The Seattle Times: Pacific NW 10/29/2006: Showy Through The Seasons

Northwest Living By Valerie Easton

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Showy Through The Seasons

An old garden finds new vitality with foliage, art and a bedstead or two

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

A golden catalpa tree, cut back every other year to keep it a reasonable size, stands out in the predominantly green old garden.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Birdhouses dot the property, welcoming winged visitors who find sanctuary here from all the development in the neighborhood.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

A kinetic wind sculpture by Seattle artist Andrew Carson hovers over the patio looking as if it's about to take off into the trees.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

A gargoyle contemplates the garden from his perch among hens-and-chick sedum planted in a stone birdbath.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Fluffy, pale astilbe blooms and rodgersia leaves foam up around an old bedstead punctuating a planting bed near the pond.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Duckweed is left to coat the surface of the pond in summer, protecting koi and goldfish from predatory heron, and keeping down the water temperature. When the weather cools in autumn, the little bits of duckweed glint shades of purple and bronze.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

This blown-glass bottle was in pieces when Kathy found it. Glued together, its shiny orange swirls accent the black blades of mondo grass.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

The old garden is updated with touches like this arbor, bamboo screen, urn and colorful foliage plantings by the front door, all taking the place of one big old rhododendron.

KATHY SIVERTSEN doesn't like to throw anything away and is quick to whip out the Gorilla Glue. Combine those preoccupations with a passion for plants, and you end up with a funky, art-filled garden. Just a few blocks from Bellevue Square, the Sivertsen bungalow is surrounded by construction and brand new mega-houses. The shingle-sided old home nestles down in its green, green garden like a gentle mirage among the barrage of change shaking the pleasant old neighborhood.

Greg and Kathy Sivertsen bought their bungalow in 1989, attracted by the potential for gardens around a house that sits squarely in the center of its lot. The couple modestly claims that the garden has simply evolved through the years. The colorful foliage plants, roomy pond and numerous pieces of art and quirky objects tell a different story.

The couple started with a half acre gardened since 1914. Originally their land was cultivated in strawberry fields and fruit orchards. More recent owners had planted enough dogwoods, azaleas, andromeda, rhododendrons and conifers to ring the garden in privacy. "The garden had all the bones when we started," says Kathy. "It felt like being out in the country." A towering blue atlas cedar holds pride of place in the backyard, its drooping branches sheltering an entire shade garden of salal, ferns and epimedium.

The beauty of letting it be

The Sivertsens have updated their garden for seasonal interest while leaving much of the original planting in place for privacy and the wildlife in rapidly growing Bellevue. Here's how they've hit the right note between old and new:

• Colorful foliage plants such as golden catalpa (Catalpa bignoides 'Aurea'), golden hydrangea (H. macrophylla 'Lemon Zest') and variegated ornamental grasses enliven the usual Northwest mix of rhododendrons, andromeda and conifers.

• Instead of fighting the shade from mature trees and shrubs, the couple cleared out laurel and planted a textural array of under-story plants such as hosta, ferns, epimedium, rodgersia, lady's mantle, and astilbe.

• Found objects, art and pots decorate every nook of the garden, from glass balls floating in the pond to old metal bedsteads amid the shrubbery.

• An expansive pond and waterfall create a focal point for the deck and patio.

Like many old gardens, this one bloomed promiscuously in the spring, then lapsed into a daze of summer green. After the Sivertsens added a big back porch overlooking the garden, they set out to make the space showy all through the summer. "We have a lot of parties out here," says Greg of the terrace bordering the pond. Now the garden sustains its good looks three seasons of the year with a rich mix of colored and textural foliage plants. All the greens of the old rhodies stand out against a golden catalpa in the front garden. Kathy cuts the tree down to the ground every other year to keep it border-sized, and its brilliant golden color brightens the whole front garden.

Around the corner, the pond and waterfall take center stage. A prehistoric-looking splay of huge gunnera leaves emerges from the water. Japanese maples, spiky iris, pleated rodgersia and golden grasses soften the rocks around the pond, making the whole area feel ancient and cool as a grotto. A hot red umbrella, lanterns and lively kinetic sculpture by Andrew Carson offer pleasing contrasts. Unfortunately, predatory birds are attracted to the pond and the shiny fish swimming lazily about. "We have heron issues," says Kathy.

This is a well-decked-out garden, from the salvaged window frame dressing up an old wooden fence to the wind sculpture purchased at a Bellevue Botanical Garden auction. Kathy has an eye for objects, and whether it's glass candlestick, old bedstead, urn or birdhouse, each injects personality into the garden while calling attention to the plants around it.

Perhaps the harmony of the garden stems as much from the working relationship of its owners as from its skillful planting. Kathy does most of the gardening; her husband acknowledges she's the plumber in the family, always tweaking the drip irrigation system. Greg prunes the trees and mows the lawn. They've recently purchased a house high on a bluff on Whidbey Island, where Kathy is contemplating a more rugged style of gardening, and Greg is looking forward to not having any lawn at all.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times staff photographer.

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