Finding Inspiration in Suburban Seattle

Backyard paradise, Seattle style.

It seems as if every garden design book I pick up talks about country and urban gardens, but says nothing about suburban gardens. Those of us who garden in suburbia have either to attempt to adapt the country or the urban model to our own gardens, or fend for ourselves. So it is that I most delight in visiting outstanding suburban gardens to see how other gardeners do it. The first day of Seattle Fling, we visited two such gardens made by next-door neighbors.

Note the tiny lawnette on the right.

The first garden I toured was that of Suzette and Jim Birrell, whose front yard was given over to a shade garden, with just a tiny bit of lawn.

Geranium 'Sandrine' is the star of this combination

This stunning vignette was just in front of the front door. Winding paths led to another striking combo.

a dark Actaea/Cimicifuga balances the chartreuse foliage, while the blue Clematis provides the perfect zIp

There were four or five Clematis that I noticed in the front garden. Clearly, these were gardeners after my own heart. This was confirmed when I stepped down a few stepping stones and spied this wonderful kinetic sculpture behind a plant I grow, Hylotelephium 'Becka' a/k/a sedum Autumn Delight.

I just had to make the balls twang around a bit more than the breeze was doing. Such fun! (Cindy, of From My Corner of Katy, got a picture of me caught in the act.)

What was even more intriguing than the shaded front garden was the use of space in the side yard, one of the most challenging spaces in a suburban lot.

There were container plantings at different heights on both sides of the path and shrubs and perennials in raised beds. The bright market umbrella drew the eye into the back yard with its towering conifers and inviting hammock (top photo).

The back lawn hovered above a hillside garden and patio,

artichokes, nasturtiums & sweet peas and, yes, that's a spork on the obelisk

with a vegetable plot to one side.

Now, that's what I call a scare-crow.

At the back is this colorful shed, which makes a great backdrop to the garden.

Then I went next-door to the garden of Shelagh Tucker,

Shelagh Tucker's garden

where in front, a completely different and wonderful garden reminiscent of Beth Chatto's gravel garden welcomed visitors.

The front garden is a series of steps and terraces. Like the Burrells, Shelagh uses her side yards to full advantage.

pony tail grass and Rosa glauca help the transition from gravel to traditional border

The back garden is more of a traditional English garden.

Campanula lactiflora and English roses beckon the visitor through the arch

Beyond, screened by the rose, lies a circular raised pond

and the large border.

This screening and division paradoxically makes the garden appear larger.

There is a small lawn and paths of grass.

The gate at the back of the garden makes it appear there is more garden beyond.

The garden climbs the hillside.

view up the hill to the garden shed

view from above the greenhouse

Even the more utilitarian far side yard was interesting and attractive.

What struck me most about these gardens was the presence of lawn only in the back yard, the reverse of what is most common in suburbia. The big lesson here, however is the economy of planting; that is, virtually no wasted space.

Thank you, Suzette and Jim Birrell and Shelagh Tucker for graciously opening your gardens to us.