Carhart Garden - Puget Sound Garden Fling (Day 1)

The first garden we visited on Day 1 of the Puget Sound Garden Fling was Carhart Garden on Vashon Island.  We reached the three acre property surrounded by a fifteen acre forest overlooking Quartermaster Harbor by bus after a relatively short ferry ride across the Sound.  The largely shaded, woodland area was steeply sloped.  Whit and Mary Carhart were available to act as guides and answer questions.  

With numerous others, I walked up and through the gate before wandering gradually downward along a woodland path, framed here and there by shallow wood-rimmed steps covered with wood chips.

The intricate gate featured birds resting on branches

One of many pieces of art we saw as we moved along

 

A cautionary sign directing visitors to pay attention when walking the sloped terrain

With trees looming above us, we walked carefully, focusing on both the woodland scenery and the plant vignettes on both sides of the path.

Although I love woodland settings, many of the plants were foreign to me and I quickly decided not to make myself crazy trying to identify them

Plant vignettes relied heavily on differences in texture and shape with only occasional touches of floral color like that provided by the hosta in this photo

As I was to learn during the course of the Fling, hydrangeas are very much part of the summer show in the Puget Sound

Visible from the path we walked, this was the first of several seating areas the garden offered

In addition to rock, the owners made good use of wood from fallen or cut trees to create planting areas

Along the woodland walk, a few plants in addition to hostas and hydrangeas added color.  My phone app provided alternative identifications of the plant on the left, which I initially took for Inula helenium but it's probably Telekia speciosa.  The plant on the right is Spigelia.

Seen from above, we spotted a pool below

I guessed that these raised planters were used as nursery stations for infant plants before they were planted out

This photo of a stylized garden shed, the first structural element I saw, doesn't do it justice

As we reached the lower level of the garden I got a peek at the harbor area through the trees.

Colorful chairs situated on a patch of lawn provided another opportunity to sit with a view of the Quartermaster Harbor just behind it

Sunny patches in parts of the garden allowed flowers to flaunt their colors.

There was even a meadow of flowers

There were more structures in this area, as we grew closer to the owners' home,

No shortage of wood here!  Note the view of the garden shed in the background on the upper left.

This colorful playhouse stood out.  On the right, note that the sign alongside the door says "go away."  However, viewed from its reverse side, it said "welcome."

The owner's residence was visibly nestled into the larger garden

A relatively sunny seating area on one side of the house

Attractive containers edging another side of the house

This art display, attributed to Zimbabwean sculptor Dominic Benhura, consists of 4 playful figures (although this photo only captures 2 of them)

Flowers growing close to the house included Astilbe, Astrantia, and Crocosmia

There were more seating areas in this area of the garden too.

On the way back up the slope, I got a closer look at the pool area.

In one area, the cement-line pool was said to be 8 feet deep, providing room to swim

Water collected from an area at the top of the property flowed gently down into the pool via this rock-filled stream

Even the stream included artistic touches

This gazebo overlooking the stream provided a comfortable place to rest.  Denise of A Growing Obsession took advantage of it for a short time.

We had a little over an hour at Carhart Garden but even that wasn't enough to fully explore the property, which felt a lot larger than three acres to me!  But on a tour as packed with gardens like the Fling, time is precious and sacrifices must be made.  Onward!

All material © 2012-2024 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party