The Garden of Irene Scheck

The Scheck garden was the last on our tour of four Bellevue gardens that had never been open before - "All New in Bellevue." 

"When asked which garden she liked best, of all the ones she had seen, gertrude Jekyll supposedly replied, 'Well, mine of course.'

That's how I feel about my garden, not because it is as beautiful as hers but because it is the result of 30 years of planning, planting, tending and watching over it."

"Our suburban yard has undergone multiple transformations and I now grow trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables and fruit.  While the border along the street (part of which you saw in the first picture)  has the most color and fragrance, the back yard provides areas for entertaining and relaxing, be it under the grape arbor or next to the pond.

"Small paths meander through odd-shaped beds that developed with the need to get from one place to the next.  Many years of going to plant sales resulted in an abundance of different, and not necessarily matching, plant materials."

One area shows my past obsession with Japanese gardens, another my collection of sedums."  Hens and chicks in hens.  Which came first the hens or the hens and chicks?  (Wait, that's not how that goes.  Oh well, there are no eggs to be seen so it's a moot point.)

Isn't this lovely?  The framed mirror on the fence is cool!

Are these his

and

hers outdoor relaxation spaces?

Looks cozy, yes? 

"A small area of lawn provides a green space between the sun deck and shade shelter.  Aside from collecting plants, I like hunting for yard art,

or making it myself. Every year I tell myself there is nothing else to change, that I am done, but with the arrival of spring come all sorts new ideas."  (Beautiful mosaic work!)

Empty pots are wonderful focal points.  It's exceptional how the glaze of this pot echoes the plants in proximity which raises the question, which came first the pot of the plants?

Bottle edging here raises the level of the bed.  One of these days, I'd love to make a bottle edge in my garden. The bottle collecting part would be fun but by the time one consumed the contents of a bottle or two, wouldn't (s)he forget what the project was about?

 Adorable shed.  

Looking back at the lawn/entertainment area.

Coming  around the corner to the front garden. Is that a mailbox on the right?

It certainly is.  What a cool idea!

The hot seat!

Thank you so much Irene for opening your garden!  I hope you had as much fun hosting as we had visiting!

 P.S. Irene had a free (my favorite price) pile of stuff.  I was the lucky recipient of several terra cotta pots and four fun galvanized aluminum pots with unusual fluted edges.  Thank you also for those fun finds!  I'll put them to good use.