Fling visit to Heronswood Garden

We visited Heronswood Garden in Kingston, Washington at the start of the third day of the Puget Sound Garden Fling in July.  We had the entire morning there, which you'd think would've been enough time to cover the fifteen acre site but it wasn't.  I entirely missed both the Traveler's and Renaissance Gardens but I know other attendees have covered both so there are other sources readers can tap to cover my omissions.  I probably should've skipped lunch, which was provided on site.  I also should have done some homework before I headed off to the Fling but that's water under the bridge.

By way of background, renowned plant hunter, Dan Hinkley, and his partner, architect Robert L. Jones, created Heronswood Gardens.  They began developing the site in 1987, in time expanding their original ten acre lot to fifteen acres.  The grounds feature many of the plants Hinkley collected on his regular trips to countries around the world.  They also founded Heronswood Nursery.  In 2000, they sold the garden and the nursery to Burpee, a US-based plant and seed company.  Six years later, Burpee abruptly closed both the garden and the nursery.  In 2012, the Port Gamble S'Kallam Tribe of Native Americans purchased the property at auction.  They operate the garden to this day, with input from Hinkley.  I won't try to tell that story in more detail but you can find a summary on Heronswood Garden's site.  A much more detailed overview of Hinkley's life and projects can be found in his book, Windcliff.

We received a brief introduction to the garden before we were set loose to wander in whichever directions we chose.

This chalkboard style billboard offered a unique approach to alert visitors to plants to look for

Like hydrangeas, gorgeous lilies were in full bloom everywhere in the Puget Sound and Heronswood was no exception

Immediately across from the main entrance was the Rock Garden, which was created during the pandemic and subsequently dedicated to those lost their lives to COVID_related ailments, as well as those who fought to help them.

The Rock Garden is planted with species that thrive in high-elevation settings

I headed to the Woodland Garden next.  As was the case with many of the gardens toured during this Fling, I was at a loss to identify many of the plants I saw there; however, I've identified them when I could.

These "ruins" are a construction created by Little and Lewis.  I read their book, A Garden Gallery: The Plants, Art, and Hardscape of Little and Lewis, years ago and their style was immediately recognizable.

Puget Sound abounds with big-leafed plants.  The one featured on the left is Darmera peltata, the umbrella plant.  I'm unsure of the identify of those featured in the photo on the right.

While I can't identify the large shrub on the far left, I believe the climber is Hydrangea petiolaris

I loved the way these Hydrangeas were snuggled into their woodland settings

My guess is that the variegated plant mixed in with the ferns may be Impatiens omeiana, a species I've never seen among those sold in Southern California

The plant on the left may be Polygonatum variegatum, aka Solomon's seal, but I don't have a clue as to the identities of the other 2 plants

Flowering plants, from the upper left: noID, a lily of some kind, a variegated Pelargonium, and what I assume is a Symphyotricum

Ponds are scattered across Heronswood's site but this was the largest one I came across

A truly impressive tree stump

Some equally impressive tree ferns

A downed tree functioning as a natural garden decoration

The S'Klallam Connections Garden, still a work in progress, flows from the Woodland Garden.

During the brief introduction we received, we were told that the traditions of the S'Kallam tribe require that fallen totems are allowed to remain and decay where they fall 

From the Woodland Garden, I moved on into the Formal Garden that surrounds Hinkley and Jones's original home, now used as offices for garden staff.  I spent a lot of time in this area before we broke for lunch.  There were plenty of flowers in bloom, which may explain that preoccupation on my part.

I photographed the beds surrounded by boxwood from numerous angles

A decorative fountain in a garden that generally let plants shine without man-made accents

Miscellaneous flowers that I could at least identify by genus.  Top row: dried Allium, Astrantia, and Eryngium
Middle: Heliopsis, Hydrangea, and Lavatera
Bottom: Lilium, Persicaria, and Rosa

What my phone app consistently identifies as Inula helenium, aka Elecampane and elkdock

A bountiful Clematis

Closer to the house/office, there were still more interesting plants and flowers, including a small pond surrounded by carnivorous specimens.

Note the unique hedge used to enclose the area

Heather and Denise posing with my camera pointed toward an opening to another area beyond the hedge

Closeup photos of the pond and its plants

There were a lot of other interesting plant combinations

Beds close to the house/office

I loved both these shrubs but couldn't identify them, not that I expect either would be happy in my hot, dry part of Southern California

A few more plants that I could identify, at least in general terms.

My guess is that the plant on the left is Cercis canadensis 'Rising Sun', which I've only seen once in SoCal, fried almost beyond recognition.  I tried growing the Mukdenia rossii shown in the photo on the right once but it didn't survive long.

The garden also supported a few clumps of the lilies I later had identified for me as Lilium 'Zeba'.  I was obsessed with this plant and, upon learning its name, I pre-ordered 3 bulbs for delivery in February.  I've had success with some Orienpet lilies but I don't know how well this one will do.

2 other lily varieties I can't identify

6 more flowering plants I saw, clockwise from the upper left: Acanthus, Agapanthus (a genus of plants I can grow!), more dried Alliums, Dierama, Eryngium, and Sanguisorba

That does it for a summary of my Heronswood tour.  You can find more comprehensive coverage in Gerhard Bock's post at Succulents and More here and in two posts by Pam Penick at Digging here and here.

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