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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.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Soggy Bottom, The Garden of Gretchen and Duncan Blanchard

The Federal Way Symphony garden tour garden number three is called Soggy Bottom

"Making the most of a long narrow lot, the Blanchards embraced the shade and privacy offered by mature trees and rhododendrons.  As you enter the driveway, off to the right are 'The Woods,' a shady place to relax."

Notice the old black and white pictures on the bench.  These were free for the taking and offered at a couple of the gardens on the tour.  It always makes me a little sad to see unwanted pictures of people and places that meant something so someone once, perhaps because it reminds me that "like faded photographs in some old attic, all of us will be ultimately forgotten."  (Thank you niece Alison for that, don't know if I remembered the quote correctly and certainly forgot the source.)



"Exiting 'The Woods,'stroll down past the Hydrangeas and the birdhouse condo."

Pretty fancy digs, eh?

Mr. B. Bunny's house and garden.

Colorful planters.

Entrance to the Zen Garden. 


Continuing down the driveway, we come to the main parking area.  

Georgia's Secret Garden, which was begun two years ago when she was five years old.



Exiting that area, we enter the courtyard to the main house.  We're looking back here. 

On the left hand side of the house is this path.


 On the right, this stone path.  Can you see the mirror on the fence on the left?
 There is a whole collection of them in really cool frames.

The stone path leads down to the Mirror Lake.

Who wouldn't want a water feature like that in his/her garden?

The playhouse is used to stow water toys and life jackets.

Looking back up at the house.

"Coming back from the Lake, is a pathway to the fern garden."

From the fern garden, the path leads back to the courtyard in front of the house.  
What a fun garden full of surprises!  Thank you Gretchen and Duncan for opening your garden for us to enjoy!

20 comments:

  1. That is a nice view, and a fun garden -- lots of different spaces! Wish I could have seen more of the bamboo (Fargesia robusta?) in the secret garden...

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    1. It was a fun garden. I'm sure you're right about the bamboo I.D.

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  2. Their garden is as catchy as their name, nice!

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  3. That's it, I need a lake at the back of my garden.

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    1. And maybe some mountains in the background too. Wouldn't that bee swell?

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  4. What a delightful garden: a surprise at each turn: it must have been a fun visit. I prefer the shady rooms of the garden to the sunny ones, but there is no argument with the amazing lake views (not to mention the Gunnera I spotted in one of the pictures). It's wonderful how a young girl is introduced to gardening by creating her own secret place to play and learn to appreciate what we all love so much.

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    1. It was fun as they carved out so many different spaces in their long rectangular space. I agree about the girl enjoying the garden. It's a ray of hope that kids still get to play outside, get dirty, and learn to appreciate growing things.

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  5. I was so preoccupied with those old photos that I couldn't even focus on the garden. It makes me incredibly sad to think that people are getting rid of personal photos as if they mean nothing. On the other hand, there's a market on eBay for old photos--artists buy them to use them in their own projects.

    Just yesterday I came across this article about an Australian artist turning old photos into incredible works of art: https://fstoppers.com/composite/photographer-colorized-old-photos-while-adding-beautifully-surreal-narratives-81012.

    Sorry for digressing!

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    1. I found this link very interesting myself, Gerhard. My brother has been dabbling with "modifications" of family photos and I've shared it with him in the interest of expanding his efforts.

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    2. Really enjoyed the link! It is sad about the photos but antique shops usually have old photo albums full of ancestors a few generations back who nobody remembers.

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  6. I enjoyed the garden. It may be odd but my favorite touch was the brown picket fence railing along the brown wall - it gave an unexpected extra dimension to the space.

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  7. A very charming garden. Love the bird condos and the child's secret garden.

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    1. I wonder what the birds think of those fancy digs?

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  8. So much to admire here! For me, the variously-framed mirrors and paths are interesting (and of course the child's garden)!

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    1. I liked the framed mirrors as well. Lots of fun stuff in this garden for sure!

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  9. I'm having fun imagining being a five-year-old and having that whole garden as a playground.

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