The Walters Garden—from the VHPG Study Weekend

The tour booklet we received at registration for the Vancouver Study Weekend event had a suggested route for seeing the open gardens. Since I started my day at the UBC Botanical Garden (skipping the morning lectures) I had a head start on those who attended the morning lectures, I also chose to do the gardens in reverse. Once I started to cross paths with friends who had already toured this, the Walters Garden, I heard the excitement in their voices when they asked if I'd been...they really wanted to know what I thought of it!

When I arrived, I understood. This was unlike any other garden on the tour! Left of the entry driveway...

And to the right...

Stepping to the right and looking across the driveway...

From the booklet: "The Walters Japanese Garden has been an ever-evolving work for 30+ years. When you enter the property, you enter a rock landscape that places the mid-century modern residence on a mountain cliff with waterfalls. Take a few moments to enjoy the front before entering the main garden through a gate on the west side of the house. Here is a layered landscape from the slate patio to the back fence and beyond. The mountain landscape is a stroll garden with multiple pathways, making all parts of this dry water garden accessible. The garden is simply planted with pines, Serbian spruces, azaleas, ferns, and moss, along with two maples, a few other broadleaf evergreens, and a smattering of perennials. It also features a traditional Japanese Teahouse." Since they didn't address it in the garden description I should add these rocks were all brought in to build the garden.

We're still in the front garden here...

Starting the climb to go around the side of the house...

Turning to look at the front of the house as I go around the side.

And wow... here's the back garden...

It's 100% not my thing, but I completely appreciate someone who is living their garden dream so completely.

Looking towards the back of the house.

Climbing further up the "mountain".

There was so much rock, and so few plants, that every plant stood out as special. Here saxifrage and sedum.

Detail of the fence meeting the rocks.

So much empty space that could have had plants!

Oh... greenhouse on the roof!

The tea house (which wasn't open and looked like it might have been used for storage).

The zigzag tiles were one of my favorite details.

In front of the teahouse.

Now I am down at house level, but on the opposite side of where I first entered.

Looking at the plantings the border the back patio...

Since it wasn't marked as off limits I went ahead and climbed the stairs to the roof of the house.

Looking down on the back "garden".

Rooftop lounge space.

And a little rooftop garden. Kudos to the Study Weekend organizers for finding such an unusual garden for the tour itinerary!

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