Tiptoe Through the Garden

On Saturday Shelly invited me to the Whatcom Horticultural Society Garden Event.  We toured some beautiful gardens.  Today I'm going to share the hard scape highlights of the gardens.

There were pretty paths leading to structures to create "rooms" in the gardens.

 Ponds, including a trout pond with huge trout that when the gardener fed them it looked like boiling water.

 We saw some pretty ornaments too.

 Many trellises covered with flowers soften the paths and entrances to garden rooms.

 Little ponds were everywhere.

 An unexpected Japanese garden at a home where it was least expected fit right in.  Though I wouldn't have been so bold to try it, it was a beautiful touch and just the right thing to do in the courtyard.

I need to take more chances in the garden.

 Living on the lake makes everything better.

 Rock walls!  I need more of those at my house.

 Under the stairs would've been an ugly spot but was made pretty with unexpected art in the form of shells and floats.

 Yep, I definitely need more rocks.

 Big rocks and little rocks really add to the garden.

 Big rocks, little rocks and the best rock curb, oh  my!  I loved this curb.

 Shelly took one look at the metal garden art declared that she needs a welder.  Great!  Because I need a friend that welds!  Works for me.

 A hell strip used as a vegetable garden is brilliant.  It is always a dead looking, useless space.  This one was great because the neighborhood embraced the idea and it went on and on.

 Take out the lawn, lay a deck and create an oasis.  Now  instead of mowing the lawn the homeowner is lounging.

 Trellis time, again.

 My fairies need more housing.  We saw some sweet fairy homes.

 We saw many fire pits which lend themselves to some fun evenings for the homeowners.

 Gates.  I love gates and actually have a pinterest board just for gates.  I've always wanted a driveway gate but I saw on the tour that a random pretty gate can add so much to a garden.  They're inviting, beckoning you on to see what is beyond the gate.  I used to think gates were to create a boundary, but really, they can be inviting you farther down the garden path.

 The curb, the plantings between the stones, I need to get going and make it happen under the grape arbor at  the Stone House.  So pretty!

Next, I'll share the flowers.