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Puget Sound Gardeners Fling – People, Plants, and More

Last month 100 garden social media influencers met in Puget Sound WA to tour gardens, share meals, and make new friends. This was the 15th such annual gathering, called the Gardeners Fling. We meet in a different city each year (except for 2 Covid-fraught summers) and the host city gardeners plan a 4-5 day outstanding garden experience.

Our time in Puget Sound was magical. Each garden, private and public, wowed in so many different ways.

I’ll start my virtual tour with the garden of one of our hosts, Camille Paulsen, @tahomaflora .

She has crafted her space to frame and enhance the many gorgeous views of Mount Tahoma, also known as Mount Rainier. The mountain enjoys almost mystical status around Seattle and Tacoma. The days start with an assessment about the visibility of the mountain and end on the same note. How fortunate her family is to have this National Geographic-worthy sight from their deck, their paths, their hills, and so many other vantage points.

We were there on a clear day, and the mountain was glorious.

This little secret seating area on the edge of the hillside had a special view, too.

I can imagine sneaking away to to escape here.

Several paths wind through the property, all of them welcoming and interesting. And many of them with an eye to the view.

On the back deck, a bit of whimsy highlights the distance of treks to similar mountain hot spots.

The light was striking as it poured in between the leaves of a collection of Japanese maples and other wispy trees.

Camille’s artistic flair extends beyond the curating of plants to include an interesting assortment of art in the garden. Various carefully crafted vignettes were tucked throughout.

Sharing the adventure with so many long-time and new gardeners was as fun as discovering the garden itself.

So many unique details caught my eye.

Sweet spaces scattered everywhere.

The pool area was a lovely gathering spot filled with interesting pots and plants.

Tucked down the hill in the forest, koi languished in a beautiful pond, suprised by all their guests.

Enjoying some pats, Camille’s cat seemed unfazed by all the garden gawkers.

Thanks, Camille, for a great tour of your lovingly created garden.

Another post to come soon highlighting other beautiful sights from the 2024 Puget Sound Gardeners Fling.

By Diana C. Kirby|2024-08-18T09:27:49-05:00August 18th, 2024|2024 Garden Bloggers Fling, 2024 Gardeners Fling, 2024 Puget Sound Fling, Blog, bloggers, blogging, cedar tree, Crocosmia, cypress trees, decor, Fairy, ferns, Fling, focal point, foliage, Garden, garden bloggers, garden bloggers fling, garden decor, garden photography, garden statues, garden tour 2024, garden travel, garden visit, garden whimsy, hanging pots, Japanese garden, japanese maple, landscape design, leaves, Mount Ranier, Mount Tahoma, path, paths, pathway, patio, people, photography, plant, pond, pool, rock wall, Sharing Nature's Garden, statuary, statue, succulents, Tacoma, tour, travel, Uncategorized, water feature, water features|9 Comments

Zilker Garden Festival is a must-see event …

If you didn’t get to the Zilker Garden Festival yesterday, you will have all day today to check out this fabulous annual Austin event.

We were there when the doors opened at 10 yesterday, wagons trailing and cash in our pockets, ready to enjoy the beautiful Zilker Botanical Garden setting of this festival. My parents and I have been going for the last 24 years – I only missed one of those for the flu. When Dustin was little, he would go with us and he and Dad would go off on their own and shop for a Mother’s Day gift for me. We took Kallie with us when she was a toddler, too, but she’s outgrown it now and the Mom and Dad and I love having this special time together.

It combines two of my favorite things — gardening and shopping!

I bought plants, of course, and several other little garden goodies. I came home with some herbs – more Cuban oregano, lemongrass and lemon balm. I also added some beautiful hand-made pottery mushrooms to my collection, a teensy glass chicken and dog for the fairy garden, and some very cool and unusual succulents from East Austin Succulents.

After eating lunch down in the beer garden while listening to a live band, we wandered down to the lower part of the gardens, checking out the veggie demonstration gardens…

…the rose garden…

…and the shady garden path that winds back up the hill. We were wowed by this gorgeous brugmansia and the aloe bloom just in front of it.

Those are some beautiful, big blooms. Almost as big as Dad’s head!

A little posing for the camera-toting daughter.

Ahhh, we finally made it back up the hill … now it’s time for a little rest by this peaceful pond.

We didn’t check out the Hartman Prehistoric garden this year, since I was just there last month, but we did venture to the edge of the Japanese garden, which is where Jeff and I were married almost 14 years ago.

I also bought some beautiful cloth dinner napkins with bluebonnets and strawberries on them, a medium-sized Staghorn fern from the stunning It’s About Thyme booth, and a begonia and an epiphyte and a lovely stretchy headband for keeping my hair out of my eyes during the serious gardening chores!

It’s a gorgeous day today, if you’re anywhere near the Austin area, you really should drop everything and head over there. One of my good blogging buddies even came from Louisiana to go to the Festival yesterday. It’s the only fund raiser for the park, so drive, bike or walk, but get there. You have until 5:00 today!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:26:56-06:00April 3rd, 2016|Blog, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Wildflower Center bursting with beautiful spring blooms…

For spring break this year we’ve decided to have a ‘staycation’ and do a little sightseeing right here in and around Austin. Today’s tour took us to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, one of my favorite Austin garden destinations. Kallie couldn’t remember any of our many visits there — she was quite a bit younger the last time we were there. And Jeff said he’d never been.

Our timing was good — owlettes are nesting at the entrance right now. The owls nest there every year, and sometimes you’re lucky enough to get a glimpse of them.

I didn’t capture it with my camera, but I did see one owl up there in the corner.

Some sight lines in the garden are wide open, and some are peek-a-boo cute.

The plants at the Center are drought tolerant natives, but several water features help add depth and a cooling element to the gardens.

I love how they designed an oversized arc with these yuccas in the granite.

The family garden offers a plethora of areas just waiting for hands-on adventures like this mosaic wall — a maze and seating/balancing bean all in one!

The mosaic tile artwork intermingled with the natural limestone rock reminds me of the work of Antoni Gaudi, whose amazing structures we saw in Spain several years ago.

It’s not really hilly at the Wildflower Center, but these beautiful rocks simulate a cliffside, teaming with more yuccas.

And what would a children’s garden be without ample hide and seek nooks and crannies?

I wonder what’s through that arch?

This scorching-hot swath of orange is brought to you by globe mallows. Their hot orange color lights up this bed, tempered only by the soft grey-green of their foliage.

Mexican feather grasses and cacti join the party.

Notice how the peach and terra cotta colors in the stones echo the plant blooms?

Another view of the top of the rock ridge with yuccas.

This is the event pavilion in the children’s garden.
Water ripples between and under these massive rocks, inviting hands-on play.

Who wouldn’t be enticed to follow these mysterious dinosaur tracks?

The tunnel leads under the waterfall where a window lets you peer out through the streaming water.

Are the cranes about to step gingerly onto the rock path?

The family garden is also filled with wonderful places to climb and hide.

More of Mother Nature’s sculptures.

Another water feature provides the bubbling background music for the chirping birds.

There’s something to learn in each segment of the demonstration garden.

The tangerine crossvine creates a stunning pop of color on this limestone wall.

More demonstration garden displays.

I always enjoy seeing the turtles sunning themselves at the entrance pond. It’s the perfect spot to get a tan!

Terra cotta pots line the entry walkway, and seem to say, “y’all come back now, ya hear” as you walk out. We sure will!