Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Lakewold Gardens, my final Study Weekend 2022 stop

Like Powellswood (my second Study Weekend stop), Lakewold is an estate garden I'd long been aware of, but never visited—even though I frequently drive just miles away on I-5 to and from Seattle. I was thrilled to finally have the push to visit.

From our event booklet: "Lakewold Gardens provides intentional encounters with the life-changing power of nature, fostering peace, creativity and healing in our communities. A national Historic Landmark with a Georgian-style mansion on a 10-acre estate. The collections, amassed over a 112-year period, include: rhododendrons, Japanese maples, magnolias, camellias and hardy ferns. There are 8 Washington State 'Champion Trees' on site."

Much of the site's landscape was designed by Thomas Church, who stressed the importance of drawing people out into the garden where they would interact with nature. 

I explored the more formal garden areas around the home before dropping down into the natural part of the landscape.







The home itself was full of activity as there appeared to be an event that folks were setting up for. I was pleased they allowed visitors to use the restrooms.

I wish I had a room like this in my home that brings the outside in, in such a dramatic way.

Back outside...


Love this bloom color!

Two pools in a row! (there was a pool in the garden I stopped at before this one).


Looking back towards the house.

Now I'm in the wilder part of the garden—not that you needed me to tell you that!


I'd love to know the story behind how these came to by lying here.

This table and benches were simply wonderful...

So much character!


An unused planter? 

A crevice garden in the works perhaps?


I'm back up by the visitors center now. I could have explored for a couple more hours but I needed to get back on the road.

What a well-stocked garden shop, wow!

Lots of temptations...

I somehow managed to not add to my plant stash in the car. 

A note for those of you who might attend the 2024 Puget Sound Area Fling—lead planner Camille Paulsen says Lakewold will be one of the gardens we'll be visiting, if I remember correctly we'll be having an event there, yay!
One last photo, an "off-limits" work area I spied on my way back to the car. I love seeing signs of the work that goes into making a garden look so polished.

This concludes my coverage of the 2022 NPA Study Weekend! My other posts are here:

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6 comments:

  1. From the very large fern table, which I would have fill to capacity, to that amazing picnic table and bench...it's a lovely garden, one I haven't been to yet.
    That very mossy "unused planter" look so good just growing moss...
    Chavli

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  2. Love the table and benches in photo #22. I'd have liked to see the inside of that garden shop, not that I expect most of the plants would grow in my area. The garden looks perfect for special events.

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    1. Inside the shop was an assortment of jewelry, cards, and the like. Nothing stood out to me, but then again I was more focused on the plants!

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  3. Loved all your posts from Study Weekend . This garden seemed particularly PNW-though different it made me think of Bishops Close.

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  4. All of the NPA Weekend Study posts have really shown the value of visiting other gardens. The ideas that they spark are priceless. The first few pictures from Lakewold evoke a lovely feeling of an old, abandoned garden in England like in the 1987 movie version of The Secret Garden. I am also drawn to the old, moss encrusted table and bench - all that rot warms my pathologist's heart. The roses were obviously abandoned by someone who suddenly realized that they were a pale, scentless, modern substitute that was distracting them from the true beauty and richness of the garden around them.

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