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Allium in the Cascadia Garden

June 10, 2011, 6:00 am
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Allium 'Globemaster' May 2009

Allium karataviense May 2010

Allium cernuum June 2009

Allium cristophii June 2010

 Allium unifolium June 2009

I love Allium in my garden in Seattle.  I got my 1st Allium bulbs in 1995 from John Scheepers, Inc.  They were Allium karataviense & Allium neapolitanum.  The Allium neapolitanum soon became a thick mass of foliage with no blooms.  Allium karativiense slowly spread through the garden, with & without my help.  It has beautiful foliage & pretty flowers.  Allium foliage tends to dry up as the flowers begin to open.  Next up was Allium christophii, which remains my favorite.  The flowers heads are huge, the color stunning.  Then came the impressive Allium 'Globemaster' with large, dense flower heads on tall stems.  Nectaroscordum siculum is an interesting Allium relative with large, nodding bells.  The other Allium I like, but don't love.  I can see that Allium cernuum would easily spread to every sunny inch of the garden.  Now I cut off the small flower heads before they set seed.  I've included the bloom times I've observed in my garden. Allium require no care & very little water.

List of Allium in the Cascadia Garden
Allium aflatunense 5-08-10, 5-18-09, 5-18-08
Allium cernuum  6-12-09
Allium cristophii 5-16-10, 5-26-09, 5-25-08
Allium ‘Globemaster’ 5-04-10, 5-18-09, 5-18-08
Allium karataviense 5-01-10, 5-09-09, 5-10-08
Allium neapolitanum
Allium nigrum
Allium schubertii 5-22-10, 5-23-09, 5-25-08
Allium senescens 9-05-10, 9-12-08
Allium taquetii  7-02-08
Allium unifolium 5-27-10, 5-30-09, 5-25-08
Nectaroscordum siculum (formerly Allium bulgaricum) 5-07-10, 5-20-09, 5-22-08
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Mercer Slough Nature Park

June 17, 2011, 6:00 am
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The Blueberry Farm, with the blueberry field in the middle distance & Downtown Bellevue on the horizon. April 2011 

 Bridge across Mercer Slough. April 2011

 Mercer Slough, blueberry field at left. April 2011

Trail through the wetland. April 2011

 
Rubus spectabilis April 2011

Betula papyrifera April 2011

Lysichiton americanum April 2011

 
Salix hookeriana April 2011

A large blueberry bush (Vaccinium corymbosum) growing wild at right, with Cornus stolonifera (Red-twig Dogwood) Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa (Black Cottonwood) & Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch) behind. April 2011

Mercer Slough Nature Park covers 320 acres in the City of Bellevue, just a short drive across Lake Washington from Seattle on Interstate 90.  The slough actually runs under I-90 as it empties into Lake Washington.  Easy access to the park can be found very near the freeway on Bellevue Way SE, the 1st Bellevue exit, at the Blueberry Farm.  To quote from the Heritage Trail sign pictured above, 'Contruction of the Chittenden Locks in 1916 lowered Lake Washington’s water level about ten feet.  When farmers discovered the newly-exposed peat soils around Mercer Slough, it’s landscape quickly changed to a patchwork of crop fields.  Ernest Van Tyne established this this blueberry farm in 1947.  Today the field is a public asset managed by the City of Bellevue Parks Department.  Bring your family to the farm each summer from mid-July to mid-September to enjoy the fun of U-pick blueberries.'  I might add that the package design for Overlake Blueberries was a familiar sight to me, in the frozen food section of Seattle supermarkets, when I was a child.  It shows a view of the original Lake Washington Floating Bridge, looking east from Seattle.  The bridge was completed in 1940, making possible the development of the suburbs that now make up the Eastside.  Before that, passenger ferries crossed the lake.  The Mercer Slough wetlands are beautiful at any time of year, filled with birds & native plants.  Park infrastructure was designed by Jones and Jones Architects and Landscape Architects of Seattle.
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Bloedel Reserve: The Moss Garden

June 24, 2011, 6:00 am
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The Moss Garden at Bloedel Reserve April 2011

In a series of coincidence, Rusty gave me the photographic book The Japanese Gardens: Kyoto for my birthday in March 2011.  The April 2011 issue of Garden Design included an article about moss in the gardens of Kyoto.  Rusty & I saw the Moss Garden at the Bloedel Reserve in Bainbridge Island, Washington near Seattle, also in April 2011.  In Garden Design: A World Apart, Susan Heeger wrote of the Moss Garden at Saiho-ji, “The Garden’s most celebrated aspect, the legion of mosses in different shades of green that swath hummocks & hills & mounds around the pond, almost certainly arose on its own in the humid climate.  The verdant carpet sprouted & spread on these shady slopes, suggesting a place much more natural than designed. ‘Mosses invited themselves into the gardens of Japan & thereby invented moss gardening,’ George Schenk wrote in Moss Gardening, his authorative book.”  The famous Moss Garden of Saiho-ji is found in a grove surrounding the Golden Pond, where the growth of more than 120 species of mosses is said to have started after a flood. ‘Outside of Japan, ground-covering mosses more extensive than a few square yards remain rare in gardens,’ writes George Schenk in Moss Gardening.  I was unable to find information about the origin of the Moss Garden at Bloedel Reserve.  But the entire Reserve lies in a very moist micro-climate.  There are many ponds, bogs & streams.  Moss is everywhere, clinging to trees & shrubs, covering areas of forest floor.  In the Moss Garden, moss carpets the ground in a large, boggy area drained by small channels of flowing water & shaded by native conifers. The Moss Garden is adjacent to the Japanese Garden. The path curves through on its way to the Reflection Pool.  Unlike the Japanese Garden, the Moss Garden looks very natural to western Washington, although unnaturally open & clear of debris.  700 species of mosses grow along the Pacific Northwest Coast.  The Bloedel Reserve website provides this short description, ‘In this hushed garden room, with its dense living carpet, wiry huckleberries spring from decaying stumps and huge skunk cabbages crowd the dampest places under a canopy of lacy angelica trees, creating a mysterious  landscape.’

The Moss Garden at Saiho-ji from The Japanese Gardens: Kyoto
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Purple Flowers

July 1, 2011, 6:00 am
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Allium schoenoprasum May 2010

Aubrieta deltoidea March 2010

Clematis x jackmanii August 2010

Pulsatilla vulgaris May 2010

Geranium phaeum May 2010

Purple lends richness and depth to the garden.  Purple flowers blend well with red & blue, contrast with yellow & orange.  Purple flowers look especially beautiful against blue-gray foliage.  I have included a range of flowers with colors from pale lavender to purple-black.  You may find that some tend toward red, blue or pink.  But these are all lovely purple or purple-ish flowers. 

