Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Lakewold

On Saturday morning we joined some of the members of our NPA neighborhood garden group to tour Lakewold Gardens.

 Tom and I have been there several times before and encouraged our group to go early in the spring so we could see the  Erythroniums in bloom. 


 Since Jill was in the mountains again teaching a Mountaineering class, we had the kids for the day. They weren't too excited about coming along, but I told them I would get them a map of the garden and they could go off on their own. With map in hand, they took off and that was about the last I saw of them.

The garden is a 10 acre estate garden located in Lakewood, south of Tacoma, on the shore of Gravelly Lake. Mature trees line the circle drive and are under planted with big old rhododendrons. 


 And there they are, the Erythroniums!  Commonly known as Fawn Lilies, and in the mountain meadows as Avalanche Lilies, they come in several colors. There were yellow and while ones in other locations, but I forgot to take photos of them. 
 Also in bloom were large patches of cyclamen. 
 And wonderful species rhodies. 

 In front of the house, inside the circular drive, is the flag lawn. 

 The formal parterres near the house were planted with tulips. 


 Down in the glen the Japanese maples were leafing out. I love the new pink leaves!
 There is a wonderful shade garden under a huge fir tree on the edge of the lawn. 
 In it are these wonderful red trillium. 
 Downhill, through tall azaleas and rhodies and specimen trees, we come to the lake. 
 There is so much more to see along the way but I was too busy leading the way and answering questions to take many photos. 
 A corner of the house has formal touches and a knot garden. At the far right is a wisteria covered patio. It would be worth it to return in about three weeks when it is in bloom. 


 A view from the house across the great lawn to the lake. 

As you can see, it was another beautiful day. The kids reported that they had a good time, and saw a squirrel, ducks, and a hummingbird. 

We had a good time too. And then we left the garden group members to do their own thing and we took the kids to IHop, where we all had yummy breakfasts for lunch. 

14 comments:

  1. Great shots of the Trilliums and the Erythroniums! Two of my favorite spring ephemerals.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a good time was had by all. I actually recognized some of those flowers. I enjoy the cyclamen. Never knew there was a hardy version until I moved to Oregon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aha! I remember your showing us those red trilliums. I think it's the first time we saw them. I hope the kids had a good time running around and exploring their own. What a gorgeous place!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm impressed with the precisely trimmed hedges. and then there's lots of shape and color as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful! I look at those gardens and all I think about all the work that is necessary to keep them up. The rhodies are just starting to bloom here. We're making frequent visits to Shore Acres to keep track of them.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such a beautiful place, and a nice day, too. We had rain most of the day, but it's now supposed to get nice again. Those trillium are so different and delightful! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. A beautiful tour. Someday I will travel out that way. I say it to myself every time you post a garden tour.

    ReplyDelete
  8. fun spring field trip for the family-all that lush green vegetation and blooms is wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's a special gem, isn't it? Thanks for the great tour. I don't think I've ever been there at this time of year.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a smart idea to let the kids go on their own. The got to enjoy the furred and feathered inhabitants. What a lovely place to spend a peaceful day. Those Fawn Lilies are so delicate. The lake would have drawn me like a campfire.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I suspect your grandchildren always enjoy being with you two. They are fortunate. The gardens are beautiful! I'm eager to visit a greenhouse, since seeing anything in bloom outdoors seems a long way off.😁

    ReplyDelete
  12. I will share this post with my Seattle-transplanted daughter. What a nice day, and such a beautiful place! Mahalo for the excursion!

    ReplyDelete

I would love to read your comments. Since I link most posts to Facebook, you may comment there if you do not have an account. I have eliminated Anonymous comments due to spammers.