How Lorene managed to do the lion’s share of the work to put on the Seattle Bloggers’ Fling and also open her garden to us amazes me. Then, today, I read on her blog she’d had 900 visitors only the week before. I would have been a fright, but she was all smiles.
Like all gardeners who tend their spaces, hers was very personal and filled with projects she made for her upcoming book, Handmade Garden Projects. I’m impressed by her clever use of space. Her garden is multi-leveled because it is on a hill and is a standard 60′ by 120′ lot plus any other space she can garner. I kept wondering if I could garden so effectively in such a small space.
Not until I must. When I am very old and can no longer stoop and bend. Then, I plan to move to town and give my garden to someone else, but that is a another post for another day.
With so many bloggers oohing and aahing and snapping photos as they wound around the paths, it was a bit claustrophobic, but everyone was full of good humor and allowed others to take photos while they maneuvered to stay out of the frame.
Unless, of course, you wanted them in it.
I was so excited to see Willi Galloway of DigginFood again. She’s been hard at work on a book, and I missed her smiling face at the last two events I’ve attended.
Although I found fun everywhere in Lorene’s garden, I thought the hypertufa and other re-purposed containers to be most intriguing. Almost all of my photos were of these small vessels.
I asked Lorene which project was her favorite.
“Ah…. Favorite huh? On which day? I can sure tell you the ones that beat me down!!! But when all was said and done I’d have to say my favorite was probably the pebble mosaic accents in the tiny gravel landing outside the door to my trailer. Easy to make with stuff I mostly already had around so they felt like play. One of my goals for Handmade Garden Projects is to reclaim that sense of outdoor fun we ALL had as kids… back before playing outside was hijacked by ‘yard work.'”
Indeed. We all want that sense of play and serenity in our gardens. I knew Lorene and I could be friends when I saw the cool-i-o trailer in her back garden. A sense of fun and retreat exuded from her landscape.
As for her favorite plants?
“Sweet peas – they were my nana’s favorite and I am in awe of their emotional power. FAVA BEANS!!! I do love me some fava beans, and they can be very difficult to find at the farmers market. Other than that I would say I relish and adore how plants weave together and knit into a composition that’s way more than the sum of their parts. Oh yeah… and brown – I love brown plants. Rumex flexuosus, carex sp., Uncinia uncinata, Podocarpus alpina ‘County Park Fire,’ etc. I always think I should put up a sign before garden tours that simply says… ‘Yes, it’s supposed to be that color. It’s not dead!’”
Being a lover of black plants myself (I also like brown,) I often have to explain to people why I find them so interesting so I get what you’re saying Sister Friend.
Lorene was a wonderful hostess throughout the weekend, and I knew you’d want to see her garden. Unfortunately, things were so crowded I didn’t get a shot of the trailer’s exterior pebble mat. Maybe another blogger did. If so, feel free to link below.
I tried to get a shot of that pebble mat! But it was impossible; half of the mat was in full blown-out blazing sun and the other half was in deep dark shade. I guess if I was David Perry shooting RAW files, I might have gotten a decent pic. 😉
OK Dee, I never even thought about snakes in those columns and benches till you mentioned it. Dang, not so sure about creating that myself now. (Not that I’ll probably ever get around to making even 1/5th of the many interesting things Lorene makes!)
I liked the projects she showcased in her garden too, Dee. That kind of stuff makes a space personal and interesting.
Thank you Dee, for such a wonderful peek inside such a beautiful garden! (and thanks for including our book as one of the ‘You might also likes’. So glad you had such a good time and got a much needed break from the heat! Looking forward to seeing you at GWA this year!
I also loved her garden. I do have a photo of the mosaic and will link as soon as I get that post done…the stones and rocks one!
Ahhh! A vintage trailer! That’s one of my (many extravagantly silly) dreams. Lovely garden!
Dear Dee, what a charming tale you have told of the lovely and smiling Lorene and her garden. I am so glad you got the chance to ask her those burning questions! Will look for a shot of the pebble stepstones in front of the trailer. I think I have one.
I loved all the personal touches in Lorene’s garden. Her wonderful sense of humor shines through. She really needed it trying to herd us garden-crazy enthusiasts around.
All the gardens were smashing, but, Lorene’s spoke to me. I loved the quirky touches and the travel trailer was a delightful garden folly. I do plan on ordering her book. gail
I loved seeing what Carol looks like! I’m sure there have been pictures on blogs but I’ve never happened to see one. I suppose I thought she resembled the woman in a dress mowing the lawn. :<)
I can imagine 70 people in my garden. That would be a lot of shuffling around. I have had 25 at one time. That works. I would never have thought of a rock tower as a snake hotel. It would be safe here. Thanks for the tour.
I’ve never had so many visitors at once in my garden, and if they saw it right now, they would wonder why it looks so bad unless of course, they lived in Oklahoma. Then, they would understand. Yes, anything stacked in our part of the country which has spaces for creepy crawlies has them. Unfortunately.
Fabulous post on a special place. I wish I would have gotten a shot of the mosaic outside the trailer, as it was I was just so excited to see inside the trailer that I totally over looked it!
Thanks Loree. I think people were standing on it when we there. No mosaic pictures from me either.
I am glad you took us to Lorene’s garden. I am not very crafty, but I do like the reuse of materials and re-purposing of found objects. Her garden looks like a really fun place with many interesting garden objects. I bet her book is just as fun and creative.
Donna, I’m glad you’ve been taking us to Garden Walk Buffalo gardens too. I feel like I’m right there with you. Lorene’s garden was very, very fun.
Wonderful post. Lorene was amazing all weekend, gracious, helpful, and her garden was a delight.
Thank you Carol. She wa.
Dee, Lorene’s garden was definitely my favorite because it was so quirky and so exuberant, much like Lorene herself! She is definitely a woman after my own heart.
Cindy, I love how gardens express the personality of their owners so well like any good piece of art.
Aw, the sweet/wise words of gardeners sustain us all! Thank you for sharing this lovely post, dear Dee.
Thank you Joey. You made me smile.