This was the 30th and last 'Bainbridge in Bloom' Garden Tour that benefits AHB (Arts & Humanities Bainbridge) which supports cultural organizations and artists.
During those 30 tours, garden lovers (approximate 50,000) enjoyed 150 beautiful, diverse gardens on the island.
This year, I had a chance to visit six gardens. Today, I'm sharing with you pictures of Kate and Laurent's garden 'Tranquil Water Sanctuary' - this is how their garden was nicknamed by the 'Bainbridge in Bloom' organizers. As the nickname implies, it has a prominent water feature that became a favorite among the tour guests. The big pond with a waterfall attracted everyone's attention.
Truly a piece of garden art!
I personally was especially drawn to the Cotinus with its horizontal shape and vivid wine-red color.
I love Cotinus coggugria (Smoke bush) for its shapeability. In my own garden, I realized how flexible this fast-growing tree is and how many configurations you can give it with pruning.
The garden wraps around the house. Neat paths are outlined with Japanese maples and birches and framed with carefully selected grasses, shrubs, ferns, groundcovers and perennials.
Grasses provide a rhythm, and rhododendrons, hellebore, heuchera, brunnera, digitalis and peonies add excitement with their colorful blooms.
I wouldn't say that garden art pieces were in abundance, but each beautiful piece is tastefully and thoughtfully placed.
The garden is young, and the plants have space to grow and spread.
Now, here is the vegetable garden designed by Kate herself. It got its fair share of admiration.
New chicken coop:
Edible flowers are included in the raised beds.
For me, this garden looked like a chapter from a textbook, so well planned and thoughtfully planted.
I never compare gardens as each of them serves its owners and reflects their tastes.
Although my own garden is more disheveled and far less planned, I see some features that I could use. Among them, carefully chosen plants and their smart arrangements to give the garden a sense of unity. As they say, repetition, repetition, repetition!
Thank you, Kate and Laurent, for opening your garden for us, for preparing it so well for the tour and for answering multiple questions asked by the guests!
People really enjoyed it.
