Winter Walk Off 2014

Each late winter, Les at A Tidewater Gardener hosts a winter walk off.  The rules are simple, leave your house on foot or bike and photograph what you see.  You can drive to a different location and wander around there taking pictures too.  No pictures of one's own  garden though.   It's a great way to enjoy some armchair tourism.  Last year I turned left out my front door, this year we turned right.  We are fortunate to live in an historic neighborhood with lots of interesting older homes so that's what I focused on this time. 

 

 I love spring with it's many flowering trees!  Soon it will be "pink snow" time again when the petals begin to blow in the wind as they fall.

Many of these homes were built in the late 1800's to early 1900's in this area of town known as "New Tacoma"   Large old camellias as large as trees are a common sight although more of them are kept smaller either on purpose or by snow/ice storms taking down tall branches every few years.

Happy looking kitty!

Hey, look a little library.  How cool is that?  Did we somehow walk to Portland, home of all things hip?  Nope, it's right here in Tacoma. 

 I hope I can remember where this was because I'd like to meet these people! 

They like to read, share books, and garden .  Bamboo, check, stock tank, check.  Maybe I could stop by with an agave pup or one of my extra yuccas and see if they can be influenced. 

Interesting front entry on another house.

 Pocket park with a big toy for little kids.  Once the electrical station that the city no longer needed was removed, the hood decided that it would be a good idea to make this little park which is maintained by volunteers.

Forsythia putting on its sunny show.

 Do these winged lions represent St. Mark?   St. Mark's lion is the symbol of the city of Venice, and maybe they are harkening to that  as they preside over the moat that looks from the front like it might surround the building.  (The one on the right is named "No Smoking."

It's a little odd to see this around a Victorian era apartment building complete with stained glass from that era.  Fun though.

This almost prarie style home is less common in our area than some other styles.

Beautiful  art nouveau style gate that is totally wrong for the tudor style of the house.  It should come and live in my garden instead.

What's the verdict period architectural experts?  Was the expanse of glass original to the house, an enclosed porch, or a later addition?  What a great light place that must be to grow plants!

 Stucco and flat roofs may seem impractical in our wet climate but the beauty of this style did not escape our ancestors.

A construction company has its sign displayed.  The landscaping was "installed"  This sloping garden would have excellent drainage and is crying out for a  xeric, spiky garden.  Loree?  Louis?

Down the hill a tad and we're now in a different hood.  Here is part of the Annie Wright Schools, a private Episcopal affiliated school, once for girls alone now is a coeducational day school for boys and girls through grade 8  and a boarding school for girls only grades 9 - 12.

 The daffodils are suddenly blooming everywhere and I regret not planting any in my own garden.  I get over it when there is no ripening foliage to deal with.

In an alley was this large window box.  Looks like the garden of a couple of  young children.  Sweet.

Across that same alley is this  outdoor play area. 

A beautifully kept garden and home!  Look at those phormiums that don't look like they missed a beat even after our freezes. 

Painted lady.

These homes are incredible but think of all that cleaning.  Yikes!

The star magnolias weren't out last week and suddenly, they've burst open all over town!

A little taste of the woods in a parking strip.

A camellia petal strewn walk.

 And home again just as it was getting dark.  This former synagogue, then apostolic faith church is for sale. The building has been well maintained and the copious stained glass has landscape scenes. The cross and crown are removable.  this would make a great house!  Not much of a garden but the parking lot that comes with the building could be removed to create one.  Anyone? 

Thanks, Les, for another year of the winter walk-off meme.