12th Avenue S Viewpoint

 Downtown Seattle January 2009

 SoDo, Elliott Bay January 2009

SoDo, Elliott Bay, Duwamish Head January 2009

Downtown Seattle October 2012

SoDo, Elliott Bay, Duwamish Head, Olympic Mountains October 2012

The reason to visit the 12th Avenue S Viewpoint is for the sweeping view of Downtown Seattle, SoDo, the Duwamish Industrial Area, West Seattle, Elliott Bay & on a clear day, the spectacular Olympic Mountains.  The viewpoint is a short walk from the Beacon Hill Station: 1 block south on Beacon Av S, then 4 blocks west on S McClellan St.  The neighborhood there is a pleasant mix of craftsman & mid-century homes.  Look for remnant Japanese gardens of the old Japanese community there.  If you are in the mood to eat, try Filipino food at Inay’s, just a short distance north of the station at the corner of Beacon Avenue S &  S Bayview Street.  The beautiful, modern Beacon Hill Library is at the corner of Beacon Avenue S & S Forest Street, 2 blocks south of the station.

The White Garden

 

  Lilium regale ‘Album’ June 2009

 

 Hydrangea quercifolia June 2009

 

Ornithogalum umbellatum May 2009

 

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’ April 2009

Magnolia stellata 'Centennial'  April 2009

The white garden at Sissinghurst Castle July 2009

White is clean & fresh like a laundry detergent commercial. White foliage stands out in shade. The flowers of many shade plants such as Aruncus dioicus  & Trillium ovatum are white. A white garden has a quiet, old-fashioned charm. White combines well with blue flowers & gray foliage. Try Hebe glaucophylla with Galtonia candicans or Ornithogalum umbellatum.  There is a very lovely little white garden among the demonstration gardens at Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco.  The most famous white garden is at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, England.  White is perhaps the most common color theme for gardens.  Adding some blue, pink &/or purple creates more interest.

Plant List

Trees: with white flowers, except as noted

Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’: white foliage

Cornus kousa chinensis (Korean Dogwood)

Davidia involucrata (Dove Tree)

Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia)

Sorbus cashmiriana (Mountain Ash): white fruit & flowers

Stewartia pseudocamellia

Styrax japonica or obassia (Snowdrop Tree)

Shrubs: with white flowers, except as noted

Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange)

Cistus x hybridus (White Rockrose)

Fatsia japonica ‘Variegata’: white foliage

Hebe glaucophylla

Hebe recurva

Hebe salicifolia

Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray)

Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)

Magnolia stellata 'Centennial'

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Variegatus’: white foliage & flowers

Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange)

Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Renkaku’ (Tree Peony)

Pieris japonica ‘Variegata’: white foliage & flowers

Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Yeddo Hawthorne)

Ribes sanguineum ‘White Icicle’

Rosa rugosa ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’
Spiraea prunifolia (Bridalwreath) Spiraea trilobata 'Fairy Queen', Spiraea x vanhouttei

Viburnum plicatum tomentosum (Doublefile Viburnum)

Weigela florida ‘Variegata’: white foliage & pink flowers

Perennials: with white flowers, except as noted

Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’ (Sweet Flag): white foliage

Aruncus dioicus or aethusifolius (Goat’s Beard)

Astilbe x arendsii ‘Deutschland’ (Ostrich Plume)

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost': white foliage

Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’ (Bleeding Heart)

Cimicifuga racemosa (Bugbane)

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’ (Coneflower)

Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)

Galtonia candicans (Summer Hyacinth)

Lilium regale ‘Album’ (Regal Lily)

Narcissus ‘Mt Hood’ or ‘Thalia’ (Daffodil)

Ornithogalum umbellatum (Star of Bethlehem)

Paeonia ‘Krinkled White’

Romneya coulteri (Matilija Poppy)

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’ (Bloodroot)

Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon's Seal)

Tellima grandiflora (Fringe Cup)

Trillium ovatum (Western White Trillium)

Zantedeschia aethiopica (Calla Lily)

Groundcovers & Trailers

Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’ (Bishop’s Weed): white foliage

Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in Summer): white foliage & flowers

Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’: white foliage

Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft): white flowers

Lamium maculatum ‘White Nancy’: white foliage & flowers

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’: white foliage & yellow flowers

Pots on Top

 Design for a Balcony Garden

Suitable for a balcony or patio, this container garden is lightweight enough for most structures. Hardwood benches support a collection of colorful pots at least 12 inches in diameter & made of moisture-retentive glazed ceramic. They hold an assortment of herbs, flowers & vegetables in easy reach of the kitchen, where a watering can & snipping scissors are kept handy. A redwood box, planted with a Camellia & a shade-loving groundcover, is in a protected spot against the wall. The tile mosaic patio table & comfortable chairs invite the apartment dweller outside. --text from Low-Maintenance Gardening.

Plant List
A. Camellia japonica (1)
B. Allium schoenoprasum (2) Chives
C. Thymus vulgaris (1) Culinary Thyme
D. Green Onion (5)
E. Hemerocallis (1) Daylily
F. Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver' (4)
G. Limonium latifolium (1) Sea Lavender
H. Lobelia erinus 'Sapphire' (3)
I. Pelargonium tomentosum (1) Peppermint Geranium
J. Rosmarinus officinalis (1) Rosemary
K. Rudbeckia hirta (1) Gloriosa Daisy
L. Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' (2)
M. Stachys byzantina (1) Lamb's Ears
N. Ocimum basilicum (1) Sweet Basil
O. Tomato 'Patio' (1)
P. Viola tricolor (12) Johnny-Jump-Up

I designed this garden which appeared in the 1998 Sunset publication, Low-Maintenance Gardening. It is appropriate for USDA Zone 8.