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.

On the Shady Side

Design for a Portland Garden

Little sunlight makes its way into this corridor beside a Portland home, yet plenty of color appears in Spring, when an assortment of shade-loving perennials & flowering shrubs burst into bloom. A flagstone path lined by an evergreen groundcover leads onto the low deck with a built-in bench that doubles as a storage bin. A glazed pot of Sarcocca ruscifolia wafts its perfume inside & out. --text from Low-Maintenance Gardening.

Plant List
A. Aconitum napellus (4) Monkshood
B. Ajuga reptans (24) Carpet Bugle
C. Astilbe 'Rheinland' (5) Ostrich Plume
D. Camellia japonica (2)
E. Actaea racemosa (2) Bugbane
F. Dicentra spectabilis (1) Bleeding Heart
G. Fatsia japonica (1) Japanese Aralia
H. Helleborus x hybridus (6) Lenten Rose
I. Mahonia aquifolium (9) Oregon Grape
J. Pieris japonica 'White Cascade' (4) Lily of the Valley Shrub
K. Polystichum munitum (1) Western Swordfern
L. Rhododendron 'Cinnamon Bear' (3)
M. Sarcococca ruscifolia (1) Sweet Box
N. Thuja occidentalis 'Fastigiata' (6) American Arborvitae

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

Kubota Garden

Kubota Garden: bridge over Mapes Creek January 2010

Kubota Garden: coniferous evergreens January 2010

Kubota Garden January 2010
 

 Kubota Garden April 2010

Kubota Garden: Mapes Creek April 2010

 Kubota Garden: Birches April 2010

On 34 acres of hillside & ravine in Rainier Beach (near Skyway) lies Kubota Garden. Mapes Creek flows through on its way to Lake Washington. The creek provides water for a series of pools & waterfalls in the lower part of the garden. The upper terrace is recently landscaped. The lower parts are much older. The upper ravine grows wild with native plants. Kubota Garden is an excellent place to visit in winter because most of the plants are evergreen: at their best in cool, moist weather.  The garden is also beautiful in spring when many shrubs & perennials are in bloom, & the new leaves come out on the Japanese Maples. Fujitaro Kubota started the garden in 1923. It became a Seattle park in 1987. Along with Seattle Parks & Recreation, an ardent group of volunteers maintain & improve the park. Read more about the garden at the Kubota Garden Foundation. You can find the entrance on 55th Av S very near Renton Av S.

Burst of Color

 Design for a California Garden

Dry doesn't have to mean drab. This sunny front yard in coastal California features perennials & shrubs, such as Kangaroo Paws & Orchid Rockrose, that were chosen for their exotic flower colors & shapes, as well as their drought-tolerant habits. Groundcovers keep weeds at bay & contribute more color. A simple gravel path curving from the front walk to the side yard is easy to maintain. Even viewed from inside the house, the show is eye-catching. --text from Low-Maintenance Gardening.

Plant List

A. Anigozanthos flavidus (1) Kangaroo Paw

B. Callistemon citrinus (2) Lemon Bottlebrush

C. Cistus purpureus (4) Orchid Rockrose

D. Acca sellowiana (1) Pineapple Guava

E. Festuca ovina 'Glauca' (5) Blue Fescue

F. Gazania 'Sunrise Yellow' (10) Gazania

G. Kniphofia uvaria (3) Torch Lily

H. Lantana montevidensis (1)

I. Limonium perezii (3) Sea Lavender

J. Salvia leucantha (1) Mexican Sage

K. Thymus pseudolanuginosus (9) Woolly Thyme

I designed this garden which appeared in the 1998 Sunset publication, Low-Maintenance Gardening. It is appropriate for USDA Zone 9.

Genessee Meadow

Genessee Meadow: path through natural area

Genessee Meadow: lawn with natural area beyond

Genessee Meadow: crows bathing in seasonal pools

Genessee Meadow: Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Genesee Park, located on Lake Washington in the Mount Baker neighborhood of southeast Seattle, is an important site for active and passive recreation and wildlife, providing lawns and trails, playing fields and approximately 10 acres of natural areas, including about four acres of second growth forest. Most of the site formed part of Wetmore Slough prior to lowering of the lake in 1916 with the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The City of Seattle purchased the site in 1947, and subsequently used it as a landfill until 1963. Park development began in 1968. From 1997 through 2006, more than 50,000 native plants were planted Genesee Park by the Seattle Parks & Recreation & the Washington Native Plant Society. A portion of the vast lawn was left unmown to become Genessee Meadow. Depressions fill with water during the rainy season in both mown & unmown parts of the meadow. Ducks & Canada Geese are common here. The meadow is filled with light on clear winter days. There is a major path around the meadow. A smaller path meanders through the meadow & the forested area to the east.  Click here to read about more parks along Lake Washington Boulevard.

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Seasonal Display House

Cactus House

Fern House

Bromeliad House

Palm House

Entrance

The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a welcome respite from the cold Seattle rain. It is open except on Mondays, even on holidays, from 10 to 4. Decorated for the holidays in early December, it is a charming place for a quiet stroll on Christmas or New Year's Day, unless those holidays fall on a Monday. The conservatory has 5 houses, each quite different. There are bromeliad, palm, fern, seasonal display & cactus houses. It is hard to say which is most lovely.

Asian Style

 Design for a Japanese Garden

Simple & elegant, this Seattle front yard relies on elements of traditional Japanese garden design, yet features plants that are easy to maintain. A hedge of Japanese Holly conveys formality, as does the gated entrance, & the stone elements, which are carefully placed. Strawberry Trees & deciduous Burning Bushes offer seasonal interest & color. Round pavers lead to a granite bench by the 'pond,' a simple excavated area lined with landscape fabric & filled with gravel. Douglas Irises add a touch of color in spring. --text from Low-Maintenance Gardening.

Plant List

A. Arbutus unedo (2) Strawberry Tree

B. Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis' (1) Dwarf Hinoki Cypress

C. Euonymous alatus 'Compacta' (3) Dwarf Burning Bush

D. Fragaria chiloensis (18) Wild Strawberry

E. Ilex crenata 'Convexa' (8) Japanese Holly

F. Iris douglasiana (9) Douglas Iris

G. Pinus mugo pumilio (2) Dwarf Mugo Pine

H. Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' (12) Stonecrop

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

Paeonia corsica

Paeonia corsica in April

Paeonia corsica in September

Paeonia corsica in October

I use Paeonia corsica because it is easier to spell (& say) than Paeonia cambessedesii. Peony expert Josef J Halda lists the plant as P corsica in his 2004 book, The Genus Paeonia. It is 'one of the most charming peonies' according to Halda. I agree. The blooms of my Corsican Peonies are a beautiful pink, simple yet bold wildflower. Leaves are silver-blue on top, red below. April blooms are followed in August by large weird seed pods arranged like a jester's hat. Shining red seams split open in October to show jet black seeds against a shocking pink interior. My seeds came from the Northwest Perennial Alliance seed exchange, courtesy of Marion Raitz. It took 2 years for them to germinate. Then they grew quickly, flowering within 3 years of germination. They need a dry site. I planted mine on a sunny slope.