Cramscape Admiration -Garden Fling 2024

 I admit I love a well done cramscape and the Berk-Kessler garden in Seattle is a great addition to my Cramscape Hall of Fame. In case you are wondering about previous entries to the CHOF , well there aren't any because I have only recently (i.e. yesterday) invented it. I fancy myself to be a cramscaper but have come to the realization in the last year that I am a Cramscape Imposter particularly when it comes to the edges of my garden. The Berk Kessler garden exposed my tepid attempts at packing the plants in. It wasn't long after returning from Puget Sound Fling that I started acquiring, dividing, and moving plants to correct my cramscape failures. Lets take a look at what inspired me in this abundant PNW garden. 

  I've visited a fair number of gardens public and private in the US. It took me many years to realize that some plants -though perfectly cold hardy-just don't care for my summers here in Northern California wine country. We can grow Cabernet all day but many of the plants in this photo struggle with our hot , dry summers. Astilbe? Forget it. Rodgersia? Tried and failed. Hostas ? Sold to a gullible clientele including me at one point-snails eat them in spring and the heat fries them in summer. But this same look can be archived if one just concentrates on climate adapted plants. 

The lot surrounding this 1916 home is quite steep and has been terraced up from the street-and the terraces are full to the brim of plants.

 This is a view from the street -I wish I had taken the time to get a better perspective but the plants were calling me. 

 A bit of sidewalk cramscape against the first level of  retaining wall .

Art pieces were not obtrusive in any way-how could they be with so many plants ?? 

  The owners of the garden are collectors and have combined the abundance of genera and variety artfully enough to create cohesion where a less skilled gardener might have ended up with chaos. 

 

There were flowers scattered throughout but the primary impact to my eyes was provided by foliage and texture. 

Speaking of texture this fuzzy number had my camera trained on it a number of times. I identified it as a Potentilla similar to one I had seen first in the Kuzma garden in Portland. I acquired one -where I don't know but I know it wasn't here in Norcal so assume it was from the likes of Cistus or Dancing Oaks. Of course it passed away quietly within a year and I haven't seen it since . I started searching it out when I returned from Fling and found it offered by Far Reaches in Port Townsend Wa. It's now classified as Argentina lineata but apparently can be sourced also as Potentilla gelida from some growers. I will be ordering one-every plant gets at least 3 tries here before I give up. 

  I've barely scratched the surface of this garden as I focused so closely on the plant combinations and failed to get wide shots that would display the full environment. Check out the Garden Fling Website for more posts and photos of this garden.