Shelagh Tucker's Seattle Garden

Our second day of garden touring included the Elizabeth Miller garden, the University of Washington Botanical Garden and Arboretum and the private garden of Shelagh Tucker. We toured the Miller garden first (I will post on it later) and then drove to a local park to have lunch. Along the way, we passed a house that I noticed out my window and I thought "Oh that looks like an interesting garden". It turned out that this was the next stop after we had lunch!

Situated on a steep hillside, Shelagh Tucker's garden is a xeric garden in front and an English-style cottage garden in back. What fun this was!

Here is the garden description -

"It's possible that the three previous owners of this large city property were gardeners. However, almost nothing remains the same! The extensive front lawn was converted into a "Summer Dry Garden" in 2003. Plantings here include drought resistant plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia - all of which grow without summer irrigation. In the back garden, the lawn was substantially reduced, a woodland garden was built to give shade to a very sunny lot and to join the garden to the large ravine behind. The ravine is a natural area and part of Carkeek Park. There are also many large perennial borders growing herbaceous perennials and shrubs. There is a fish pond and a conservatory in the back garden. A small vegetable area serves the house with sumer foods."

First, the front garden which features drought-tolerant plants on a series of terraces -

 

 

 

 

 

The Echiums were the largest I've ever seen (they are to the left in the photo below and also in the header photo). I tried to grow one of these the first year I moved to Washington and it did not survive the winter despite the fact that I covered it every time the temperatures dipped. That was the winter of the heavy snowfall and cold temperatures. Perhaps I should try again. It is certainly a dramatic plant.

 

 

Now we step through a jasmine-covered garden gate and enter the back garden which is a totally different affair. First, a water feature -

The back garden is filled with perennial borders popping with color -

 

More magnificent lilies -

A plant that recently came onto my radar is Veronicacastrum and I was thrilled to see it growing in Shelah's garden and spectacularly so, I must say. I've never seen this plant at our nursery and may have to resort to mail-order but I want some!

 

Thank you Shelagh for sharing your vibrant garden!

 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy