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Northwest Living By Valerie Easton
Flat-Out IntriguingWater, stone and structure transform a plain plane into a series of surprises
MONIKA AND JIM Jackson's garden is an island of leafy green in a sea of mega-houses. It's really more of an islet, an old cottage marooned among new mansions. Yet the garden is private, shielded from all the development in this construction-ridden Medina neighborhood by a thick hedging of established trees and shrubs. The yellow-and-white cottage floats above the long, rectangular garden like a viewing platform, looking out over pond and shrubbery. Twelve years ago when the Jacksons bought the place, there wasn't much to look at besides weeds, weeds and more weeds. Monika had never gardened. "We had to learn fast," is how she explains the transformation of an overgrown mess into a property featured on a Bellevue garden tour a couple of years ago. "It was hard to make this garden interesting," says Jackson of what was, after the weeds were eradicated, merely a flat, vacant lot. She admits to a great many mistakes the first few years, including planting far too many self-seeding plants. At first, Jackson's plant choices were all about flower and fluffiness, but over the years she's learned to emphasize year-round structure, declaring that if a garden doesn't look good in winter, it's not a good garden. Ideas for seasonal sizzle Variegated salix (Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki'). A billowy fluff of slender green and white leaves in summer; in winter, its bare stems and twigs turn bright coral. California lilac (Ceanothus ssp.). From groundcovers to large shrubs, ceanothus has shiny evergreen leaves and blue May flowers. New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax). This one lends dark drama and architectural lines to the garden year-round. Dogwoods (Cornus ssp.). Expect creamy spring bloom and autumn fruit. After the leaves fall, their graceful shape adds structure to the garden. Camellias. Glossy leaves are evergreen; showy flowers appear in late winter and early spring. Escallonia langleyensis 'Apple Blossom.' The South American evergreen is ideal for loose hedging, with pretty pale pink flowers that bloom for months. Jackson has moved on from flowers to create a series of softly defined rooms laid out in such an intriguing way that you have no idea what to expect as you wind your way around. Stands of bronze phormium, stately urns, trees and arbors define garden spaces. Jackson loves old-fashioned plants such as roses, hydrangeas, camellias and clematis, with plenty of ornamental grasses mixed in. Much of her inspiration comes from the skillful plant combinations in the Bellevue Botanical Garden's perennial border. This is a do-it-yourself couple. Jim Jackson laid the stone patio and built all the brick and stone walls that add dimension to the garden. They renovated the pond and waterfall to soften the sound of splashing and to better integrate the pond into the garden. Monika is planning a long grape arbor for the back recesses of the garden, where she'll tuck two hammocks beneath the shade of the grape leaves. "There are so many places to sit, people always linger," she says. Gardening turned out to be so much fun that Monika has turned professional, making gardens for other people. "I do the software, anything green," she explains. "I don't do retaining walls or drainage, just the fun parts like planting up pots." Her profession has led to some challenges in her own garden. "I always use the leftovers from the gardens I decorate," she explains. "I never have my own color scheme." Absorbing the cast-offs from her other jobs hasn't marred the abundance of her garden. When you enter through a moon gate at the side of the cottage, the garden opens up like an invitation. Pathways coax you along beneath the arbors to find a table and chairs, a bench, statue, pot or tiny toolshed. The journey offers plenty of plants to admire along the way, as well as spots to pause, sit a minute and inhale the rose perfume. As with any paradise, this one has its wormy apple. "I'm not really a maintenance person," says Jackson. "I always have to rescue the garden . . . I really should just stay on top of it." Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and contributing editor for Horticulture magazine. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net. Barry Wong is a Seattle-based freelance photographer. He can be reached at studio@barrywongphoto.com.
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