Tree
Pawlonia tomentosa (Empress Tree): sun

Shrubs
Daboecia cantabrica (Irish Heath): sun
Lavandula stoechas (Spanish Lavender): sun, xeric
Rosa ‘Ebb Tide’ (Floribunda Rose) Rosa ‘Neptune’ (Hybrid Tea Rose) Rosa ‘Night Owl’ (Climbing Rose): sun

Perennials
Anemone blanda ‘Radar’ (Windflower): shade
Aster ‘Hella Lacy’ (Michaelmas Daisy): sun
Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ (False Indigo): sun
Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’: reseeding annual, sun
Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove): reseeding biennial, sun or shade
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower): sun
Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ (Wallflower): sun
Fritillaria persica (Persian Fritillary): sun
Geranium phaeum (Mourning Widow): sun or shade
Helleborus x hybridus, Helleborus lividus (Hellebore): shade, tolerates dryness
Liatris spicata (Gayfeather): sun
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage): sun
Pulmonaria longifolia (Lungwort): shade
Pulsatella vulgaris (Pasque Flower): sun
Tradescantia virginiana (Spiderwort): shade
Tricyrtis ‘Empress’ (Toad Lily): shade
Verbena bonariensis (Verbena): sun
Zantedeschia ‘Black Pearl’ (Calla Lily): sun, needs moisture

Groundcovers & Trailers
Liriope muscari (Lily Turf): shade, tolerates dryness
Mazus reptans (Creeping Mazus): sun
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June Garden Pictures & Bloom Times

July 8, 2011, 5:59 am
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 Digitalis purpurea June 2011

Nectaroscordum siculum June 2011

 Oenothera versicolor June 2011

Penstemon serrulatus June 2011

 Thymus doerfleri 'Doone Valley'

To see a slideshow of more June pictures, click on the link: June Garden Pictures.

June Bloom Times
Below is a list of plants that began to bloom in my garden in Seattle in June 2010. I recorded the date when the 1st flower opened, not when they were in bud. I think this information is helpful in planning your garden. If you have room for more plants that bloom in June, you can choose something new that will bloom along with something you already have, or you can fill temporal gaps between blooms.  Nurseries in Seattle usually sell plants when they are in bloom. I have included dates from previous years. Weather conditions probably account for most of the difference in bloom times. June 2011 was cooler & drier than normal.  The average daily high temperature was 66.8F/19.3C.  The normal average daily high temperature is 70F/21.1C.  The highest temperature was 80F/26.6C, the lowest 38F/3.3C.  We had 0.67 inches of rain, 1.11 less than normal.  However, there were 1.25 inches in the rain gauge in my garden.  It rained on 13 days.  There were 13 cloudy days, 12 partly cloudy days & 5 sunny days.

06-01-11 Rhododendron 'Sappho' 5-04-10, 5-20-09, 5-18-08
06-02-11 Digitalis purpurea 5-26-09, 5-25-08
06-02-11 Erigeron glaucus 5-08-10. 5-29-09, 5-18-08
06-02-11 Paeonia 'Flame' 5-11-10, 5-25-09, 5-25-08
06-03-11 Geranium cantabrigiense 5-15-10, 5-20-09, 5-18-08
06-04-11 Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Victoria' 5-10-10, 5-30-09, 5-28-08
06-04-11 Rhododendron macrophyllum 5-18-10, 5-26-09, 5-18-08
06-05-11 Allium unifolium 5-27-10, 5-30-09, 5-25-08
06-05-11 Sisyrinchium californicum 5-25-10, 6-05-09, 6-12-08
06-06-11 Iris hartwegii 5-13-10
06-06-11 Sedum obtusatum 6-02-10, 6-03-08
06-07-11 Penstemon x mexicali 5-16-10, 6-05-09. 6-03-08
06-07-11 Rosa rugosa 'Hansa' 5-18-10
06-09-11 Kniphofia nelsonii 5-14-10, 6-01-09, 5-28-08
06-10-11 Penstemon serrulatus 5-30-10, 6-5-09, 6-12-08
06-11-11 Magnolia ashei  6-04-09, 6-03-10
06-11-11 Rosa nutkana
06-13-11 Digitalis obscura 06-05-09, 6-05-08
06-13-11 Rosa glauca  6-05-08,
06-14-11 Campanula persicifolia  6-09-10, 6-10-09
06-15-11 Aruncus aethusifolius  6-02-10, 6-11-09, 6-21-08
06-18-11 Campanula poscharskyana  6-11-10, 5-26-09, 6-12-08
06-18-11 Digitalis lutea  6-02-10, 6-22-08
06-21-11 Allium cernuum  6-18-10, 6-12-09, 6-22-08
06-21-11 Digitalis dubia
06-21-11 Penstemon pinifolius  6-04-10, 6-11-09, 6-22-08
06-21-11 Sedum aizoon  6-23-10, 6-23-09
06-21-11 Sedum forsterianum 6-22-08
06-22-11 Clematis integrifolia  6-11-10, 6-11-09
06-22-11 Paeonia 'Nippon Beauty' 6-03-09
06-23-11 Sedum sexangulare  6-26-10, 6-16-09, 7-06-08
06-23-11 Stachys byzantina 6-18-08
06-25-11 Hypericum ‘Hidcote’  6-06-10, 6-10-09, 6-20-08
06-26-11 Erigeron 'Blue Beauty' 6-11-09
06-28-11 Hebe salicifolia  6-14-10, 6-16-09, 7-10-08
06-29-11 Triteleia ‘Queen Fabiola’  6-23-10, 6-11-09, 6-22-08
06-29-11 Ligularia stenocephala ‘The Rocket’  6-21-10, 7-06-08
06-29-11 Sedum dasyphyllum  6-26-10, 6-16-09, 6-25-08
06-30-11 Aconitum napellus 6-21-09. 6-30-08
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Bloedel Reserve: The Japanese Garden

July 15, 2011, 6:00 am
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The Zen Garden by Koichi Kawana at the Bloedel Reserve April 2011




The Japanese Garden by Fujitaro Kubota at the Bloedel Reserve April 2011


The Bloedel Reserve in Bainbridge Island, Washington near Seattle, is an award-winning series of gardens covering 150 acres.  'Designed by Seattle landscape designer and nurseryman Fujitaro Kubota, the elegant landscape of the Japanese Garden offers subtly shifting views along its meandering stroll paths. The coniferous trees surrounding the garden provide a dark backdrop for the bold colors of Japanese maples and meticulously-pruned pines and flowering trees. The elements of stone and sand evoke meditative moods in the Zen Garden, designed by Koichi Kawana, professor of landscape architecture at the University of California.' (UCLA) from the Bloedel Reserve website.  The garden was named the 5th highest quality Japanese garden in the United States by the Journal of Japanese Gardening in 2004.  1st installed in 1961, it was renovated in 2010.  'The guest house is a subtle blend of traditional Japanese tea house & Pacific Northwest Indian longhouse.' from the Bloedel Reserve brochure.  I found it a unique & interesting structure, but I would not call it subtle.  It was designed by Paul Haden Kirk.  You can see the complete mid-century furnishings through the windows, which is a treat.  Among many other gardens, Fujitaro Kubota designed & built the display gardens at his nursery in Seattle, now known as Kubota Garden.
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Tanner Springs Park

