Weekend Beauty, Part 1, Saturday

For the most part, the sky was blue and the sun was shining over the weekend here in Puget Sound country. We took advantage of some opportunities to enjoy the beauty around us.

On Saturday morning we joined up with other members of our garden club to tour the Anderson Rhodendron Garden in Enumclaw, WA. This is a private garden which the Andersons invite the public to tour during the peak bloom time in the month of May. Our club arranged for a tour a bit early, but on our regular meeting day. 

It was cold and rainy when we gathered, but that didn't last long.

 On a clear day, at the bottom of this sweep of lawn, there is an amazing view of Mt Rainier rising above the hills. I have seen it when Tom and I were here years ago, but we were not blessed with that view on this day. 

On either side and around the end of this central lawn are pathways meandering through the rhododendrons and accompanying shrubs and trees. 

There are also wonderful ground covers. 

 These are gentians, often hard to grow, but happy here in this garden at the base of the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. 

 At the lower end of the lawn.

 There are lots of great garden seats, places to linger. 

 The garden continues, circling the house. 

 Dogwood trees glow against the now blue sky. 

 Many of these are old, mature plants, and they rise far above our heads. In the coming weeks, as more buds open, this garden will be a blaze of glory. 

After the tour, we all went out to lunch and enjoyed lots more visiting and even some gardening talk.