Northwest Magazines

Where Gardeners Love to Share

Learn the secrets of inspired gardeners in Gig Harbor, Washington.

Gardeners love to share the glories of their hard work—a favorite rose
at the peak of bloom, a young apple tree bearing its first fruit, a newly acquired urn or statue. They love to share the lessons they’ve learned from working with seeds and soil and weather. But, most of all, gardeners love to share their passion and their enthusiasm.

To garden, they will tell you, is to be truly alive.

And so they say in Gig Harbor, Washington, a town filled with gardeners who love to share, as demonstrated during the annual Gig Harbor Garden Tour.

Hundreds of visitors participate in the self-guided tour each June, eager to see the featured gardens and experience firsthand the beauty, inspiration, and practical advice.

A good map and clear driving directions in the tour’s illustrated program, as well as helpful signs along the route, guide visitors to the gardens. Each garden is unique. The 2005 tour, for example, featured six gardens that varied in size and style.

Bonita Bailarina, Spanish for “pretty dancer,” demonstrated that good planning and a clever use of space can transform a small city lot into an oasis.

On a larger scale, the owners of Paulson’s Farm and Park faced the challenge of turning a vast jungle of derelict land into a family retreat. Today, Paulson’s 20 acres include horse pastures, a children’s play area, vegetable and flower gardens, manicured lawns, and woodsy trails.

With regard to style, Uccelli Felici, Italian for “happy birds,” presented cool formality set against mature woodland. A descending walkway edged in hostas led visitors to a lawn and a statue of the Greek goddess Hebe. True to its name, Uccelli Felici rang with the sweet calls of birds.

By contrast, the informal yard of the Creative Gardener demonstrated that when regarded as an out-door laboratory, one can cultivate plants for many uses: beauty for the eye, food for the table, and raw materials for craft projects.

Mystery, whimsy, and a sense of humor—three of the most playful elements in gardening—created interest.

FYI: Since 1998 the Gig Harbor Garden Tour has showcased outstanding private gardens, and, in the spirit of sharing, donates all proceeds to the cause of adult literacy through the Peninsula Adult Basic Education Program of Tacoma Community College (253-851-2424; www.gigharborgardentour.com). The 2006 10th annual tour is scheduled June 23 and 24. Contact the college for tickets and information.

Contact the Gig Harbor Visitor Center (888-843-9444; gigharborguide.com) for accommodations, and visitor
information.

Northwest Travel Magazine May/June 2007

In one garden, a winding path led to a stone figure tucked among the ferns, while in another a collection of watering cans served as ornaments on a trellis. Wheel-barrows brimmed with sedums, vintage windows twined with honeysuckle lent a sweet air of nostalgia, and an old manual typewriter provided an unusual focal point.

Northwest native plants mingled with the exotic. A clump of Oregon grape decorated a stone wall, rhododendrons softened an evergreen border, and the enormous leaves of a gunnera sheltered a swath of shade-loving impatiens.

Water played an important role in each garden. An elaborate stream and waterfall feature transformed a once-barren hillside into a wonderland of moisture-loving plants and swimming koi. Shaded pools invited quiet meditation, birdbaths attracted wildlife, and a tiny gurgling fountain illustrated that a water feature can fit into even the smallest yards.

Live music, artisans at work, and a variety of vendors enhance the tour. Visitors stroll through gardens to the lilting notes of harp and cello, watch artists paint scenes of flowers and pergolas and picket fences, and browse among pavilions that sell garden ornaments, seeds and plant starts, and bird feeders.

To round out the tour, master gardeners are on hand to answer questions and share their knowledge. Demonstrations cover such wide-ranging topics as deer-resistant gardening, the miracles of composting, and rose varieties that grow best in the Northwest.

Small wonder that garden tours have become so popular—they provide a day of fun that is both inspirational and instructive. The 10th Annual Gig Harbor Garden Tour is one of the best, so mark your calendars—June 23 and 24—and come to Gig Harbor, where the gardeners love to share.