Showing posts with label NPA Study Weekend 2022. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NPA Study Weekend 2022. Show all posts

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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Monday, April 24, 2023

NPA Study Weekend: The Syford Hoyle garden

What better way to break up a 3.5 hour drive home than to stop and stretch my legs in an open garden?
The NPA Study Weekend organizers planned additional open gardens on the shoulder-days of the event so those of us traveling from points north and south could visit gardens in route. This garden was in Lakewood, WA, 43 miles south of Seattle.

From Ross Syford Hoyle in the event booklet: "Green Tree Acres was created by my family from the original 5 acres of virgin oaks, firs, and prairie in the 1930's. Architectural structures, hardscape, and native plantings date from those early decades. As the home and gardens are near Lakewold Gardens, they also feature historic objects, including exceptional stain glass from former buildings in downtown Tacoma."

I don't remember seeing any stained glass, but there were some interesting hardscape elements like this fountain. I wish it would have been running.

I suspect the open spots in the base are for plant pots?

I wouldn't normally include such a sad looking agave, but compared to what we've seen this year it's actually looking pretty good.

I love this vignette, everything about it.

Not in my garden, but it's perfect here.

More hostas!

My memory is not real good as to what we're looking at in the foreground here. Perhaps another non-functioning fountain?

That however...

Yep, a greenhouse I would love to take home with me. Seeing a beautiful greenhouse like this that's not being used is a little sad.

Compost piles? Raised planters not in use?

A pool with planting pockets! Isn't this a fabulous design?

I think I'd fill the corners with tropical looking plants though.

They'd be out of sync with the surrounding plantings, but they'd look great with the pool.

I really wish I would have gotten a better picture of the pinecone sculpture behind the pool to the left (with the lady standing right behind it). From the tour booklet: "New garden art was created by Northwest artist Douglas Granum. Highlights are the "Imperial Pinecone" sculpture carved from North Cascades rock, with stainless steel "fir branches""

It was pretty fabulous. I think my reluctance to walk back around to photograph it was because I'd decided I was going to squeeze in one more garden and I needed to get going. That will be Wednesday's post and my last from last June's NPA Study Weekend. This year's event is being held up in Vancouver B.C. and I can't wait!

My other posts from the NPA Hardy Plant Study Weekend: 

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