The Carhart Garden, during the '24 Garden Fling

For some this was the first garden of the 2024 Garden Fling, but for me (and those on the same bus) it was the second garden we visited. There was confusion as we entered, compounded by the fact the first bus full of Flingers were making their way out of the garden as we were trying to get in. I wasn't able to catch the introduction Whit Carhart gave at the entrance.

Here's what was in the Fling booklet we were all given: "Our three-acre garden property was carved by the receding Vashon Glacier making our upper garden on a woodland slope with unusual shade loving plants. Garden paths lead downward to a hillside waterfall and pond as well as a sunny lower garden around our home, overlooking Quartermaster Harbor. The garden is surrounded by fifteen acres of Stewardship Forest." 

Because this garden on Maury Island (a small island connected by an isthmus to Vashon Island) was extraordinarily steep, and I had managed to aggravate a prior knee injury the day before, I wasn't able to explore as much as I normally would. I didn't make it to the waterfall and pond, but I did slowly wander down the woodland slope taking photos of the plants as I went. Pachysandra axillaris...

An excellent patch of Austroblechnum penna-marina / Blechnum penna-marina.

And a swoon-worthy clump of Pyrrosia sheareri.

Along the way the tall trees made for interesting patches of sun and shadows.

Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Indianola Silver’

A peek ahead at the home and the harbor, as well as one of my limited sightings of the pond (at the bottom).

A nice shady spot from which to observe the pond and plants.

As I was admiring this spot Mary Carhart walked up and we had a nice chat. I learned that Whit spent many years volunteering at the Miller Garden north of Seattle, learning from several of the area's best gardeners.

She also mentioned that Richie Stephen of the Miller Garden, Great Plant Picks, and the Hardy Fern Foundation had been instrumental in the early development of the Carhart Garden.

I wish I new what this little treasure was, I spotted it in a planter down by the house.

Bletilla striata, I believe.

A path I did not dare take, but I did admire.

The home sits at the bottom of the steep site, with views from the back out towards the harbor.

I believe the small variegated succulent is a sedum of some sort.

It's doing a great aeonium impersonation.

Looking out across the garden with my back to the front of the home.

There was a large swath of lawn.

And interesting planters.

The home as seen from the other side of the garden.

And a curious fern table...

Here I've lightened the photo to a ridiculous extreme, in an attempt to see more detail.

Close-ups of the plants...

And a couple more images of the interesting base.

I wish I would have crossed paths with Whit or Mary Carhart again, so I could have asked them how this table came to be.

Ah yes, the view...

And what I remember as an outdoor shower with that view, although looking at the photo I don't see all the shower implements.

Large planters at the back of the home.

And another fern table.

Detail shot.

Hi Jane!

I do love being in the right place to catch a plant getting it's spotlight moment, here Syneilesis aconitifolia.

Indumentum on a rhododendron that's coordinating nicely with the side of the Carhart's home.

And a final spotlight on Farfugium japonicum 'Argenteum'. I'll have another Fling Garden up on the blog on Friday...

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Winter Jewels Hellebore party at Little Prince...

Over the weekend Little Prince of Oregon held their first annual Winter Jewels Hellebore sale, I ventured down to check out the action. LPO is a wholesale nursery and rarely open to the public, so I figured this event would be a large draw, and it was.

There were tables with companion plants on offer, such as Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’.

Asarum splendens ‘Quicksilver’

Tricyrtis formosana ‘Gilt Edge’

Agave schidigera 'Royal Flush'

And Agave potatorum...

There were also, of course, hellebores. As usual at Little Prince this event was well orchestrated and the staff had everything running smoothly...

After checking out the goods there, I snuck off to another greenhouse where the behind the scenes magic happens.

I was thrilled to be in the right place at the right time to get this shot of the key people who’s work made the day possible, from L-R: Alexa Patti, the head grower and hellebore breeder at Little Prince, then Marietta and Ernie O’Byrne the founders of the Winter Jewels Hellebore collection, and finally the founder of Little Prince of Oregon, Ketch de Kanter. 

I also ran into these two characters friends, Riz Reyes (assistant director at Heronswood Garden), and landscape architect Caleb Melchior. There were many other people I wish I would have gotten a photo of (like Mike Hicks general manager and director of production at LPO), but as usual my camera was focused on the plants.

Winter Jewels 'Jade Tiger'

A hellebore Riz and I were admiring for it’s foliage.

Maybe Helleborus x ‘Golden Sunrise’?

And this one I didn’t get the name of...

Once I ran into Mike we were off to look at ferns, like Woodwardia unigemmata…

Doodia media

And this insane creature, Microsorum thailandicum, aka blue oil fern. Yes those leaves (fronds) really do have an iridescent blue sheen. 

The first place I saw this fern for sale in real life was at last year's Northwest Flower & Garden Fest, where it was fetching ridiculous prices ($88 for a plant exactly this size). Little Prince is wholesale not retail but I can tell you they're not marking this baby up ($) just because they could... nope. They make the cool plants available to the people! (ask your local nursery to order these!)

I’ve never been a fan of Actiniopteris australis (eyelash fern), but I love it here in combination with the Phlebodium aureum—a greenhouse accident, or an experiment?

We looked at a few other things too, like begonias. I think that’s ‘Red Fred’ in the front, and I have no idea what the magical levitating begonia in the back is (which is actually in a huge pot, but from this angle you’d never know it).

New to me, Medinilla sedifolia…

It’s a perennial from Madagascar that’s often used as a terrarium plant or, an epiphyte mounting (oh yes please!).

I was thrilled to spot this carnivorous bromeliad, Brocchinia reducta, part of an employee’s collection…

As was this gorgeous Agave macroacantha.

I'm a little embarrassed to share the riches which I came home with...

Look at that fern color!

I'd regrated not purchasing a Polypodium fallax at the NWFG Fest, but now I have my own.

And check out that adorable carnivorous baby, Pinguicula 'Aphrodite'...

I have lots of new plants to play with, thank you Little Prince!

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