In 2004, while on a plant shopping expedition, Greg Graves and Gary Waller found this wonderful place "quite by accident," bought it and moved from their award-winning Capitol Hill ( urban Seattle) garden to this 100 year old farmhouse on 2.6 acres.
Here is a little information about Greg and Gary from their website:
Greg Graves
For 24 years, Greg worked for Burlington Northern Railroad. In the mid-90s, he had a major career change. He went back to school and earned a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design.
Greg retired from his 13 year tenure as head gardener at The E.C. Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle, WA in 2011. Greg has also been an enthusiastic member of the Northwest Horticultural Society of which he is past president of the board and chairman of the education committee. He is on the perennial committee of Great Plant Picks and president of The Pacific Horticulture Society. His current passion is building the new garden at Old Goat Farm.
Gary Waller
For the last 35 years, Gary has worked primarily as a floral designer for which he is AIFD certified. Gary won the first Well's Medina container competition. He enjoys floral competition and has won numerous awards. For his eight entries into the floral competition at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, Gary placed in the top 3 seven times. In 2003 while working for Molbaks in Woodinville, WA, Gary transitioned from floral design to garden-bed design. Gary won a Gold Medal and Best in Show for his collection of containers at the 2006 and 2007 at the Point Defiance Flower and Garden Show. And in 2008 he won the People's Choice Award for his containers at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.
Gary now works full time at Old Goat Farm.
Greg and Gary
Together they built an award-winning garden on Capitol Hill in Seattle. In 2004, they won Garden Design Magazine's Golden Trowel Award. Now they are working on the garden and nursery at Old Goat Farm. Come watch it grow!
For 24 years, Greg worked for Burlington Northern Railroad. In the mid-90s, he had a major career change. He went back to school and earned a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design.
Greg retired from his 13 year tenure as head gardener at The E.C. Miller Botanical Garden in Seattle, WA in 2011. Greg has also been an enthusiastic member of the Northwest Horticultural Society of which he is past president of the board and chairman of the education committee. He is on the perennial committee of Great Plant Picks and president of The Pacific Horticulture Society. His current passion is building the new garden at Old Goat Farm.
Gary Waller
For the last 35 years, Gary has worked primarily as a floral designer for which he is AIFD certified. Gary won the first Well's Medina container competition. He enjoys floral competition and has won numerous awards. For his eight entries into the floral competition at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, Gary placed in the top 3 seven times. In 2003 while working for Molbaks in Woodinville, WA, Gary transitioned from floral design to garden-bed design. Gary won a Gold Medal and Best in Show for his collection of containers at the 2006 and 2007 at the Point Defiance Flower and Garden Show. And in 2008 he won the People's Choice Award for his containers at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show.
Gary now works full time at Old Goat Farm.
Greg and Gary
Together they built an award-winning garden on Capitol Hill in Seattle. In 2004, they won Garden Design Magazine's Golden Trowel Award. Now they are working on the garden and nursery at Old Goat Farm. Come watch it grow!
The first thing I noticed after parking was a sign on the gate asking that it be shut behind you as there are animals at play. I already liked the place. In addition to the couple of friendly dogs that may greet you, there are over 100 birds on the farm.
The garden is both rustic
and sophisticated.
Wide swaths of lawn wind around raised beds.
The native soil in this area is glacial till - rocks with a little sand. Greg says that things grow just fine in this extraordinarily fast draining ground but that digging a hole to plant something is the challenge. Having lived in that area for a brief time, I can tell you that a shovel alone is usually not enough to dig a hole for a gallon-sized plant. (I'm feeling really lucky to have nearly rock-free soil in my current garden!)
Loads of soil were trucked in to make the raised beds.
I love shade gardens and this one, beneath a canopy of Douglas Firs is filled with great plants!
Back on the sunny side.
There are many places to relax on the farm but looking at the property, animals, and business, I don't think that Greg and Gary have much time to utilize them.
I love this potting bench
Pebble covered sink.
Stepping stones, used in the garden are also available in the sales area.
The inside shop has something for just about everyone!
Besides me, this was the only other old goat around.
Such a relaxing place. The only drama queen was this one.
Having read about Greg and Gary, I was expecting an extraordinary nursery; I wasn't disappointed!
Inspired idea for corralling these top-heavy beauties.
Asplenium scolopendrium crested form.
I thought that in mid July, there wouldn't be a very large selection in the plant sales area. Boy, was I wrong!
Shade heaven!
Agave Americana
Agave angustifolia came home with me. (grr Loree)
My only regret is that I waited so long to visit this treasure!
Variegated daylily...YUM!
Begonia luxurians in bloom
Arisaema
It was love at first sight of Sciadopitys verticillata 'Ossorio's Gold' but I already have a sizable specimen of the green on on the left... Gotta leave something for my next visit, right?
In looking at my pictures, I realized that there are a lot of plants & parts of the garden that I missed but you won't want to! The nursery is open the second weekend of each month and by appointment. As if this alone isn't worth a trip, the Chase Garden, run by the garden conservancy is only six miles away! So GO to Old Goat Farm! No one will show you your nice new room and extol the virtues of craft classes and seated aerobics. Really.
