Over the Top

FERNWOOD
GARDEN TOUR
Bainbridge Island WA, JUNE 2011

Nothing like a deadline to get motivated to turn and burn, prune and groom, and feverishly weed garden rooms so clean you could eat off the "floor." We spent about eight weeks prepping, cleaning, dumping, sorting, weeding, planting, grooming, and everything in-between. Nine moving water features were installed along with five reflection bowls. Outdoor furniture received fresh coats of paint in cotton candy pink, citrus green, goldenrod yellow, and pastel blue. Trellis's formerly painted "Santorini blue" were changed to gorgeous grape. Planters were filled in apricot-colored flowers and eyelit dust ruffles, quilts, and pillow shams embellished a hammock. Curtins were hung on a copper gazebo and a myriad of chandeliers with candles and flowers were placed in strategic places. The former "impossibly junquey backyard" was cleaned up and new gravelled paths created a new place to wander. We even removed a portion of a deck to create a new "flagstone" area. Three cars were sold along with an airstream trailer making another area fresh and clean. And all of this was done in under two months.

The garden was open to friends I knew would appreciate seeing the garden for the first time and those who would appreciate seeing the "new" gardens all cleaned. Over 100 guests attended and words of "spiritual, peaceful, colorful, incredible" were spoken. After ten years of creativity, vision, and effort, the garden was ready to be on display. She has come "into her own."

These photos of the "whimsy" side of the garden tour. There will be more photos soon, including those of the tranquil and sophisticated side of the garden.

I apologize for the quality of the photos. They were taking with my Iphone, as my digital camera
stopped working just before I started taking pictures.