Thursday, March 14, 2019

Visiting Dr Wott's garden...

Another of the Seattle garden's I visited on the NHS Board tour last August was that of Dr John Wott.

A former Director  of the UW Arboretum I also know of Mr. Wott's garden through a friend, Preston Pew, who cared for this garden when he lived in Seattle.

It's obviously the garden of a plant lover.

The front garden was fairly small, and full of visitors. I decided to make my way down to the back garden, here's the narrow passageway...

Which I had a hard time moving along because I kept stopping to take photos along the way.

I mean how could I not?

Agave parryi twins.

Once down in the back garden the Musa basjoo reigned supreme.

There were several small pots tucked at its base, almost like gifts for those who notice the details.

The rest of the space was pretty amazing too...

Schefflera taiwaniana

Plus Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' and an unknown (no me) Mahonia.

Sexy Aeonium...

Other garden visitors, for scale.

I really wanted to see what treasures were up on the deck, but that wasn't an open space.

Blooms and bananas...

I don't know what this is, but it's all sorts of cool.

That's a damn fine patch of Mahonia eurybracteata.

Am I right?

The huge bananas were joined by equally impressive Trachycarpus fortunei.

As well as Symphytum × uplandicum 'Axminster Gold' and flamingos!

Pseudopanax ferox

Time to make my way back up those stairs to the upper/front garden.

Without irritating too many people by stopping along the way.

Quick snap...

Ditto...

Back up top, what a great combination of Schefflera delavayi and Begonia 'Little Brother Montgomery'.

And that's the end of the Seattle private garden tours, for now.

Weather Diary, Mar 13: Hi 56, Low 37/ Precip 0

All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

22 comments:

  1. I love this garden and have fond memories of seeing it in person with Alison when Dr. Wott opened it for the NPA. Preston and Sean were there to answer plant questions. So many cool plants!

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    1. There was a pretty strong contingent of supporters in the driveway that day, but no Sean or Preston. That would have made it in even better.

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  2. I love the first picture: the way the tree is pruned and the underplanting bellow. Beautiful. The back garden is truly a tropical paradise. Banana blooms! You don't see that every day.

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    1. No you sure don't, and they were huge!

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  3. Beautiful! I think the plant you are unsure of is Amica zygomeris. I grew it a few years ago as an annual in my zone and loved it! Can't wait for your book release.

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    1. Indeed, that looks like the one! Thank you.

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  4. Another spectacular PNW garden. Is there no end of them? That narrow passageway looks to have been designed with you in mind.

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  5. I am surprised that he had that little lithrop outside in Seattle. They are so water sensitive. So many beautiful plants. I enjoyed this tour.

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    1. It doesn't rain in Seattle in the summertime.

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  6. What a fabulous garden, containing many things I tried and failed to grow (guess it wasn't the climate at fault after all). I am particularly fond of those narrow passageways packed with goodies.
    rickii

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  7. I'm envious you get to tour so many fabulous gardens - you live in the right place!

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    1. It's a wonderful community of gardeners in the PNW.

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  8. The low glossy dark green foliage massed on either side of the path in the third picture: what is it? It looks familiar and yet I can't recall seeing it in any other PNW gardens. It's always a visual relief to see some massing in super-planty gardens, but this manages to be restful and arresting at the same time.

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    1. I wish I could tell you. I had the same reaction that it looked familiar, kind of like laurel leaves. I'll ask around and see if I can't get a name.

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  9. Just ran across an Instagram image you'd "enjoy": Lisa Roper's shot of agave leaves piled tidily in a wheelbarrow at Chanticleer. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp8PxjYFIGY/
    They cut the lower leaves before digging and storing the plants for winter; she says they quickly regrow once the agaves are replanted. I'm assuming this is the lusty grower A. americana, and this annual chop must also help keep it below VW size as the years roll on.

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  10. The variety of foliage is my favorite aspect of this...as always. It looks a bit more lush than March in Las Cruces...

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    1. Yes, "lush" and Las Cruces aren't words that naturally belong together.

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  11. What a wonderful garden. A foliage lover's paradise. And that is one beautifully place S. 'Axminster Gold'!

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  12. I remember touring this garden with Peter and thinking "Wish Loree could see this place!" Now you have! I was impressed with that huge swath of Mahonia eurybracteata too. I was inspired to plant three together that fall, but I need more to make a better visual impact.

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