Day 1, Friday, September 5: ARRIVAL
Tour members arrange their own transportation to Seattle and the Hotel Andra, where a reservation has been made. We will gather for a welcome dinner this evening at the hotel restaurant (included in tour price).
Day 2, Saturday, September 6: THE GARDENS OF CAMILLE PAULSEN, MEAGAN & MAC GRAY AND CAROLINE & AL GALICIC
After breakfast we’ll travel to the garden of our host, Camille Paulsen. Perched on a ridge above the Orting Valley, her garden has a strong Northwest vibe. It includes many mature Japanese maples and conifers along with a foliage-focused perennial palette. Stroll the path through the Asian-influenced shade garden complete with Torri gate, enjoy a serene woodland waterfall that flows into a pond and be sure to ask Camille to share the story about getting the massive stumpery log into the yard.
Next we’ll visit Meagan and Mac Gray’s garden, where large stones and a rock scree help stabilize the steep slope and add texture to the lush plantings. From the deck you’ll enjoy sweeping views of Commencement Bay and Mt. Rainier. Follow the adjoining path to an intimate patio nestled behind the house and surrounded by a small grove of white birch trees, small waterfall and a plethora of shade- loving plants. We’ll enjoy lunch here (included) before continuing with the tour.
Our final garden visit today will be the half-acre garden of Caroline and Al Galicic. It's been divided into seven distinct zones: From a lush tropical jungle featuring a koi pond and cascading waterfalls, the garden seamlessly transitions into a sun-drenched Mediterranean border. A short walk leads to a cool, shady woodland. Navigating the garden's intricate cobblestone pathways, you'll discover thousands of unique plants. Be sure to explore the beautifully designed ornamental vegetable garden, where each plant serves either an edible or medicinal purpose.
We’ll return to our hotel and tonight you'll be free to have dinner on your own.
Day 3, Sunday, September 7: HERONSWOOD, WINDCLIFF, THE KAREN BRINDLEY GARDEN
We’ll start the day with a ferry ride to the Kitsap Peninsula and Heronswood Garden, where you can travel the world without leaving the garden. Set in 15 acres, the garden is owned and operated by the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe and is the only Tribally owned botanical garden in the country. Originally created by renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley, Heronswood comprises six unique yet integrated gardens featuring rare and wild-collected plants from six continents. Walk through the woodland and Formal Gardens designed by Dan, the newly added Rock Garden to see wild-collected alpines and wander the diverse fern plantings of the Renaissance Garden. The Traveler's Garden features plant collections from the enchanting landscapes of Vietnam, the lush flora of Chile and the diverse ecosystems of the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of California and Oregon. And don’t miss the S'Klallam Connections Garden, which shines a light on plants holding cultural significance to the S’Klallam Tribe. We'll share a lunch here (included).
After lunch, we'll short drive takes us to Dan Hinkley’s Windcliff Garden, which sits on a high south-facing bluff overlooking the Salish Sea. At his 6.5-acre garden and nursery Dan evaluates and propagates plants he’s collected in the wild from similar climates around the world.
Our final visit of the day will be the garden of Karen Brindley. Designed by Shayne Chandler in 2010, it's a 3-acre oasis filled with rare and unusual plants. There’s something to enjoy in every season, from “out of the box” vegetables to winter-blooming daphne and fragrant sweet box that provide a sweetly scented greeting. In the south-facing backyard sun-loving cacti and Mediterranean plants are set against the stunning backdrop of Puget Sound.
We’ll take the return ferry to Seattle and gather for dinner together (included).
Day 4, Monday, September 8: The GARDENS OF LISA BAUER, GILLIAN MATHEWS, VANGIE & DANIEL PEPPER, FREE TIME IN SEATTLE
We'll start our day at the garden of landscape designer Lisa Bauer. Her small Seattle yard is a treasure trove of plants, design inspiration and tips for piecing together a garden plan. There’s no wasted space: The garden is packed with color and texture all year. A comfortable deck with an elegant water feature in the backyard is thoughtfully combined with vibrant borders where Lisa indulges her love of horticultural gems and whimsical art.
Gillian Mathews has transformed what was once a small lawn-covered urban lot into a sophisticated texture-rich garden with the help of designer, Richard Hartlage of Land Morphology. Foliage-focused plantings with pops of orange fill the front yard, providing all-season interest and a warm welcome. As you wander toward the backyard, you'll see espaliered apples in corten steel troughs in the sideyard. Well-defined spaces at different levels in the backyard provide places for dining, relaxing and growing cut flowers and vegetables. Keep an eye out for some of GIllian's upcycled treasures.
