Time in a Bottle

Well, it's time for another Time Travel Friday trip. I'm nearly out of corny time-related old songs, and nearly out of gardens to share as well. I thought for today I'd share a peaceful, serene, green, shady garden that I visited last summer.

But first we have to hear from The Muppets.

Time in a Bottle -- The Muppet Show

The Garden of Patti and John McFerran

I met Patti McFerran last spring when she came to the class that Peter The Outlaw Gardener and I taught for the NPA on starting a blog. She was one of the students. I felt a connection with her when she described herself as a journalist, because I used to be a journalist too, and I remember more than once during the class when I talked about some of the challenges of writing blog posts and dealing with vendors who just want to use the blog as an opportunity to advertise, I met her eyes across the room and she understood. I was really looking forward to seeing her garden and it didn't disappoint.

You can read here about Patti's gardening background and find a list of articles she has written for WestSound Home & Garden, a magazine covering the West Puget Sound area (i.e., the Kitsap Peninsula) of Washington state.

Beside the driveway as you enter the garden is this small sunny area with sedums on top of a rock wall.

Behind the sunny area is a more shady sloping area with a little white kitty statue peaking out on the left

A little further along on top of the rock wall are concrete or perhaps hypertufa containers with choice succulents.

Aloe aristata getting ready to bloom

A very tidy garden shed for seed starting and puttering

Just outside the door, fluffy Clematis seedheads

Rodochiton atrosanguineum aka purple bell vine, which I have never successfully grown, was thriving on a trellis just outside the shed as well

A great potting area against a wall of the house opposite the shed

What I wouldn't give to have that collection of terra cotta pots!

Another shelving unit against a wall of the shed holds an intriguing collection of plants in terra cotta

This mossy path and gate leads into the shady back garden

I loved how this Clematis bloom seemed to hang by the gate, reaching out to hug guests

All around the garden are seating areas, separated by islands of plants and mulch paths

Absolutely gorgeous thriving Fatsia

I'm a sucker for a big pot high up on a column -- so monolithic

Ferns and a Podophyllum

Begonia grandis (possibly ssp. evansiana?) with striking dark red veins

A beautiful lily

Another calming, green seating area with touches of blue -- they say blue is a calming color

A closer look at the cluster of blue pots

From there, I headed up to the deck of the house, which overlooks the back garden and found this cool table with pots of sedums.

The view from the deck

There's always an Agave

I saw Patti and her husband that day and they were talking excitedly about moving to a new house, giving up this garden and planning a new one. I would have had a hard time leaving such a peaceful place. I saw her again a month ago and she told me they had decided not to move -- in fact, they're opening this garden again this year for the NPA!

Once again, my blogging friend Linda visited this garden a few years ago and shared it on her blog, which you can read about here.

I hope you enjoyed this visit. Come back again next Friday, I have only a few more gardens to share.