July 22, 2011, 6:00 am
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Tanner Springs Park May 2011

Tanner Springs Park May 2011

Tanner Springs Park May 2011

Tanner Springs Park May 2011

Tanner Springs Park May 2011

Tanner Springs Park May 2011

Tanner Springs Park May 2011

Tanner Springs Park can be found at the edge of the Pearl District, near the Willamette River, in Portland, Oregon.  It covers a full city block, nearly an acre of open space between NW 10th Avenue & NW 11th Avenue.  It is one of the most amazing & delightful urban parks I've seen. The hardscape blends perfectly with the surrounding modern buildings.  The water literally reflects them, & littorally reflects the Willamette River.  The Pearl District was once a wetland & lake. Tanner Creek flowed into Couch Lake in the area surrounding Tanner Springs Park. The lake & wetland were filled, then covered with warehouses & railroad yards. The park now lies 20 feet above the former lake.  Planning for the park began in 2003. Atelier Dreiseitl, a German design firm, & GreenWorks, P.C., a local landscape architecture firm, were selected to design the park. Construction began in 2004. The name Tanner Springs was adopted in 2005.  Tanner Springs Park is entirely planted with western Oregon native plants.
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Lan Su Chinese Garden

July 29, 2011, 6:00 am
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Lan Su Chinese Garden, A. Courtyard of Tranquility. May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, D. Knowing the Fish Pavilion & E. Reflections in Clear Ripples (also known as the lounge house) May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, F. Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain (6 panels carved from Ginkgo wood) May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, Mahonia fortunei & Podophyllum pleianthum. May 2011

Lan Su Chinese Garden, J. Tower of Cosmic Reflections (tea house) May 2011 

 Lan Su Chinese Garden, Rosa x odorata 'Mutabilis' May 2011

 Lan Su Chinese Garden, I. Moon Lacking Pavilion & L. Painted Boat in Misty Rain. May 2011

The Lan Su Chinese Garden occupies an entire city block in Chinatown, very near Downtown Portland, Oregon.  It is such an amazing place that it really feels as though you have stepped into a different world.  The brochure is a small book to guide your journey.  Let's take the tour, using the brochure to instruct us.  I have abbreviated it considerably.

A. Courtyard of Tranquility: It's 16th century China, & you're standing in the entry courtyard of the private home & garden of a wealthy government official & scholar.  The garden around you is his spiritual utopia, a peaceful & soothing place designed to help him escape the problems of everyday life & discover his true self by connecting with nature.

B. Hall of Brocade Clouds: This is where the host meets & entertains guests.  Take a moment to gaze through the beautifully-framed lattice doors & windows to the open view of the garden.

C. Terrace: Scholars aspired to be hermits in the mountains, surrounded by nature.  Since affairs of state & family required living in the city, nature was brought to them on a smaller scale.

D. Knowing the Fish Pavilion:  The name comes from a conversation between 2 ancient scholars.  Scholar #1, 'The fish look happy.'  Scholar #2, 'You aren't a fish.  How do you know they're happy?'  Scholar #1, 'You aren't me.  How do you know I don't know they're happy?'

E. Reflections in Clear Ripples: In this room, also known as the lounge house, the scholar's family would gather for music, painting or playing games such as mahjong.

F. Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain:  6 panels carved from Ginkgo wood illustrate actual ancient gardens in Portland's sister city of Suzhou.

G. Scholar's Courtyard: This is an extension of the scholar's study, a quiet place for reflection & inspiration.  Plum trees near the study's entrance blossom early, signaling the coming of spring & symbolizing endurance & hope.

H.  Scholar's Study:  The study was a refuge, a place of comfort where the men of the family wrote poetry, practiced calligraphy, read, entertained fellow scholars & took naps.

I.  Moon Locking Pavilion:  On a clear night, your can see the reflection of the moon in the center of the lake, locked in by the pavilion's shadow.

J.  Tower of Cosmic Reflections:  Women of the house spent the day in this 2-story building from which they could view the garden & surrounding city.  At Lan Su, tea & snacks are served here.

K.  Rock Mountain & Waterfall:  The rockery is designed to appear as rugged mountains in the distance, complete with waterfalls & cascading streams.

L.  Painted Boat in Misty Rain:  This pavilion represents the boat of friendship that departed from Suzhou, made its way across the ocean & eventually docked in Portland.  From inside, you're meant to feel as if you're anchored on shore, rocked gently by small waves.

The Lan Su Chinese Garden also features a botanical collection of over 400 species & cultivars found in China.  Most of them are labeled.  The garden feels very lush with plants. Altogether, it is a very charming experience.

Here is a slideshow of more photos from the Lan Su Chinese Garden.
 
 Map of the Lan Su Chinese Garden
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July Garden Pictures & Bloom Times

August 5, 2011, 6:00 am
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Acanthus hungaricus July 2011

Hydrangea quercifolia July 2011

Lobelia tupa & Hypericum 'Hidcote' July 2011

 
Prunella vulgaris July 2011

Rosa glauca July 2011

To see a slideshow of more July pictures, click on the link: July Garden Pictures.

July Bloom Times
Below is a list of plants that began to bloom in my garden in Seattle in July 2011. I recorded the date when the 1st flower opened, not when they were in bud. I think this information is helpful in planning your garden. If you have room for more plants that bloom in July, you can choose something new that will bloom along with something you already have, or you can fill temporal gaps between blooms.  Nurseries in Seattle usually sell plants when they are in bloom. I have included dates from previous years. Weather conditions probably account for most of the difference in bloom times. July 2011 was  slightly cooler & drier than normal.  The average monthly temperature was 64.2F/17.8C.  The normal average monthly temperature is 65.3F/18.5C.  The highest temperature was 84F/29C, the lowest 49F/9.5C.  We had 0.71 inches of rain, 0.08 less than normal.  It rained on 10 days.  There were 10 cloudy days, 13 partly cloudy days & 8 sunny days.

