Where would we be without second chances? This dead duck could sure use one. Well, if you missed out on the ANLD tour does HPSO have a deal for you! Monday evening, 4-9pm, this outstanding garden will be open to members and their guests (if you’re not a member, this would be a fine reason to join). For you poor, deprived souls who live too far away, I’ll do my expanded coverage now.
The front garden is relaxed Northwest style, incorporating large boulders and lots of evergreens (nary a blossom in sight).
See how the rocks nestle into the greenery as if placed there by Mom Nature herself.
Playing with texture and the many shades of green keeps things interesting.
Moving along the narrow pathway from front to back, we begin to sense that something different is in store. This hen with her chicks is a hint, the duck I led with is a “dead” giveaway: these guys have a sense of humor.
Almost as stunning as an Echium, why fight it? Allow that lettuce to bolt.
Cute way to display burro’s tails, don’t you think?
The first peek into the back garden announces that the subdued palette will be left behind.
The rusted grating used for this table/shelf was repeated underfoot, a brilliant maneuver to keep gravel from straying from paths.
Color is used liberally, but tastefully, with dense layering.
Flowers are only part of the story.
Grasses planted in the middle of a paved area reminded me of a big, friendly shaggy dog.
Asian influences appear in the design of the pavilion and the stone lanterns guarding it. As some have noticed, that is Scott of Rhone Street Gardens, who did his own post on the tour here, as did Loree of Danger Garden fame and that girl with the hammer, Heather. Each person saw the tour through a different prism, so it’s fun to compare.
Another angle reveals the plantings surrounding one of those stone lanterns.
Whimsical touches just keep coming. Peter, The Outlaw Gardener, did a post that included several mosaics by Clare Dohna. This looks like her work.
It was when I came upon this scene that I began to have the niggling feeling that I had been here before. Working with designer Laura Crockett, the owners had totally transformed their gardens while keeping some of the elements of the earlier version. Indeed, I had written a post in 2009 raving about that incarnation.
A globe formed of driftwood hosts a fused glass caterpillar. It was hard to tell where the designer left off and the owners took over.
But these guys are plant geeks, and that is everywhere in evidence.
On this tour, each garden featured the work of an artist. Here, in the pavilion, you see the work of Gina Nash, who works with recycled steel.
Even the bar stools have a tropical feel.
The stunning design provides the backdrop for a garden that is all about plants. I’ll shut up now and just show you some of them.
Most of us garden on a humbler scale, designing as we go. For us this garden is a treasure trove of ideas. On the other hand, it is an example of what works when you seek out the right designer. You can have a showplace where your own personality shines through. These owners were absent the day of the pre-tour, but others sang the praises of their designers as good listeners, sensitive to the special needs of their clients and the site.