Private Gardens of the Pacific Northwest

By Brian Coleman and William Wright

An exclusive retreat into the verdant, lush residential gardens of the Pacific Northwest.

Private Gardens of the Pacific Northwest is a stunning exploration of 20 lush private gardens. These sprawling estates, small sanctuaries, and artful retreats capture the natural beauty of the verdant Pacific Northwest, each one splashed with hints of boldness, modernity, artistry, and exquisiteness. Capturing the personality of those who cultivate them, these gardens have their stories told through the words of renowned author Brian Coleman, who takes readers through the flourishing natural beauty that the northwestern coast has to offer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith
• Release date: Sep 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781423654988

Brian Coleman

Brian D. Coleman, MD, divides his time between Seattle and New York. His articles have appeared in magazines ranging from Old House Journal, where he is the West Coast editor; to Period Living in the U.K. Brian is the author of seven books on the decorative arts, including the recent titles Farrow & Ball and Cottages.

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Private Gardens of the

Pacific Northwest

brian d. coleman

photographs by william wright

Photo of logo.Photo of garden.

Digital Edition 1.0

Text © 2021 Brian Coleman

Photography © 2021 William Wright, except a noted otherwise.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Published by

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

1.800.835.4993 orders

www.gibbs-smith.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021930715

ISBN 9781423654988 (ebook)

Contents

Foreword by Art Wolfe

introduction

Nurturing Oasis in Portland

Garden for a Bainbridge Bungalow

Watch Out: A Dangerous Garden in Portland

Magical Garden above Puget Sound

Haven for Hydrangeas on the Kitsap Peninsula

Froggsong Gardens on Vashon Island

Eastside Eden in Medina

Whimsical Garden on Lake Washington

Bonsai Sanctuary in Maple Valley

Garden of Ponds in Redmond

Country Garden in Snohomish

Colorful Container Gardening in Issaquah

Ghosthorse Hollow—Woodland Garden in Snohomish

Treehouse Garden above Lake Chelan

Japanese Garden in West Seattle

Compact City Garden in Seattle

Paradise of Color in Portland

Sylvan Retreat in Lake Oswego

Vashon Island Stumpery

Victorian Garden on Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill

acknowledgments

Foreword

by Art Wolfe

In 1986 I moved into this old house in West Seattle. Two years prior to that, in 1984, I was the expedition photographer on the first Western expedition allowed into Tibet and up the northeast ridge of Mount Everest. En route to China, we stopped in Japan for a few days and I really enjoyed walking around the gardens. Returning from Everest we stopped in Huanshan, which is a sacred mountain in eastern China renowned for its granite spires and wind-twisted pines that grow in the rarified air. Both locations, the Japanese gardens and Huanshan, inspired me to transform the grass yard of my old house into a Japanese-style garden infused with the wildness of Huanshan.

Over the years I have poured heart and soul into the garden. As time has passed the garden has only improved as moss has grown across rocks, and the trees have taken on elegant shapes through perfect placement and judicious pruning.

Working with architect Wayne Fricke, who was also remodeling and updating parts of the house, we dug out the main upper pond with a backhoe and created a streambed that meandered downhill through the yard to a holding pond near the garage and driveway. We installed a recirculation pump to feed the water back up to the top pond.

After setting the pond and streambed we cemented over all areas to make sure the water would stay where we wanted it. It was no easy task as there was a myriad of different angles and pitches to navigate; water will always find a way out.

In 1986 I moved into this old house in West Seattle. Two years prior to that, in 1984, I was the expedition photographer on the first Western expedition allowed into Tibet and up the northeast ridge of Mount Everest. En route to China, we stopped in Japan for a few days and I really enjoyed walking around the gardens. Returning from Everest we stopped in Huanshan, which is a sacred mountain in eastern China renowned for its granite spires and wind-twisted pines that grow in the rarified air. Both locations, the Japanese gardens and Huanshan, inspired me to transform the grass yard of my old house into a Japanese-style garden infused with the wildness of Huanshan.

Over the years I have poured heart and soul into the garden. As time has passed the garden has only improved as moss has grown across rocks, and the trees have taken on elegant shapes through perfect placement and judicious pruning.

Working with architect Wayne Fricke, who was also remodeling and updating parts of the house, we dug out the main upper pond with a backhoe and created a streambed that meandered downhill through the yard to a holding pond near the garage and driveway. We installed a recirculation pump to feed the water back up to the top pond.

After setting the pond and streambed we cemented over all areas to make sure the water would stay where we wanted it. It was no easy task as there was a myriad of different angles and pitches to navigate; water will always find a way out.

Photo of garden.

I worked with Marenakos Rock Center to find suitable mossy rocks, and I would estimate that I brought in about 100 tons of rocks to the garden over the years, much of it placed by Sellen Construction with their mobile crane. I had Big Trees of Snohomish place larger trees, including several 2,500-pound rootballs of both rhododendron and Japanese maples. In the further reaches of the yard, Sellen’s crane had to be used.

The pond and stream with small waterfalls started as a vision and became a reality. Every year I look forward to spending time with my assistant, friend, and colleague Gavriel Jecan candling and pruning the twenty-five black pines, which put out at least 10,000 candles. Most pines want to be big trees, and the role of the pruner and guider is to keep the tree healthy but contorted and small within the confines of the garden. I try to keep the garden in a natural state, and to that end I have brought in licorice, maidenhair, sword fern, and native mosses. The garden is very much a microcosm of the Cascades and Olympics.

Photo of garden.

The garden itself is rimmed by giant cedar trees that in late autumn put out a lot of needles that fall and cover the delicate mosses. This is a very busy time of year for me as I clear the acid-laden cedar droppings that would surely damage the mosses. Year-round care of the garden is necessary but I love working in it. Every time I return from an international trip I bury myself for a day or two or three in the garden. Not only is it a labor of love, but I also see it as a physiological and psychologically therapeutic way of decompressing from a long trip where airport lines and customs agents are the rule of the day.

Another thing that makes this garden great are my neighbors to the south. They have a beautiful garden as well, and in several places I can look through the trees into their garden. It almost seems like an extension of my property. There is a certain communal pride we take in our yards.

To the west are Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, so my garden feels open and spacious. To the north is a wooded ravine. From there come many bird species that are attracted to the flow of water year-round. The water becomes a source for mammals such as raccoons, opossums, rabbits, and even a rare fox and urban coyote. Sharp-shinned hawks, barred owls, and screech owls come to the stream to bathe and drink. It’s a wonderful location here in West Seattle. It’s a touch of the Northwest that feels like the San Juans, and for me it’s a