07-01-11 Aruncus dioicus 6-29-10, 6-16-09, 6-30-08
07-01-11 Lobelia tupa 6-18-10, 6-13-09, 6-22-08
07-02-11 Hemerocallis 'Hyperion' 6-22-10, 6-12-09, 6-30-08
07-04-11 Callistemon viridiflorus 6-11-10
07-04-11 Gaura lindheimeri 6-27-10, 6-17-09
07-04-11 Sedum reflexum 7-01-10
07-05-11 Lilium pardalinum 6-28-10, 6-21-09, 6-28-08
07-08-11 Hydrangea quercifolia 6-27-10, 6-13-09, 5-25-08
07-08-11 Kniphofia 'Shining Scepter' 6-22-10, 6-23-08
07-08-11 Lilium regale 'Album' 6-26-10, 7-06-08
07-11-11 Clematis viticella 'Kermesina' 7-01-10, 6-24-09, 7-10-08
07-13-11 Callistemon subulatus 7-18-10, 7-06-08
07-13-11 Hebe recurva 7-01-10
07-15-11 Agapanthus campanulatus 7-09-10, 7-12-08
07-15-11 Anemone x hybrida 7-12-10, 7-12-08
07-18-11 Hydrangea arborescens 6-27-10, 6-13-09
07-15-11 Eryngium planum 7-15-10, 7-21-08
07-21-11 Zauschneria californica 7-18-10
07-23-11 Zauschneria latifolia 7-18-10, 7-26-08
07-27-11 Sedum spurium 7-20-10
07-30-11 Sedum middendorfianum 7-25-10
07-30-11 Sedum selskianum 7-28-10
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Trees

August 12, 2011, 6:00 am
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Cupressus sempervirens April 2011

Malus (Crabapple) April 2011

Arbutus menziesii in Seward Park April 2011

Magnolia x soulangeana March 2010

 Ginkgo biloba September 2010

Here is a list of trees for gardens in Seattle, the Pacific Northwest & USDA Zone 8. Many will tolerate colder climates.  They have good form, lovely flowers, colorful fall foliage & other characteristics that endear them to many gardeners. Most of these are deciduous.  Evergreen trees are noted.  Some may be difficult to find. When local nurseries fail, try mail-order nurseries.  Forest Farm is a good source for uncommon trees.  This list is not meant to provide detailed information on trees, but to introduce you to some you may not know, or remind you of those you have forgotten.  Basic characteristics are included to help you sort through the lists.  Be sure you know how widely these trees spread before you plant them, to allow enough space.  Narrow trees are listed separately here.  An abundance of detailed information is available on the web.  Good reference books on shrubs are The Hillier Gardener's Guide to Trees & Shrubs edited by John Kelly, Sunset Western Garden Book. 

Small Trees
Abies koreana (Korean Fir) Abies pinsapo (Spanish Fir): evergreen
Acer buergerianum (Trident Maple) Acer campestre (Hedge Maple) Acer circinatum (Vine Maple) Acer crataegifolium (Hawthorne Maple) Acer japonicum (Fullmoon Maple) Acer maximowiczianum (Nikko Maple) Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple) Acer pennsylvanicum (Moosewood): fall color
Aesculus pavia (Red Buckeye): flowers
Amelanchier alnifolia (Western Serviceberry) Amelanchier canadensis (Eastern Serviceberry) Amelanchier x grandiflora, Amelanchier laevis (Allegheny Serviceberry): flowers, fruit, fall color
Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree): evergreen, flowers, fruit can make a mess on pavement
Azara microphylla (Boxleaf Azara): evergreen, small flowers, narrow
Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' (Eastern Redbud): purple leaves, flowers, fall color, Cercis siliquastrum (Judas Tree): flowers, fall color
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’ (Boulevard Cypress): evergreen, slow growth
Cladrastis lutea (Yellow Wood): flowers, fall color
Cornus kousa (Korean Dogwood) Cornus mas (Cornelian Cherry): flowers, fruit
Crataegus laciniata, Crataegus laevigata ‘Rosea Flore Pleno’ (English Hawthorn) Crataegus phaenopyrum (Washington Hawthorn) Crataegus prunifolia: flowers, fruit, fall color
Franklinia alatamaha (Franklin Tree): flowers, fall color
Genista aetnensis (Mt Aetna Broom): flowers
Hamamelis x intermedia, Hamamelis mollis (Witch Hazel): fragrant flowers, fall foliage
Malus ‘Adams’, Malus ‘Dartmouth’, Malus ‘Katherine’, Malus ‘Thunderchild’ (Crabapple): & many other cultivars, flowers, fruit can make a mess on pavement
Oxydendron arboreum (Sourwood): flowers, fall color
Parrotia persica (Parrotia): fall color
Pinus cembra (Swiss Stone Pine) Pinus edulus (Pinyon Pine): evergreen
Podocarpus macrophyllus (Yew Pine): evergreen, not a pine
Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’ (Flowering Plum) Prunus mume (Japanese apricot) Prunus serrula, Prunus serrulata (Flowering Cherry): flowers
Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’ (Bradford Pear): flowers, fall color, Pyrus salicifolia 'Pendula' (Weeping Willow-leafed Pear): flowers, silver foliage, weeping form
Quercus gambelii (Gambel Oak): tolerates dryness
Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac): fall color
Sorbus cashmiriana (Kashmir Mountain Ash) Sorbus commixta (Japanese Mountain Ash) Sorbus hupehensis (Hupei Mountain Ash) Sorbus scalaris: flowers, fruit, fall foliage
Styrax japonica (Japanese Snowbell) Styrax obassia (Fragrant Snowbell): flowers
Taxus cuspidata (Japanese Yew): evergreen
Thuja standishii (Japanese Arborvitae): evergreen
Thujopsis dolabrata (False Arborvitae): evergreen
Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm): evergreen, the only reliable palm in Seattle
Ulmus japonica (Japanese Elm): fall color

Medium Trees
Abies amabilis (Cascade Fir): evergreen
Acer callipes, Acer davidii, Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple): fall color, interesting bark
Aesculus californica (California Buckeye) Aesculus x carnea (Red Horse Chestnut): flowers
Albizia julibrissin (Mimosa): flowers
Betula albo-sinensis (Chinese Red Birch) Betula jacquemontii (Himalayan Birch) Betula papyrifera (Paper Birch) Betula pendula (Silver Birch): fall color, beautiful bark, birches attract aphids which drip sticky excretions on patio furniture & cars
Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam): fall color
Catalpa bignonioides (Southern Catalpa): flowers, pods
Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura Tree): fall color
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pembury Blue’ (Port Orford Cedar) Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’ (Weeping Alaskan Cedar) Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis’ (Slender Hinoki Cypress): evergreen
Crataegus mollis (Downy Hawthorne): flowers, fruit, fall color
Davidia involucrata (Dove Tree): flowers, fruit
Gymnocladus dioica (Kentucky Coffee Tree)
Idesia polycarpa (Idesia): inedible berries
Magnolia macrophylla (Bigleaf Magnolia): flowers, huge leaves
Nothofagus antarctica (Southern Beech): fall color
Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum): fall color
Pawlonia tomentosa (Empress Tree): flowers, large leaves
Picea breweriana (Brewer Spruce): evergreen
Pinus contorta var. contorta (Shore Pine) Pinus leucodermis (Bosnian Pine) Pinus pinea (Italian Stone Pine) Pinus monticola (Western White Pine): evergreen
Quercus chrysolepis (Canyon Live Oak): evergreen, Quercus garryana (Garry Oak): shade tolerant
Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Frisia’ (Golden Locust): yellow foliage
Sciodopitys verticillata (Umbrella Pine): evergreen, not a pine
Sorbus alnifolia (Korean Mountain Ash) Sorbus aria (Whitebeam): flowers, fruit, fall color
Stewartia pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia): flowers, fall color
Taxus brevifolia (Pacific Yew): evergreen, fruit
Tilia americana (American Linden) Tilia cordata (Littleleaf Linden): fall color

