garden at the original Tangly Cottage when it was open for touring in 2008! I told them I had hoped for two or three really good gardens on the tour to make the drive worthwhile and I could tell I already had two.
This was such a happy moment. (Allan’s photo).
against back wall of house
I felt deeply happy to be in this little paradise of well chosen plants. Shade gardening is no challenge, but instead a pleasure, to a knowledgable gardener.
looking from shade to sun
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
path down one side of the lawn, impeccably weeded. Corner of the deck is at lower right.
looking back at the deck
preformed pond, I think, with edges well covered in rocks.
Allan’s photo
further along the path
blue hydrangea, blue framed window mirror, blue pottery in birdbath
Allan’s photo
Allan’s photo
where side fence and back fence converge
Allan’s photo
along the back fence
looking back
I spy Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’!
Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’. After passing up several opportunities to buy this hard to find plant, now I have fallen in love with it.
Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’ (Allan’s photo)
(When I say a plant is hard to find, I probably just mean it is hard to find in small town nurseries.)
detail with oxalis and lamium (Allan’s photo)
We have now walked up that path to the lawn.
Look how well groomed the garden is! Perfect to every corner. I also appreciate that the bark is a subtle color that blends with the shady woodsy beds.
I do love a planted birdbath.
Allan’s photo
silene under the birdbath
looking back to the greenhouse; a kitchen garden is on my right.
kitchen garden
Allan’s photo
dahlias and verbascum (Allan’s photo)
cranesbill geranium and rose (Allan’s photo)
strawberry tower; I have to read up on this because it is such a space saver.
Allan’s photo
In the background of the above photo is the answer to the soothing colour of the mulch. I enlarged it:
brown mulch!
pea tower
on the kitchen garden fence
looking out from the kitchen garden
such an exceptionally nicely arranged little kitchen garden
You can see diagonally across the lawn to the back deck.
Next to the kitchen garden, Allan admired the bird netting, arranged like an umbrella that you could go underneath to pick berries.
netted berries
netted berries with access underneath (Allan’s photo)
Allan’s photo
poppies and eryngium (Allan’s photo)
looking back at the kitchen garden
kitchen garden in background (Allan’s photo)
On the other side of the greenhouse is the little shaded patio with a metal fire circle.
Rosa rubrifolia foliage and Echinops
Echinops (blue globe thistle)
inside the greenhouse
Allan’s photo
in the greenhouse (Allan’s photo)
tidy and organized (Allan’s photo)
under the blue globe thistle
looking into the shade again
choice plant selection with Impatiens omeiana in the center.
I do love gold foliage.
Allan’s photo
I had made my way to the back deck, in the corner of the garden diagonal from the kitchen garden.
on the back deck
on the fence by the deck
a lower level of the deck on the side of the house
under the upper level bench
a garden well groomed even in the areas that don’t show. We notice.
looking across to the kitchen garden….I wonder why the plant on the bench is caged.
Look at the nice crisp edge on that lawn.
That maple gives me plant lust.
view from the deck to the shade garden and to where we entered (left)
view down the side of the garden to the back corner where Spotty Dotty lives.
I found Wendy and told her how very much I loved every aspect of her garden. I could happily have walked round the whole estate again, but we had started the tour an hour late and had five more gardens to see.
A squirrel entertained us on our way out. (Allan’s photo)
While, as it turned out, this garden was my favourite on the tour, there are delightful ones yet to come.
That garden alone would have been worth the drive. Wonderful! Do I detect a border material for that crisp lawn edge or just meticulous care like the rest of the garden? Thanks for making the trip to Aberdeen! 😊
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I will find out!
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Garden owner Wendy says “I just use a half-moon edger. I keep thinking there must be an easier way!”
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Cool beans! I truly enjoyed this tour. Thanks!
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Thank you for reading and commenting!
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I absolutely love all the texture of this garden. Thank you so much for sharing.
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Thanks for reading, Judy?
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Might the plant on the bench in the cage be a blueberry? One of the new container sized ones? (I’m spacing the name, maybe Brazelberry)
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That might explain it. Something the birds would go after.
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I have a brazelberry and it is tasty like a cross between boysenberry and raspberry.
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It’s this collection that I was referring to, they’re all good!: http://www.brazelberries.com/varieties
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Thanks!!
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Wow! I wonder how much acreage they have, from all the various views, it seems immense. I can’t imagine how much time they must spend to keep the yard so perfect. Sue
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I googled. 10,500 foot lot.
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Beautiful garden, I loved the different views of both your and Allan’s photos.
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Thanks!
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Indeed a Great Garden! And huge! A dream….. except for maybe the huge part!!
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