We’ll end our tours with the garden of Vangie and Daniel Pepper. It gracefully descends in layers from street level, through the house and down to the shores of Lake Washington. Colorful perennials and shrubs, courtyards, fountains and pergolas covered in grape vines and roses wait for your discovery. Off the kitchen you'll find a raised herb garden, complete with pizza oven and cozy dining area. And as you wander lakeside you’ll come across a terrace that offers stunning views of Mt. Rainier, Lake Washington and Husky Stadium, making it an ideal place to take a break and enjoy the view. An allée of roses leads to a serene grove of crape myrtles and hydrangeas surrounding a Lewis & Little birdbath.
After lunch together here (included), we’ll return to our hotel and you’ll have the afternoon and evening free to explore the sites and restaurants of downtown Seattle.
Day 5, Tuesday, September 9: THE GARDENS OF STACIE CROOKS, MILLIE LIVINGSTON AND DUNN GARDENS
Our first stop today will be the garden of Stacie Crooks. It combines contemporary Mediterranean style with drought-tolerant plants. Notice the creative screening, layered plantings and numerous containers she’s used to transform her narrow front yard into an inviting entry and relaxing patio seating area under the shelter of an enormous deciduous tree. The borders in back are filled with color and texture from low-maintenance trees and shrubs to create a park-like setting that she and her family enjoy all year.
We'll take a midday break in downtown Edmunds, where you'll have free time to grab a bite on your own.
Perched on a bluff above Puget Sound, the woodland garden of Millie Livingston began with a 9-foot granite retaining wall to hold a steep slope in place in the front of the house. One thing led to another, and over the next 35 years she created an extensive network of granite steps, more retaining walls, meandering woodland paths, a stream, water features, a teahouse perched over a ravine, a rope bridge suspended over a creek and a beautiful mosaic floor in the vegetable garden. These features form the backdrop for an enormous collection of enchanting trees, shrubs and woodland plants.
Finally, we’ll visit Dunn Gardens, designed in 1915 by the renowned landscape architecture firm The Olmsted Brothers. We’ll take a guided tour of this 7.5-acre sanctuary of natural beauty nestled discreetly in the heart of suburbia. While the original home no longer stands, the Olmsted landscape structure and its foundational “bones” have remained and been enhanced for today’s visitors. We'll see broad lawns surrounded by majestic trees, shady borders and will be able to take a short woodland walk.
After our day of touring, we’ll return to Seattle, where you’ll have dinner on your own.
Day 6, Wednesday, September 10: BUTCHART GARDENS
This morning we’ll check out of our hotel and take the ferry to Vancouver Island. Grab a light lunch on the ferry because we’ll be having high tea at the iconic Butchart Gardens. You’ll have plenty of time to take in all the beauty this amazing garden has to offer. On the site of a former quarry, Jenny Butchart started transforming the landscape in 1912 by having topsoil hauled in by horse and cart. The 5-acre sunken garden is now home to 151 flower beds filled with artfully designed displays of bedding plants, Japanese maples and other colorful deciduous trees, shrubs and evergreens that make this garden a must-see stop in every season. Nearby is an impressive collection of 2,500 floribundas, rambling, climbing and hybrid tea roses in a wide range of vibrant colors. Take a walk through the 1-acre Japanese garden and enjoy the serene beauty of graceful Japanese maples and beech trees,which will be in their fall glory. Follow the flowing streams and enjoy other shade plants in this peaceful part of the garden. The family’s former tennis court is now home to an Italian garden with a formal design, colorful annual displays and water feature surrounded by blooms. Make the short walk over the Mediterranean Garden to see drought-resistant and tropical beauties, such as cannas, bananas and palms, along with succulents of all sizes, shapes and colors.
We’ll check into our hotel in Victoria at the end of the day and have the evening free to find dinner or explore on our own.
Day 7, Thursday, September 11: THE GARDEN OF LILY MAXWELL
This morning, we’ll tour garden designer Lily Maxwell’s sunny sloping half-
acre property. The yard was a blank canvas when Lily bought the property 35
years ago but now it’s filled with a colorful selection of trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs that create a vibrant but tranquil atmosphere year round. Follow the stone and gravel pathways that wind through the yard and even into borders, where you enjoy the plants up close. Awarded Best Garden in Canada by Canadian Gardening magazine in 1999, Lily isn’t one to rest on her laurels and is always looking for plants that perform better and ways to improve the design. She’s the first to agree that a garden is never finished!
After this final garden of our tour, we'll board the ferry back to Seattle. On arrival, we'll check into our hotel near the airport and gather one last time for a farewell dinner and to reminisce about our travels together.
Day 8, Friday, September 12: DEPARTURE
Our time together will end, but garden lovers can find fresh inspiration wherever they are. Tour members can choose to return home or carry on the adventure.
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