Large Trees
Abies concolor (White Fir) Abies grandis (Giant Fir) Abies procera (Noble Fir): evergreen
Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple) Acer platanoides (Norway Maple): fall color
Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut): flowers, big leaves, fall color
Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle): evergreen, unique appearance, historic in Seattle
Arbutus menziesii (Madrona): evergreen, flowers, fruit, lovely bark, native in Seattle
Calocedrus decurrens (California Incense Cedar): evergreen, narrow
Carpinus betulus (European Hornbeam): fall color
Catalpa speciosa (Western Catalpa): flowers, pods
Cedrus atlantica (Atlas Cedar) Cedrus deodara (Deodar Cedar): both are common in Seattle, Cedrus libani (Cedar of Lebanon): evergreen
Cupressus sempervirens (Italian Cypress): evergreen, narrow
Fagus grandifolia (American Beech) Fagus sylvatica (European Beach): fall color
Fraxinus americana (White Ash) Fraxinus latifolia (Oregon Ash): fall color
Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo): fall color, unique appearance
Gleditsia triacanthos (Honey Locust): pods, fall color
Larix decidua (European Larch) Larix kaempferi (Japanese Larch) Larix occidentalis (Tamarack): deciduous conifer, fall color
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum): fall color
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree): flowers, fall color, very large distiguished tree
Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia): evergreen
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood): deciduous conifer, fall color, 'living fossil'
Picea abies (Norway Spruce) Picea oromika (Serbian Spruce) Picea sitchensis (Sitka Spruce): evergreen
Pinus densiflora (Japanese Red Pine) Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine) Pinus thunbergii (Japanese Black Pine): evergreen
Platanus x acerifolia (London Plane Tree) Platanus occidentalis (American Sycamore)
Platanus racemosa (California Sycamore): large leaves, beautiful bark
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir): evergreen, native in Seattle
Quercus coccinia (Scarlet Oak) Quercus lobata (Valley Oak) Quercus robur (English Oak) Quercus rubra (Red Oak)
Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood): evergreen
Sequoiadendron giganteum (Sierra Redwood): evergreen, impressive
Stewartia monadelpha (Tall Stewartia): flowers, beautiful bark, fall color
Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar): evergreen, sacred tree, native to Seattle
Tilia tomentosa (Silver Linden): fall color
Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock): evergreen, native in Seattle

Narrow Trees
Acer circinatum (Vine Maple): fall color, native in Seattle
Azara microphylla (Boxleaf Azara): evergreen, small flowers
Calocedrus decurrens (California Incense Cedar): evergreen, narrow
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwoodii’ (Port Offord Cedar): evergreen, formal
Ginkgo biloba ‘Tremonia’ (Ginkgo): fall color
Juniperus communis ‘Hibernica’ (Irish Juniper): evergreen, formal
Pinus ponderosa (Ponderosa Pine)
Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’ (Flowering Cherry): flowers, fall color
Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ (Chanticleer Pear): fall color
Quercus robur 'Fastigiata' (English Oak): fall color
Thuja plicata ‘Fastigiata’ (Hogan Cedar): evergreen
Thujopsis dolabrata (False Arborvitae): evergreen
Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm): evergreen,  the only reliable palm in Seattle
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Volunteer Park Dahlia Garden

August 19, 2011, 6:00 am
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Dahlia 'Alloway Candy' August 2011

 Dahlia 'Brookside Cheri' August 2011

Dahlia 'Eva' August 2011

Dahlia 'Fidalgo Julie' August 2011

Dahlia Northlake Heritage' August 2011

Dahlia 'Snoho Doris' August 2011


August is a good month for Volunteer Park. You can wade in the pool, climb the water tower, visit the conservatory & see the Dahlias. Dahlias are at their peak in August. The Dahlia Garden lies near the conservatory, east from the main promenade, across the lawn. Watch out for guys playing frisbee or football.  The Dahlia Garden is maintained by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association.  Volunteer Park is very centrally located on Capitol Hill in Seattle. The main entrance is at 14th Av E & E Prospect St.
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The Bloedel Reserve

August 26, 2011, 6:00 am
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A storage barn at the south end of the West Meadow, looking north.  Your visit to the Bloedel Reserve starts at the north end of the meadow, seen in the distance, near the parking lot.

Not long after you enter the woods at the south end of the West Meadow, you come upon a large pond, which is the Bird Refuge.  'The refuge islands in this large pond provide a year-round home for ducks, geese and a new resident beaver. A variety of migratory ducks spend their winters here, and kingfishers and great blue herons feast on the small amphibians and fish found in the pond. The shoreline is ringed with native western azaleas, viburnums, red and yellow osier dogwoods, and red alders.' from the Bloedel Reserve website.

Shortly after passing the Bird Refuge, you re-enter the woods.  (The brochure says, 'you next step abruptly into a dense forest.' But it didn't feel abrupt to me.  Most of the reserve is forest with a few open areas carved from it.)  'In this dense Northwest forest, Douglas fir, western red cedar and hemlock, festooned with moss, stand undisturbed along the trail. Two man-made features offer unique views of the woods. A tall trestle bridge gives you a bird’s-eye look down at a year-round stream. A boardwalk across wetlands allows you to enter a bog filled with chorusing frogs and carnivorous plants.' from the Bloedel Reserve website.

Lysichiton americanum in the bog, seen from the boardwalk.

Salix babylonica beside the Mid Pond.  'Your next steps take you from the deep woods into a formal European landscape accented by lakes, towering English elms and a stately weeping willow, with a dramatic view of the Bloedel’s former residence.  This French country-style home, now our Visitor Center, commands a view of Puget Sound’s Port Madison Bay near Agate Pass. An active eagle’s nest is visible from the east lawn.  Flanked by a gracious living room and dining, the central room in the Bloedel’s former residence houses a cozy Library with a collection of 1,400 horticultural and botanical books, available for reading and research on site.' from the Bloedel Reserve website.  Next come The Glen, The Japanese Garden & The Moss Garden, which are the subjects of separate posts.

From the Moss Garden, you enter the Reflection Garden.  'The basic elements – earth, sky, trees and still water – create the Reflection Pool, a setting of magical simplicity. The pool and hedge tame the forest with geometric precision, and the mirror-like pool invites quiet contemplation.' from the Bloedel Reserve website.

Finally, you re-enter the West Meadow at its mid-point & return to the parking lot.  These photos were all taken in April 2011.

Map of the Bloedel Reserve from the brochure.

The Bloedel Reserve in Bainbridge Island, Washington near Seattle is one of the finest gardens in the United States.  Prentice & Virginia Bloedel resided on the property from 1951 to 1986. They developed the 150-acre property, mostly 2nd-growth forest, into the present series of gardens.  The Arbor Fund, established and endowed by the Bloedels in 1974, purchased the Bloedel Reserve in 1985 & continues to manage it.  One of the 1st to work on the Reserve, under the Bloedels, was Ray Prentice of Prentice Nursery in Seattle.  He built the waterfall & planted shrubs & trees on the waterfall bank.  The famous landscape architect Thomas Church of San Francisco began working with the Bloedels in 1954.  He prepared conceptual drawings for the Mid-Pond area that became the scenic driveway loop.  He also designed the Waterfall Overlook, the Orchid Trail (1st called the Church Walk) & the Reflection Garden.  Fujitaro Kubota of Kubota Nursery in Seattle designed & installed the Japanese Garden in 1961.  The Zen Garden was designed by Koichi Kawana, professor of landscape architecture at UCLA.

In the Treaty of Point Elliott, signed by Chief Seattle in 1855, the Suquamish Tribe ceded Bainbridge Island to the US government.  By the late 1800s, Bainbridge Island was home to the world's largest sawmill, the Port Blakely Mill, which closed in the mid 1920s.  Many of the mill workers were Japanese.  In 1942 Bainbridge Island became 1 of the first communities required to respond to Executive Order 9066, which removed those of Japanese ancestry to internment camps.  220 Japanese-Americans were sent to Manzanar on the edge of the Mojave Desert, and then to Minidoka in Idaho.  The novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson is set on Bainbridge Island.
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The Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden

September 2, 2011, 6:00 am
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Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011
Nepeta (Catmint) in the foreground.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011
The shrubs are Physocarpus (Ninebark) & Taxus (Yew) in the foreground.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011
Eremurus (Foxtail Lily) left & Verbascum (Mullein) seem to be best friends.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011
Cimicifuga racemosa (Bugbane) lower right corner & Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011
Eremurus (Foxtail Lily) throughout.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011
Primula (Cowslip) in the foreground, Astilbe at center, Iris in the background.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011
This end of the garden is shaded, with Aruncus aethusifolius (Goatsbeard) in the foreground.

The Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden is not really a perennial border, or even a border at all.  It is a series of mixed planting beds, on a west-facing slope, composed of perennials, shrubs & even some trees.  These beds run in long & narrow tiers along the hillside.  In several places they are crossed by wide concrete stairs.  The paths curve at the ends of the garden, which allows them to be traversed without using the stairs, an excellent arrangement for those with wheelchairs, strollers or weak knees.  Walking on any of these paths, with mixed planting beds on either side, does certainly give the impression of a traditional border.

This hillside, which borders the lawn west of the Visitor Center, was developed in 1992 by the Northwest Perennial Alliance.  It was commonly referred to as The NPA Border.  A small group of people designed it.  A large group of NPA volunteers maintained it.  It felt more of a piece before the renovation that began in 2008.  The earlier paths were narrow, cave-like passages through what felt like a single, massive border.  But maintenance was difficult.  It was barely possible to pass people on the paths.  So now we have the new border, which is less quirky & more functional.  The renovation was extensive.  The old border was swept away, the hillside regraded.  But many plants were saved & replanted.  By the summer of 2011, it was looking good.  The new border was designed by 2 members of the original design team & continues to be maintained by NPA volunteers.
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August Garden Pictures & Bloom Times

September 9, 2011, 6:00 am
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Anemone x hybrida August 2011

Calluna vulgaris 'Wickwar Flame' & Hebe x pimeleoides 'Quicksilver' August 2011

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Blue Surprise' & Echinops ritro August 2011

Lilium 'White Henryi' August 2011

 Verbascum bombyciferum August 2011

To see a slideshow of more August pictures, click on the link August Garden Pictures.

August Bloom Times
Below is a list of plants that began to bloom in my garden in Seattle in August 2011. I recorded the date when the 1st flower opened, not when they were in bud. I think this information is helpful in planning your garden. If you have room for more plants that bloom in August, you can choose something new that will bloom with something you have, or you can fill temporal gaps between blooms.  Nurseries in Seattle usually sell plants when they are in bloom. I have included dates from previous years. Weather conditions probably account for most of the difference in bloom times. August 2011 was  slightly cooler & much drier than normal.  The average monthly maximum temperature was 75.8F/24.3C.  The normal average monthly temperature is 76.3F/24.6C.  The highest temperature was 87F/30.5C, the lowest 52F/11C.  We had 0.13 inches of rain, 0.75 less than normal.  It rained lightly on 4 days.  There were 6 cloudy days, 14 partly cloudy days & 11 sunny days.

08-04-11 Erica terminalis
08-05-11 Callistemon rigidus
08-05-11 Galtonia candicans 8-01-08
08-05-11 Lilium 'Black Beauty' 8-01-10
08-10-11 Crocosmia Corwin's Brilliant' 8-01-10, 8-08-08
08-10-11 Liatris spicata 8-03-10, 8-11-08
08-14-11 Calluna 'Wickwar Flame' 8-06-10, 8-08-08
08-17-11 Agapanthus africanus 8-08-08
08-17-11 Eucomis comosa 8-01-10, 8-17-08
08-17-11 Sedum 'Matrona' 8-19-10, 8-17-08
08-17-11 Sedum 'Vera Jameson' 8-19-10, 8-17-08
08-29-11 Sedum 'Brilliant' 8-22-10
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Volunteer Park Conservatory in August

September 16, 2011, 6:00 am
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Seasonal Display House August 2011

