On Saturday while driving between a couple of nurseries, this caught my eye. Even though it was raining, I had to pull over, grab my camera and explore from the sidewalk.
So much winter interest AND a disco ball. Something special is going on here.
One doesn't see gardens like this every day.
You knew that there'd be some silk flowers here somewhere! I kind of wonder what all of this looks like in summer when there are more plants woven through the collage of objects.
Seriously, I love this display piece with the colored spheres all over it and would love to find one to display my blown glass ornaments. They'd look great glimmering outside in the sun.
As I was snapping pictures, the gardener and his wife came out and invited me to come inside the gate. The gardener, whose name I forgot to ask, (how rude of me!) retired from being a cook at our local army medical center and turned his considerable energies to the yard.
Pretty amazing to do all this in a single year!
Off the back deck seems to be a workshop area with shelves for additional objects. There's a smaller one of those display pieces covered with spheres. I must go back and ask where he found them.
There's lots of whimsy!
And some things that will undoubtedly leave you wondering.
Looking back from the back patio/workshop area.
I kind of love this circle piece.
On a lower level, the garage has a more tropical theme. These pictures were taken before our big freeze but something tells me that these tender plants are holding up just fine.
Some people travel to Hawaii when it's cold out but I just get in my car and travel a little south et voila - paradise.
Holy Moly. Some of those are interesting and unique. But...too much for me. It's too bad they disappeared on you before you could ask any questions. I wonder too what it would look like at the height of plant growth.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to go back and see what it looks like in summer.
DeleteYou are a kind soul, Peter, but I for one am glad you can't "pull off" this sort of look, and add: why would you want to. Some of the pieces are fun and charming and I'd love to select a few to display in my own garden, but this is clearly too much of a good thing: can't see the forrest for the trees kine of scenario... Do you think they sell any of it?
ReplyDeleteI don't think that they sell any of the objects. Rather, I think this is a garden of someone who was used to creating every day at his job and now has channeled that energy into this endeavor. The garden is not my personal cup of tea but I love the joy and sense of fun that it conveys.
DeleteTacoma has all the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Sorry Portland, this is ours!
DeleteWow - That puts the used cemetery silk flowers house on the FauxPo Garden Tour to shame. That's a lot of "garden art" to live next to.
ReplyDeleteI think the volume is what makes it unique.
DeleteOh my! I wonder if they're planning to go into business selling items in their collection - they should.
ReplyDeleteNah, I think that he just does this as a hobby.
DeleteAlmost speechless here but yay for wacky creativity! Those coloured spheres can look elegant in a garden, harking back to mid century designs.
ReplyDeleteIt's a garden that does leave one more pensive than talkative.
DeleteI LOVE this, even though I do not WANT it. It reminds me of some places where folk art happens. Was the retired cook as interesting as his yard?
ReplyDeleteHe and his wife ran away too soon, probably because it was raining out. I'm with you, don't want it but do love it. This garden made tickled me, the joy in it's creative evolution creeping out everywhere.
DeleteEveryone's garden should be just the way THEY want it. Ours is not to reason why, just to find equal joy in our own style.
ReplyDeleteI concur wholeheartedly and love gardens that dare to be different!
DeleteHa ha, this is great fun to look at! Also a good reminder to me to be careful about placing all the garden "objets d'art" that I bring home from garage sales. Great post.
DeleteI too am a sucker for the thrift store/garage sale objets d'art and have a garage full of possibilities.
DeleteVery interesting! I love the creativity he has used in those pieces. It takes a very creative person to design this. I, for one, never can see it until someone else does it.
ReplyDeleteThere is certainly some sort of vision going on here.
DeleteI THOUGHT I commented earlier. I said something to the effect of "I would have stopped to view this more thoroughly, too"! (Actually I HAVE stopped to see one or two like this! Well....not EXACTLY like this.....)
ReplyDeleteI thought you commented earlier too. Strange that it disappeared. Anyway, who could resist the temptation to stop and look?
DeleteWow! Very stimulating! Actually, I saw disco balls used to great effect at a garden in France so who is to say this is not gardening of the most haute and sophisticated kind? Anyhow, your garden should make you happy and I have a feeling this couple get a lot of happiness out of theirs.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, they seem to really enjoy it and I certainly enjoyed visiting!
DeleteIt certainly is an interesting look and not without charm. I don't think I would go for that look myself although I do confess to having a number of interesting items here and there throughout my garden (on a much more sparse scale). The bottom line IMO is that people should go for a look that makes them happy. :)
ReplyDelete