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.
Aha! I saw some of your photos on Instagram and wondered what tour you were on. This does look like a lovely, well-planned and manicured garden. Like yours, mine is much more disheveled, unplanned and dare-I-say out of control. Thanks for sharing more of your pictures from the tour.
ReplyDeleteHi Alison! I miss, for different reasons, many NPA tours, so this tour was kind of compensation for those missed!
DeleteThe tour organizers tried to include different types of gardens, and each garden had its admirers. I heard a lot of compliments in this garden. The guests liked serenity, sense of calmness and rhythm. The pond and the vegetable garden with a chicken coop got lots of praise.
I wish I could have a pond in my garden, but our fir trees would turn it to a permanent cleaning project...
It is quite neat and tidy. Everything where it should be.
ReplyDeleteLisa, it's true! The garden is young and well prepared for the tour.
DeleteThis garden is well planned and groomed. Given time it will become more exuberant.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Linda! It has enough space for experiments and play!
DeleteJust a little too tidy for my taste, too. But as Linda says, give it time. Now is just a snapshot in time.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue! The tour organizers put an extra effort in selecting gardens for different tastes, and this garden got lots of compliments. I hope to have time to show other gardens. They all were unique!
DeleteUnique makes it worthwhile visiting. The gardens I find depressing are formulaic, not personal.
DeleteWhat a neat vegetable garden!
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful place to visit and and observing the beauty of nature!
ReplyDeleteGreetings
So well tended! Everything looks pristine. Currently the chaos of my own garden is bugging me so seeing this garden was calming. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDelete