Garden Fling 2024: Carhart Garden on Vashon Island

 

We arrived at Carhart Garden and were met by the kind and enthusiastic owners, Mary & Whit Carhart. I've linked an article from the Seattle Times to the garden's name above so that you can read more about the property from someone that interviewed the couple. When I walked around their expansive 3-acre garden property, I felt like I was dropped inside terrarium. A closed system where everything was thriving and working together in a beautiful world. Paths that had once been forged by deer had been covered in wood chips and made to safely take plant lovers through the huge sloping landscape. This is their hillside waterfall and pond.

The property was almost tiered as we walked down toward the house and waterfront. The shade loving plants were loving the dappled light.

Can you imagine? I was overwhelmed. It was beautiful. And was the largest personal garden I think I have ever seen. Each plant selected and planted by this lovely couple. 

Their unique garden storage building adds such whimsy to the woods. Do elves live inside? I think this would be a beautiful cover for a folk album.

The garden does have many pieces of art tucked into the landscape. I don't usually photograph garden art, but these statues of children dancing among the grass stood out to me. The palette and scale worked so beautifully in this area.

The color of these lipstick red poppies against the backdrop of Quartermaster Harbor was fantastic.

Our Garden Fling group was split between 2 buses (50 per bus) and we staggered when we arrived at gardens so as not to overwhelm. I enjoyed meeting the attendees of The Fling so much. My badge identified this as my 1st Fling and attendees went out of their way to make me feel welcome.

Mary Carhart wanted to make sure we walked up to her wildflower meadow. It was a riot of color and it really reminded me of cupcake sprinkles. Every photo was better than the next and each had a completely different combination of flowers in bloom.

I mean, Ka-Pow! 
 

I'm including this photo because it lets you see the rise where the wildflower meadow slopes down to the house, with Quartermaster Harbor in the distance. Just look at the beautiful trees. What an incredible piece of PNW property. We were so lucky to be able to tour it at our leisure with the owners on hand to answer questions and encourage exploration. 

Here I am with Seattle Times journalist Erica Brown Grivas and NW horticulture expert Marianne Binetti on the start of our amazing Garden Fling 2024.

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