The Bednarski and Pepper gardens, part of the '24 Garden Fling

The last time I visited Tanya Bednarksi's Seattle garden I ended the visit wondering about a neighboring garden across the street. This time (during the optional bonus day of the '24 Garden Fling) the neighbor's garden was part of the tour, and I spent a lot of time there, so I just made a quick zip around the Bednarksi garden. Afterall I had to wander in to gaze upon the playful clipped green balls and bright red glass spears. 

This tightly designed area is so fun to be in. I could never have a garden like this (so few plants), but it's a fantastic space.

At the opposite end of the long narrow front garden is this rectangular stone trough filled with water. There is also a sitting area I neglected to photograph.

From the back of the home there's an expansive view of Lake Washington and the tall buildings of downtown Bellevue, WA, in the distance.

On to the Pepper garden—my last garden visit of the '24 Fling (I still have several gardens to write about though). I first saw this garden the same weekend (in June of '22) that I saw the Bednarski garden. 

You walk down this narrow breezeway...

And emerge in the back garden right on the shores of Lake Washington.

During my first visit (here) I was very focused on the water view. This visit I took my time getting there...

The fence that separates the garden from the rocky shore is new, put in place to keep marauding beavers out.

(I think this was the only time the rainbow chairs were empty during our visit)

The garden description in our Fling booklet says those bad beavers hauled off most of the garden's woody shrubs, roses and small trees—and I thought my raccoons were destructive!

The groundcover on the granite stairs was in full shocking pink bloom during my last visit, this time the stone itself was my focus.

The Pepper's were kind enough to let us eat lunch in their garden, so that's why we're all gathered up around the house.

The garden between the lawn and the water is designed as a pollinator meadow.

At last, that water!

The strip of plantings is small, but packs a colorful punch.

Finally two stone/cement planters that caught my eye. I really liked this one.

And I used to have one like this. I hauled it (and a much larger, much heavier one) with me on my moves from Spokane to Seattle, back to Spokane, then down to Portland, and finally gave it away to a friend here. I loved that thing, but it didn't really fit the style of my garden in Portland.

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

The Brindley Garden, during the '24 Garden Fling

My first visit to the Brindley Garden was in 2018, the same day that I first visited Dan Hinkley's Windcliff. This most recent visit was on Sunday July 21st, the last "official" day of the 2024 Garden Fling (there was a tour of Seattle gardens on Monday, but only a small part of the group was able to stick around for that). Sadly, once again, visiting the famous neighbor (that would be Dan) took precedence over this garden and my time was limited. 

Here's the gate between the two gardens, one that saves you having to walk all the way back up to the public street—much appreciated when you are exhausted from garden touring!

There were a lot of comments about how tall the area trees were, from Flingers who lived outside the PNW. As a lifelong PNW resident I guess I take them for granted.

I believe that's a secluded sit-spot that I never quite made it over to.

Maybe a Lomatia myricoides?

I do love a framed vignette...

And a dreamy greenhouse...

Walking around the side of the house the million dollar (+) view begins to appear...

Gah. Can you imagine seeing this on the regular?

Panning a little towards the house...

That's an Agave bracteosa tangle if ever I saw one.

Snow and Agave parryi

I love yucca flowers...

Ah yes, this is the photo! (the "money shot" if you will) That's Puget Sound as seen from Indianola, WA.

Sadly the madrone (Arbutus menziesii) that frames the view appears to be dying.

I wonder if it's safe to leave it to die, and eventually fall, in place?

Justin and Max Cannon, looking very at home in the garden with the palms.

This is where our group photo was to be taken and people were gathering.

Slowly gathering.

There we are! I shared this photo (from Becca Mathias) back in July, but thought it would be fun to share here again. If you're interested in attending a Garden Fling the 2025 event is to be held in Memphis, TN, on June 5-8, more info here. Sadly I'm going to miss this one.

After that shot was taken it was time to walk back to the bus and begin our journey to the hotel in Tacoma.

Heading up the drive Wyatt Emig, of Longwood Gardens, stopped to pose with a large tetrapanax leaf...

And then Becca stepped in for a selfie. I hope she didn't have a reaction to the indumentum on the underside of the leaf!

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

Flinging at the Risdahl-Pittman Garden (my second time)

It's time to dip back into the gardens I visited as part of last summer's Garden Fling up in the Puget Sound area. The long weekend was a mix great of gardens I'd previously toured and ones that were new to me. This week I thought it would be fun to write about a few of the private gardens that I'd visited before and link back to my first visit, maybe compare and contrast. I'm starting at the Risdahl-Pittman garden...

My first visit to this garden was in June of 2022 (here), it was part of the Northwest Perennial Alliance Study Weekend—an event that rotates between different cities and groups in the PNW (this year's event will be in the Portland area, hosted by the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon). 

That first visit was on an overcast drippy day and I think there was one other person in the garden while I was there. This visit was sunny, warm, and the garden was full of people.

The consistent factor was the fabulousness of the garden.

Attention to detail...

And excellent plantswomanship ("Plantsmanship is knowledge of the diversity of plants and their cultivation..." source), I make the distinction because I believe Susan (rather than Guy) is the primary gardener here. That lady in pink—who so nicely brings out the pink of the hydrangea—is Janet Davis of  The Paintbox Garden.

While Susan is the gardener, Guy is the hardscape guru, and builder of their fantastic greenhouse. 

Which sadly I only got a couple lame photos of. There are definitely better greenhouse photos from my last visit.

Daphne x houtteana

I was thrilled to see there plant is still alive, as mine sadly is not.

Off in the distance is the tool shed and storage space.

Our first peek at the interesting pond and surrounding hardscape.

When chatting with Guy during my previous visit said the pond and it's surrounding features were there when they bought the home. Flinger for scale...

Here's more of our group, that's Tamara (Chickadee Gardens) in the pink, the two fellows across the planting island are Justin (microbotanica) and Max, the lady with the striking white hair and black top is Denise (A Growing Obsession)...

I definitely took fewer plant focused photos in the garden this visit, it goes to show you what happens when your chatting up your fellow plant people!

Fancy rhododendrons, Perhaps R. 'Golfer' in front and R. orbiculare at the back.

Rhododendron orbiculare (?)

Athyrium otophorum

This area was under construction, or just completed, during my previous visit. It's definitely in full-swing now.

I'd just purchased a Parthenocissus henryana at our Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden stop earlier that day, so it was fun to see this one looking good against the dark wall.

Then again everything looked good against that dark wall!

Hmm, I have no idea what this beauty is.

And I'm definitely out of order now, as I can see the pond area in the background—it just goes to show you how I wandered around the garden enjoying it all.

If you can swing it it's a great experience to visit private gardens repeatedly over time and see how the plants grow (or not) and how the areas change as a result of that, or the owners desire for something new. Susan and Guy if you're reading I guess that means I'll be back again in 2026!

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