-

-
Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Revisiting The Garden of Camille and Dirk Paulsen

One of my favorite things about blogging is the many special people who've come into my life because of this activity.  Camille is one of those special gardeners and  I got to tour her garden with another, my blogging pal Alison (Bonney Lassie.)  Camille's garden reflects her ebullient spirit, eye for design, attention to detail, and above all, her love of plants.  (Did I mention a lot of hard work?)  I first had the pleasure of meeting Camille and seeing her garden and gorgeous home in October of last year. Come see what's happening this spring!

Look, fresh mulch.  (Does throwing the contents of my Monday vases out the back door at one of the beds count as mulch?)

Everything looks so happy and healthy. 

So far this is just the view from the road out front. 

Camille places her plants thoughtfully and the contrasts she creates with foliage both deciduous and evergreen are fabulous; her collection of unusual conifers inspiring. This area was previously a front lawn.  How can you not love someone who rips out grass in favor of such an interesting array of plants?



The former front lawn facing away from the house. 


It's difficult to show this but the waterfall cascades down the back of of the hill as well.  Very clever.




I have a bit of a crush on Camellia Vestito Rosso 'MonBella' not only for the formal red late winter flowers but also for the stunning new burgundy foliage which contrasts so nicely with the older green growth.  Here it was, in all it's glory, in Camille's garden.  She sent me an update photo a couple of days ago and the foliage hasn't started fading to green yet.

This area has been totally reworked since fall. 

The addition of this large Buddha head really ties the Asian garden together nicely. Notice the tree fern behind and the Cardiocrinum giganteum on the left getting ready to bloom. 






 Perfect placement of the hosta!

Which way to turn?  

Singing the blues.

I can't explain my fascination with  Victorian gazebos but they thrill me as much as the sight of the gorgeous Acer palmatum "Ukigumo"  (Floating Clouds) on the right.


From another angle. 

The larger pond in the back garden.


What a clever hummingbird feeder!  

This is the "Island of Misfit Plants." Oh that my pot ghetto looked so handsome.


Another new addition. Every inch of this garden is so well coiffed and tidy. 

The wisteria-filled stained glass windows in the kitchen (not visible here) overlook the real thing in bloom.

The view of the Orting Valley and Mt. Rainier is breathtaking.

From the deck overlooking what the Beverly Hillbillies call "The Cement Pond."

 Another delightful foliage contrast. 

Our garden host just wishes you'd pat her or go away!

"I'm serious, put the camera down and play with me and nobody gets hurt."
Sorry, no further pictures are available at this time.  The camera will be returned "When I'm good and ready."   Thanks, Camille and Dirk, for once again opening your garden for our enjoyment!  Kitty, the catnip is in the mail per your instructions.

9 comments:

  1. Wow, the hardscaping, scale and maintenance make it look more like a botanic garden than a private one. I can only dream of having such Jp. maples in my garden. What a treat!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm exhausted just thinking about tending a garden that large! On the recent ANLD pre-tour I saw Camellia Vestito Rosso for the first time (that I remember), it's a beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Camille's garden was so beautiful, and she (not the cat) was actually a lovely hostess. If she ever opens her garden again, I will make sure my camera is loaded up with full batteries so I can take lots of pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  4. There's a LOT to love in that garden, not the least of which is that pretty tortoiseshell cat. I covet that Camellia and the Acer but I'm beyond envy over the pond in the front garden.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, that is a spectacular garden. The organization and work to produce that level of pristine beauty is immense. Very impressive!

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is one helluva garden. But I agree, so much work that must have gone into it. Especially on a slope.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my goodness! This garden is oh so lovely. My garden will never be organized, neat or tidy. :-) Viewing these photos is inspiring though. Living in the heat and humidity of s.e. FL has a draining effect of outdoor work, if you know what I mean.

    Thanks for sharing Peter ~ FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  8. We loved visiting that garden too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Obviously a garden that gets lots of TLC from people who know what they are doing. I love teh "Island of Misfit Plants" and the Hummingbird feeder.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.