Seasonal Display House August 2011 

Cactus House August 2011

Cactus House August 2011 

Fern House August 2011 
 Fern House August 2011  

 Bromeliad House August 2011 

The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a welcome respite from the cold Seattle rain. It is open except on Mondays, even on holidays, from 10 to 4. The conservatory has 5 houses, each quite different. There are bromeliad, palm, fern, seasonal display & cactus houses.  It is hard to say which is most interesting.  The seasonal displays are changed 6 times each year.  Plants are often replaced in all of the houses. I think Volunteer Park is the greatest park in Seattle.  Not only is the park beautiful, but it has a number of first-rate attractions including the conservatory, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Isamu Noguchi's Black Sun & the panoramic view from the Water Tower.  The park is easily reached from Downtown Seattle by the 10 Capitol Hill bus, which stops at the park.
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A Washington Native Formal Shade Garden

September 23, 2011, 6:00 am
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Washington Native Formal Shade Garden

Here is a formal shade garden, for Seattle & the Pacific Northwest Coast, using native plants.  The use of native plants has steadily increased in Seattle to the point where most nurseries now stock a fairly wide variety.  While it may be that I have been reading too many European garden blogs, it seems that formal gardens are also becoming more popular.  In any case, there is no need to use native plants only in wild gardens.  If your taste is for symmetry, you can achieve this with native plants.  

Both deciduous & evergreen plants are used in this garden.  Quercus garryana (Garry Oak) is the center of this garden.  It slowly grows to be a large & spreading deciduous tree.  Two sides of the garden are lined with the much smaller Acer circinatum (Vine Maple) which are very colorful in fall.  The most interesting feature of this garden is a double row of Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry).  Reaching 18 feet in height, the arching canes will meet over head at the center of the walks, forming a pleached allee.  Some lower branches may need to be removed for passage.  Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry) can be pruned into relatively uniform hedges.  It is best not to clip them severely.  Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern) is an evergreen perennial lining the walks.  Space these about 18 inches apart.  You will need to choose at least 1 additional groundcover to spread throughout the area behind them.  Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel) &/or Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry) would give the most effective coverage.  Specific shrubs, perennials & groundcovers are indicated.  Use the additional perennials & groundcovers to fill empty spaces.  

The main entry walk is 4 feet wide.  Secondary walks are 3 feet wide.  You can pave these in brick, stone or concrete.  Use mortar, or the cracks will be invaded by plants.  The entire garden is 40 feet by 30 feet across.  Seattle lots are usually 40 or 50 feet wide.  If your lot is 50 feet wide, you can add 2 more rows of Acer circinatum (Vine Maple) along the sides.  Because this plan is symmetrical, solar orientation won’t matter.  This garden would be best in a shaded area.  The trees & shrubs are tolerant of sun & shade.  They will eventually grow to shade the woodland plants beneath them.  If you have room, you can add other gardens beyond this.  A bosque or thicket would work well, especially along property lines.  Remove the benches & continue the walks into adjacent spaces. 

Washington Native Formal Shade Garden Plan

Trees
AC = Acer circinatum (Vine Maple): total # 16
G = Quercus garryana (Garry Oak): total # 1
Shrubs
PH = Physocarpus capitatus (Ninebark): total # 4
R = Rhododendron macrophyllum: total # 12, evergreen
S = Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry): total # 8
V = Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry): total # 12, evergreen
Perennials
AR = Aruncus dioicus (Goat’s Beard): total # 4
B = Blechnum spicant (Deer Fern): total # 72, evergreen
E = Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily): total # 8
P = Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern): total # 12, evergreen
TE = Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup): total # 16, evergreen
TR = Trillium ovatum (Wakerobin): total # 4
Groundcovers
A = Asarum caudatum (Wild Ginger): total # 8, evergreen
D = Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart): total # 12

Additional Perennials & Groundcovers
Achlys triphylla (Vanilla Leaf)
Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry): evergreen
Corydalis scouleri (Scouler's Corydalis)
Disporum hookeri (Hooker’s Fairybells)
Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry): will spread throughout, evergreen
Heuchera glabra, Heuchera micrantha (Alum Root): evergreen
Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley): will spread throughout
Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel): will spread throughout
Smilacina stellata (Starry False Solomon’s Seal): will spread throughout
Tiarella trifoliata (Foamflower): evergreen
Tolmiea menziesii (Piggyback Plant): evergreen
Vancouveria hexandra (Inside-out Flower)

To learn more about these plants read Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar & MacKinnon, or visit the Washington Native Plant Society website.
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Portland Japanese Garden

September 30, 2011, 6:00 am
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Stone lion near the entrance to the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011. 

Near the Pavilion (9) at the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011

Water fountain at the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011

Sand & Stone Garden (7) at the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011

Stream between the Strolling Pond Garden (2) & the Lower Pond
at the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011

The Zig Zag Bridge (4) at the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011

The Heavenly Falls (5) at the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011

Beautiful pavement at the Portland Japanese Garden May 2011

Click here for more photos of the Portland Japanese Garden.

Although I have visited a number of Japanese Gardens in the Seattle area & in California, I can't say that I know very much about them.  All I can say about the Portland Japanese Garden is that it is the largest & most beautiful Japanese garden I have seen, perhaps the most beautiful of any garden I have visited.  I imagine that everyone that visits this garden is delighted & amazed.  The description below is from the Portland Japanese Garden website.

The Five Gardens
The 5.5 acre Japanese Garden is composed of five distinct garden styles. When we enter a Japanese garden, the desired effect is to realize a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquility and to experience the feeling of being a part of nature. In a deep sense, the Japanese garden is a living reflection of the long history and traditional culture of Japan. Influenced by Shinto, Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies, there is always “something more” in these compositions of stone, water, and plants than meets the eye.
Three of the essential elements used to create a Japanese garden are stone, the “bones” of the landscape; water, the life-giving force; and plants, the tapestry of the four seasons. Japanese garden designers feel that good stone composition is one of the most important elements in creating a well-designed garden. Secondary elements include pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins, arbors, and bridges. Japanese gardens are asymmetrical in design and reflect nature in idealized form. Traditionally, human scale is maintained throughout so that one always feels part of the environment, not overpowered by it. As Professor Tono wanted to incorporate native trees in our Garden so that it would blend naturally with its environment, some of the plantings here are on a larger scale.

Portland Japanese Garden Map
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September Garden Pictures & Bloom Times

October 7, 2011, 6:00 am
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Achillea millefolium 'Terracotta' & Yucca filamentosa 'Bright Edge' September 2011

Agapanthus africanus September 2011

Calluna vulgaris 'Wickwar Flame' & Hebe x pimeleoides 'Quicksilver' September 2011

Eucomis comosa September 2011

 Hydrangea arborescens September 2011

Click here for more September Garden Pictures.

