Weeds Weeds, Nothing But Weeds!

Photos are of piles of the "plants whose virtues haven't been discovered yet."...AKA weeds. This year they seemed loaded with some kind of growth hormone that when plant is picked, a response is triggered and 5 more grow back the next day!

This exercise in futility is for an upcoming garden tour we are hosting. The dates are June 25 and 26, 2011. If spring would come to the Puget Sound then things will really start to pop (including the weeds as well).

The gardens won't be perfection (can or should gardens ever be?) but the place will be inspiring. The gardens are good examples of what can be done when you have more imagination than money, and more heart than time.

Fernwood Studio (a professional artist studio) and TheRabbitHole (flea market treasures) will be open and available for viewing as well. These are two of the enterprises of my home-based business, Over the Top.

Our Upcoming Garden Tour

I am excited to announce that we are hosting a public tour of our garden. The garden has been several decades in the making and due to a tremendous amount of vision and effort from the family. As the garden has matured and "come into her own," it is time to put her on display. The photos are a small glimpse of what is in store on the tour. And in spite of a wickedly cold, wet spring, everything should be awake and looking good by tour time. The tour is June 25 and 26, 2011. The garden is located on Bainbridge Island, WA which is west of Seattle in the Puget Sound.

The garden appeared on HGTV "Gardening by the Yard" the summer of 1999 and was featured in the magazine, West Sound Home and Garden, winter 2006/7. Those who have experienced the garden call it "magical, inspirational, and spiritual." I call it "serious therapy" and "who needs a gym?"

In preparation for the tour, over 200 ferns have been trimmed and 10 yards of gravel are being placed in new pathways. New areas are being developed and established beds are being pruned and groomed. The shotweed and dandelions seem especially vigorous and plentiful this year or am I just noticing them more than before? The garden was neglected for about 2 years, as last year I had a cast on all summer and the previous summer found my late husband recovering from a serious surgery. Hence, not much was accomplished so I am hustling fast and furiously giving the garden a serious "mani, pedi, and hair-do!". The pile of weeds so far measures about 10'x7' by 5' high. Now that is some serious weeding!

There will also be an opportunity to take a peak into The Rabbit Hole (an on-going garage sale situated in a finished side of the garage), Fernwood Studio (where I teach classes and create product for sale) and a special building where Dorothy, Alice, and Cyndy play along with a wreath-making area.

Nature's Inspiration

These are images taken from my recent Mother's Day walk through the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, WA. Whenever I need inspiration, decompression, and quiet, I walk down my street and find it behind the gates. There are over 100+ acres of nature at her finest. One will find a Japanese tea house, zen garden, pond with weeping willows, reflection pool, wildlife sanctuary, bog garden, a ravine filled with candleabra primroses, former formal home of the owners, 60' rhododendrons, moss gardens, and so much more. Gorgeous!