PORT TOWNSEND — Two things you need to know about Saturday’s Secret Garden Tour: One, have a plan, and two, pace yourself.
Planning and pacing are necessary because this year’s tour offers entry into nine private gardens plus a neighborhood garden, two more than in the past. All are in the uptown area of Port Townsend, allowing visitors to walk part or all the route if they want.
“It’s about 3 miles,” said Kris Burns, tour coordinator.
Whether you go by foot or car, the time and energy are worth the effort, Burns said.
The gardens are distinctive in a town known for beautiful, unique gardens.
“Each one shows a different personality,” Burns said.
To take them all in, park near the Farmers Market, on Tyler Street between Lawrence and Clay, and start at one of the four gardens within walking distance — numbers 5 through 8 on the tour map.
Two literally secret
Two are literally secret gardens: large landscaped yards that you wouldn’t know existed if you walked by.
Garden No. 8, which was featured in Better Homes and Gardens two years ago, was designed for all-season color by owner Kate Schumann and covers two city lots.
Garden No.7, created by Lars Thomas, features a colorful front garden, distracting the eye from a wooden gate that opens onto the landscaped side yard with shade beds.
Garden No. 6 is an example of what can be done with an open city lot and imagination.
Former nursery owner Sarah Fairbank filled the street-side garden with hardy plants and built raised beds for vegetables surrounding a small patio in back. Fairbank also keeps mason bees and installed a cistern fed by a rooftop water collection system.
“My garden is a total science project,” Fairbank said. “I’m always cutting and propagating.”
Garden No. 5 resembles a botanical garden filled with exotic plants and covers half a city block.
Allow plenty of time to explore this garden’s winding paths and stop to examine the “wow” plants, which will be labeled.
“It reflects the personality of its owner,” Burns said, referring to Susan Ambrosius. “It’s exuberant, full of life.”
For a break, the Port Townsend Farmers Market at the Port Townsend Community Center will be open until 1:30 p.m., offering grilled salmon, seafood chowder, ethnic food, cheese and bakery items. The bathrooms in the center’s basement recreation area, accessible by the south doors, make a handy place to wash up.
Second half
For the second half of the tour, you might want to drive rather than walk up Tyler Street to Morgan Hill.
Parking between Taft Street and Sather Park, you can walk to gardens 1 through 4, plus visit the community garden.
Garden No. 2, created by textile designer Judi Bird, features mature native plantings framed by tall cedars and wooden gates.
Garden No. 1 has unique rhododendrons and ferns set in lush beds. The landscape plan was created by owner Elsa Golts with the help of her dog.
“She watched her dog run around in the yard,” Burns said. “Then she laid out her garden around the dog’s path.”
No. 3 is a cottage garden complete with white picket fence created by Dicksey Scott.
No. 4 is a guy garden, a mix of flowers, vegetables, grape arbor and greenhouse. Owner Roger McPherson keeps three different types of composting bins going to see which one works best.
“Roger is all about the soil,” Burns said.
Garden No. 9 is a bit off the route, but its luxuriant cottage garden, designed by Steve and Pat Herkal to attract birds and butterflies, makes an appropriate conclusion to the tour.
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Port Townsend/Jefferson County reporter-columnist Jennifer Jackson can be reached at jjackson@olypen.com.