September Bloom Times
Below is a list of plants that began to bloom in my garden in Seattle in September 2011. I recorded the date when the 1st flower opened, not when they were in bud. I think this information is helpful in planning your garden. If you have room for more plants that bloom in August, you can choose something new that will bloom with something you have, or you can fill temporal gaps between blooms.  Nurseries in Seattle usually sell plants when they are in bloom. I have included dates from previous years. Weather conditions probably account for most of the difference in bloom times. September 2011 was  warmer & drier than normal.  The average monthly maximum temperature was 73.5F/23C.  The normal average monthly maximum temperature is 70.5F/21.4C.  The highest temperature was 85F/29.4C, the lowest 46F/7.8C.  We had 1.29 inches of rain, 0.21 less than normal.  It rained on 11 days.  There were 11 cloudy days, 10 partly cloudy days & 11 sunny days.

09-03-11 Cyclamen hederifolium 9-10-10, 9-01-08
09-05-11 Eryngium amethystinum 9-03-10
09-26-11 Arbutus unedo 9-28-10, 9-20-08
09-26-11 Asternovae-angliae 'Hella Lacy' 9-28-10, 9-29-08
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The Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden

October 14, 2011, 6:00 am
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Near the minimal parking area at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011

On the west-facing bank below the house at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

Colchicum autumnale flowering among the foliage of Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost', Epimedium & Heuchera americana at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

The house at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

 The bank northeast of the house at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

Polystichum setiferum & Smilacina racemosa in the woodland above the house at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

Next to the house at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

Back to the west-facing bank between the house & the parking area at theElisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

The view west to the Olympic Mountains & Puget Sound from the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden September 2011 

On a warm & humid day in September I visited the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden with a group of 14 other gardeners.  I had seen the garden once before, perhaps 10 years earlier, in spring.  I remember telling the head gardener then that it was the nicest public garden I had seen.  This time I was not as impressed.  I've seen many more public gardens since my last visit.  I'm sure the time of year made a big difference.  In the Pacific Northwest every garden looks best in spring.  But I was also disturbed by the Miller Garden because it demonstrated something that bothers me about my own garden.  It felt overcrowded.  Elisabeth Miller was an ardent plant collector.  She seems to have packed in as many different plants as she could.  That has been followed by the additions of head gardeners & curators during the years since she donated the garden to the University of Washington upon her death in 1994.  There are now 5,000 taxa on 5 acres, but mostly squeezed into the area around the house.  One of my fellow tourists asked me what I had learned from the garden.  My immediate response was, 'Plant less!'  I heartily recommend visiting the garden.  It is an amazing place guaranteed to give a strong & lasting impression.  Because the garden is located in The Highlands, a private & gated community in the City of Shoreline, just north of the Seattle city limits, the number of people who may visit the garden is limited to no more than 500 people each year, no more than 15 at a time, no more than 30 in a day.  Contact the garden to arrange a tour.
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Why Gardens Fail

October 21, 2011, 6:00 am
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Here are some common reasons why gardens fail in Seattle & everywhere else.

1. The garden was overcome by weeds.

I think this is the most common reason gardens fail.  Even experienced gardeners have trouble keeping up with weeds in a newly planted space.  Neophytes have no idea how much time weeding can take.  You should probably be out there at least once a week, scouting for weeds & digging them out.  I can’t count the number of times I have seen the remnants of a garden, completely or partially covered with weeds.  Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor) is particularly vicious.  But even smaller weeds like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) can quickly spread to cover small plants, depriving them of sunlight & causing them to die.  After several years, the time spent weeding becomes less, as plants grow to shade more of the ground.  Most weed seeds sprout only on ground that is exposed to sunlight. Planting spreading groundcovers will help.  But you will always need to be vigilant about weeds.  A fellow gardener told me that people often ask what he does to control weeds.  His answer, ‘I pull them out.’

2. The garden wasn’t watered often enough during the summer.

New gardens must be watered frequently, sometimes daily, during hot weather when the soil dries quickly.  This is particularly important in Seattle where it barely rains at all during the summer.  Planting in the fall helps plants to establish wide-spreading roots that will help them find moisture when the soil begins to dry.  Avoid planting in the late spring or summer.  It is probably easier to keep plants alive in pots than in the ground.  In either case, you may have to water daily.  Newly planted plants should be checked & watered carefully for 2 summers.  After that, once a week is usually enough, except during very hot weather.  Try to select drought tolerant plants for sunny gardens.

3. Dead plants were not replaced.

I know this is bad news.  But plants die all the time for no good reason.  You should have a budget to replace plants that die each year.  Gardens with lots of empty spaces are not very appealing.  Spreading groundcovers will help to fill empty spaces.  No garden should be without them.  But even so, if a plant is not replaced, especially a shrub or tree, the gap in your garden will be obvious.

4. The garden was poorly planned.

Take the time to plan your garden.  Many people make the mistake of using plants that are not appropriate for the site.  Plants that prefer shade are planted in full sun.  Plants that need sun are planted in shade.  These plants don’t always die.  But they seldom look robust & often look sickly.  Do the research.  This also goes for the size of plants, which is very often under-estimated.  The tags on plants usually give the size in 5 to 10 years.  Many plants get much larger than the size indicated on the tag.  When plants get too large they crowd out other plants, grow onto paths & sidewalks, cover windows, press against the eaves of the house.  While that is bad enough, it often leads to even worse, which is bad pruning.  Many shrubs & trees do not look good when heavily pruned.  The natural form of the plant is as important as the foliage & the flowers. 

5. Shrubs & trees were pruned badly, or not pruned at all.

There are 2 problems I see all the time.  The 1st is bad pruning.  In many cases the plant will never recover its natural beauty.  It really does not look good when every shrub in the garden is sheared into a ball.  And yet, you see it again & again.  Many ‘professional’ gardeners can’t do anything else.  There are many other ways to prune badly, leaving plants looking hacked.  Learn how to do it right.  There are plenty of books & websites that will show you how.  Try The Hillier Gardener's Guide to Trees & Shrubs edited by John Kelly or the Sunset Western Garden Book.   Hire gardeners & arborists with good references.  In Seattle, contact Plant Amnesty to get the names of professionals who know how to prune, or find classes on pruning.  The 2nd problem comes when no pruning is done at all.  The result is a jumble of shrubs & trees with awkward shapes & broken branches.  Nearly everything should be pruned, just not too much.  It takes time, education & experience to get it right.

6. The garden was unloved by its owner.

If everything above has happened to your garden, who would blame you?  But there is something more subtle that can lead to a negative attitude about your garden.  Don’t keep plants you don’t like.  I’ve heard this said many times, ‘I don’t really like that plant, but it’s green & I don’t know what I would replace it with.’  Or they don’t want to spend the money to replace it.  Or they don’t want to go to that much trouble.  But how can you expect to be happy with a garden filled with plants you don’t like?  Get rid of them!  Fill your garden with plants you love.
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