Nancy Heckler's garden, during the Puget Sound Fling

Many of the gardens on the 2024 Garden Fling itinerary were ones I had seen previously—many, but not all, not this one. I was thrilled to finally get to visit Nancy Heckler's garden and meet her in person... 

I know Nancy via social media, through photos shared when Portland friends like Nancy Goldman and Lucy Hardiman visited her garden. It was rather poignant to finally visit this garden the day after Lucy Hardiman's end of life celebration had taken place back in Portland. I could definitely picture Lucy strolling the paths and enjoying this garden.

A vignette (along the gravel driveway) that was photographed by many that day.

It is just so good!

I wanted to zoom in on a distinct element or two, but really it was about the whole not the parts.

Just a few feet further along was another picturesque vignette...

At this rate it was going to take me all day to see the garden! (we'd started at Heronswood and were later headed to the Brindley garden and Windcliff)

Garage/studio with the garden gate flung open in front.

Nancy is a lover of hydrangeas, the charming parasols are protecting the shade loving plants from a sunny hot spell.

I'll admit to being rather ambivalent about them (the hydrangea, I loved the parasols). I was a little surprised to see so many in the gardens we visited that weekend. Here in Portland they've kind of fallen out of fashion since they need so much summer water to be happy. Nancy's plants were gorgeous.

Be still my heart! What a line-up of watering cans.

Here are two plants I've grown to adore and wouldn't be without. Lonicera crassifolia and Saxifraga stolonifera.

They're planted in and around a raised planter.

Yep, I can think of several fun planter-things I'd do with that piece of metal.

And this! Athyrium niponicum 'Regal Red' and Hydrangea macrophylla 'Eclipse'. Wowsa! (thanks Nancy for ID)

These wooden "stepping logs" had me thinking back to the metal piece above.

There were a few outbuildings on the property, this one with a charming long planter on its front porch .

I remember my mom using large wooden beads and napkin rings in macrame plant holders back when I was a kid, that's what this branch treatment had me thinking of.

The branches worked around a tall tree trunk with a twig orb at the top.

Everyone I passed on the pathway told me not to miss the lizard.

A bit of the garden description from our Fling directory: "I’m a passionate gardener, plant collector and nature lover. My small house and garden is tucked away within a secluded woodland setting in Indianola, and is jam-packed with a crazy collection of plants, containers and 100+ hydrangeas… I planted every shade tolerant woodland plant I could get my hands on, anything with TEXTURE. That is what my garden is to me—form, texture, layers and all shades of green with very few flowers. Perhaps not enough color for many folks, but it’s a very relaxing palette." Ah yes, Nancy and I are both foliage lovers.

It was a jolt to emerge from the shady pathways into the open lawn.

There were larger twig orbs (like the one at the top of the trunk shown earlier) positioned around the lawn.

Rhododendron pachysanthum I believe.

A different door, another sweet vignette.

The deck/patio area was home to many fantastic plants and containers.

Salix boydii

There's Kris of Late to the Garden Party! I think that might be Jim Bishop next to her.

Mahonia, maybe M. x media 'Marvel', in a large container.

Love this table planting on top of the rock-filled gabion.

Entirely different, yet reminiscent of the twig branches worked around the trunk I shared earlier in this post.

Big shiny begonia leaves!

I have absolutely no recall of what the buff colored sticks belong to, I was just focused on the patterned asarum leaves.

I am just about back to the gravel drive now, where I'll have to board the bus. I worked my way around the garden twice that day, taking it all in. I folded the images together for purposes of this post however, trying to make it one seamless loop. 

I fear there is much I missed. Nancy's garden has so many layers. Maybe I'll be back again someday and try again to take it all in again. Thank you Nancy, for letting 100 garden-loving people tramp through your private paradise!

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