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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.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

The Garden of Bob McNulty and Sheila Walter

What a privilege it is to visit so many glorious private gardens.  The McNulty/Walter garden is large with winding paths that open to expanses of open lawn bordered by serpentine mixed beds.  The space has a wonderful feeling of enclosure and allows for a sense of discovery.  While it could be intimidating, this garden is as warm and welcoming as the gardeners themselves.

"Our garden gains drama from three towering Douglas firs and a majestic maple that dominate the space. The garden is large and the budget is not, so we've learned to embrace the ordinary by filling up space with old stalwarts like Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and many cultivars of hosta, but keep your eyes peeled for less pedestrian plants such as Cardiocrinum giganteum."  (In glorious bloom during my visit.)


Around just about every corner is an area to sit and enjoy the beauty of the garden.






 "our acre" (seems like a lot more than an acre to me!) "contains a little bit of everything; you'll find grassy expanses for games as well as secret paths for exploration.  Over our 30 years here, we've carved out several comfortable entertaining spots, built by Bob with largely salvaged materials."






Say it with me, you know you want to.  There's always an agave if you just look hard enough. (Of course it might also help if you click your heels together and say, "There's no place like the southwest.")

I love seeing the work spaces of other gardeners.

Wow!  Just wow!  My tools are sort of thrown together on a bit of a stand but this is magnificent.

"We all know a garden is never 'done.' since we opened our garden last year, wet snow brought down a large cryptomeria japonica elegans, and a Magnolia grandiflora brew too big fro it's britches and had to go.  More sun - more opportunities.











Admiring this artwork on the wall, I was asked by Bob if I could figure out what it was.  Can you?
 If you guessed that it was a melted hose caddy found on the site of a house fire, you'd be correct.  


Another new space being carved out.

Perhaps I shall revisit this delightful space again in September to check on the progress!  Thank you so much Bob and Sheila for opening your garden for us all to enjoy and for being such gracious hosts!

13 comments:

  1. Wow that Ligularia in photo #4 is to die for! How big was the metal dish the Agave is planted in? Any sense of what it is? (a container for that purpose, or something re-imagined)

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    1. Seems like that container was something re-imagined. In talking with the gardeners, they'd found a lot of cool stuff, like the big spheres, at a now defunct re-use sort of business. It was perfect for the succulents. Loved that toothy agave!

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  2. Embracing the ordinary and planting old stalwarts is a gardening philosophy I adhere to as well. The garden indeed seem bigger then an acre. I particularly appreciate the planting under the large trees, which can be challenging, but the result is beautiful.
    Of course I guessed it was melted hose caddy...(not). To have a creative vision and see the art in it is the real trick.

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    1. The ordinary stalwarts are the backbone and work horses of our gardens. They're popular/beloved because they're dependable. This is a special garden that embraces visitors and gave me the feeling of returning, after a long absence, to a comfortable and familiar family home site.

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  3. This is exactly the kind of garden I love: densely planted and with exuberant lushness!

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  4. I did not guess what the wall "art" was. It looks to me like a big mouth with teeth, from some kind of nightmare. What a lovely garden, so much lawn. Love the big metal dish full of succulents.

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    1. It's one of those gardens, especially because the majestic trees that I didn't capture well, the play of light, etc. that is better experienced than seen in pictures.

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  5. It seems a lot bigger than an acre in photos too! Lots of inviting paths to explore.

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    1. There was an entire large area that I didn't show. Maybe it seemed larger because the house is positioned very close to the back of the property line. Perhaps, in their description, they were just talking about the densely planted garden areas and not the entire property.

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  6. An acre is a lot of space to fill. They have made a little Eden with all their plantings and places to sit and enjoy all.

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  7. How wonderful a garden can become with lots of time and many creative ideas. I like gardens with various garden rooms, different paths here and there...

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  8. What a great garden! Sorry we missed that one! Thanks for the tour.

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