Friday, April 7, 2023

Next NPA stop, Dave Peterson's Bombdiggity Gardens

Yes I am still working my way thru last June's Study Weekend open gardens up in the Seattle/Bellevue area. Today we visit Dave Peterson's Bombdiggity Gardens...

From our event booklet: "Welcome to Bombdiggity Gardens! It is finally time to share my garden after recent completion of terrace walls and patios that make the steep parts more accessible. My front entry garden is designed to provide flowers during the cold dark Seattle winters (more gardeners should do this!)."...

Dave mentions flowers, but of course I focus on the foliage...

Love that purple oxalis, I haven't seen a patch this nice anywhere but Austin, TX!

Astilboides tabularis

Autumn fern (I think?), Dryopteris erythrosora with arisaema foliage.

Crambe maritima, aka sea kale.

"The rear garden ascends steeply through a series of terrace walls and steps that have been completed over the last 5 years."

Darmera peltata

Up, up, up...

"Prostrate rosemary and Cotoneaster dammeri help soften the walls. The stairs wind between Italian cypress, and upper walks connect to a series of seating areas, each providing a different level of shade for human comfort, while also providing different microclimates that allow for different plants. There are a number of spots to stop, sit, and take in a different view of the garden and the territorial view to the east."



Iris confusa at the base of the bananas.

We're almost to the top now...

And we've arrived!


Looking down on the house and garage...

What a lot of work carving out these garden spaces must have been, nice work Dave!

My other posts (so far) from the NPA Hardy Plant Study Weekend: 

—   —   —

To get danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. All material © 2009-2023 by Loree L Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

16 comments:

  1. There is a lot of hard landscaping in that garden, but it works very well.

    I like the shot at the top of the back garden with the red parasol. That would be a very cool place to hang out with a cool drink or two.

    I am having prostrate Rosemary envy. I cannot grow it in the ground here and I keep losing pots of it over the winter, sigh!

    The Iris confusa looks very healthy and architectural. I could be tempted to grow that it my garden.

    Thanks for sharing and Happy Easter to you :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've tried with that Iris confusa and never could get it established, it's such a beautiful plant when it's happy!

      Delete
  2. That is one fabulous garden in a challenging lot. Adding the beautiful hardscape was essential, and done to perfection.
    The fern and arisaema foliage... it doesn't get any better than that.
    Chavli

    ReplyDelete
  3. the Iris confusa and bananas together is genius. My first reaction to the pencil conifers planted high up the retained area extending over the roof line was worry over wind rock...but then that's what we worry about at the coast ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And here in windy NE Portland. I worked not to far from this location for years though and don't remember the wind being bad.

      Delete
  4. Thanks Loree for sharing! Between more rain, a slow Spring and having a tooth pulled yesterday, I was feeling pretty down. Your posts of this beautiful garden and the chance to review the others helped!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! I am glad. This slow spring is enough to get anyone down...

      Delete
  5. How I'd like to have a garden like that! I sometimes dream of terracing parts of my garden...I appreciate the foliage combinations - and that you shared some of the flowers too ;) Did you get the story behind the name of the garden? "Bombdiggity Gardens" doesn't sound like a name pulled out of a hat,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My guess is that the owner was just having fun with the garden's name. Google: "What does Bombdiggity mean? Something that is really excellent or cool." But I didn't get a chance to ask him.

      Delete
    2. Dave PetersonApril 08, 2023

      The name Bombdiggity came about when I saw a Geico Insurance ad where the gecko said “That’s the Bombdiggity”. I liked the sound of it, and when I found out the meaning …. It stuck.

      Delete
  6. The hardscape is magnificent. The banana is in impeccable condition for this time of the year in Seattle. Love the flowers with all the green!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These photos were all taken on a tour last June. I doubt a lot of these plants (bananas included) look anything like this now.

      Delete
  7. Lovely garden with beautiful views. The stone work is gorgeous. Though I admire terraced gardens I just can't help think of the amount of work getting materials, soil and plants to the top levels. So much work! Definitely for someone younger. Interesting garden name, is there a story behind it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't think to ask about the name, and there wasn't anything in the tour booklet about it. I think perhaps the owner was just having fun? I asked Google: "What does Bombdiggity mean? Something that is really excellent or cool)"

      Delete
  8. Hardscaping makes a huge impact and can really help with long-term garden maintenance. Looking at our yard, I think that is one of the areas where I have struggled the most. I put in a lot of gravel - big mistake. Wood mulch blows in, moles rototill their way through, and weeds quickly colonize. Now the long process to replace the weedy gravelly mess with something more beautiful and easier to maintain, such as this. Inspiring.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!