Garden Photo of the Day

More from Peggy’s garden in Washington state

Looking uphill in the entry garden at Japanese forest grass draping over the boulders below Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’, Koreanspice viburnum, Rhododendron edgeworthii, Dichroa febrifuga, and Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’.

We visited Peggy Fox’s garden in Washington state back on June 30th (refresh your memory HERE), and it was so cool that I demanded more photos. She obliged, and also reminded me to look waaaaay back in my inbox to some photos she submitted last year that I never posted. What was I thinking?? All that said, here’s more from Peggy’s BEAUTIFUL garden.

Colorful pot on entry stairs looking toward patio.  Petesites japonicus is to the right, Darmera peltata is past the pot. 

A recap of what she said in the first post: “We’re on a north-facing hill in Gig Harbor, Washington. We did an extensive re-landscaping of the property in 2001-2003, bringing in large slabs of rock to form paths and rockeries to contain the slope on the north side of the house, and softer rounded boulders on the south and slighter flatter side. The rock work was done by two different landscapers, each specializing in their particular kind of stone.

Shady bench with Tradescantia, Japanese forest grass, and Hydrangea aspera ‘Plum Passion’.

I never thought I’d have a rockery after seeing my mother toil up and down hers over the years, but here we are on a slope with a rockery – it’s been quite a challenge for me as I’ve learned what works and what really doesn’t!”

Thanks, Peggy!!

Cool colors and a pop of pink and bronze from Geranium ‘Orkney Cherry’.

Keep sending in pics of your gardens, everyone! Email them to me at [email protected]. Thanks! –Michelle

Lower part of rockery with rugosa roses, sea holly, Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii, variegated yucca, and thyme.
Yes, I DO love Japanese forest grass!  Here also is Berberis ‘Helmond Pillar’ and Salix integra ‘Albomaculata’.

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Comments

  1. perenniallycrazy 07/07/2014

    Now we're really rockin' Peggy! The previous post was just a teaser. Your selection of perennials is amazing! Also love your seating area. Please keep those photos coming. Would love to see your garden when the seasons change.

    Antonio, I am still patiently waiting for that "enlarge" feature to return to GPOD. I really needed it today. When?

  2. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 07/07/2014

    Amazingly beautiful! So glad to see more of the rock work and the well-chosen plantings. I really love Hakenochloa as well. In fact, I might consider having a low-maintenance garden of only japanese forest grass! :)

  3. User avater
    meander_michaele 07/07/2014

    Sigh...only in my dreams...that describes how I feel about your tumbling waves of Japanese Forest grass...talk about the ultimate edge softener for hardscape! If it grew for me here in my TN garden, the way it does for you...ha, I'd be a like greedy hoarder. You make wonderful use of other chartreusy hued plants as well and they give your garden areas a very appealing luminosity. Thanks so much for sharing more pictures.

  4. User avater
    HelloFromMD 07/07/2014

    Wow, Peggy. I love the stone path coming down the hill. A hillside is such a great garden opportunity. Your seating area looks so inviting especially with kitty. My daughter's rag doll is living with me for the moment and he is adorable. Great plant combos! Love the boulders and little pool.

  5. greenthumblonde 07/07/2014

    Hard to believe all that beauty is from one garden. Just wonderful.

  6. thevioletfern 07/07/2014

    I would be embarrassed to show you my "tufts" of Japanese Forest Grass although I am surprised it survived our winter. The way you have it growing over those boulders is just how I imagined it growing over my rocks in my garden although it hasn't happened. What a beautiful garden - such a sense for color!

    1. user-7007059 07/07/2014

      Hi Kathy, give it some time - the grass in the photos has been there for around ten years. I think I have more Japanese Forest Grass in my garden than any other plant because it lends itself so beautifully to so many situations!

  7. GrannyMay 07/07/2014

    Peggy, your garden is amazing! I was already in raptures over the rock features and your colour combinations in your last posting. Today's photos only add to my admiration. Love the seating areas, like the hot colours in one, cool colours in another, the container plants in and around other features, the little pond and of course, the plants!

  8. GrannyCC 07/07/2014

    Wow I also love the Japanese Forest grass. It is beautiful cascading down the hill. It looks like you have designed your rock work so that you have a gently slope. Lot easier to walk up and down. I think the seating areas are beautiful as well as all the pops of colour throughout.

  9. Cenepk10 07/07/2014

    Voles ate my japanese forrest grass... Paid $25 a pot for it... There wasn't even a trace of it left !!!! Now I have a frisky kitty eating the voles... When they are gone- I'll retry the forrest grass. Has always been one of my favorites for the obvious drama and contrast that it adds. Beautiful garden. Looks like an obsession for you :0

  10. terierawn 07/07/2014

    I am enjoying all the facets of your gardens Peggy. The seating arrangements are divine and your color coordinates are perfect. Love the foliage combinations in the birdbath photo too. Happy gardening!

  11. user-7007059 07/07/2014

    Thank you all, it's very fun to share the garden. I've made SO many mistakes, with light and water requirements, with trying to put things together that really don't fare well in the same places, with planting things too close to each other - and many other 'fails' …then there are the cute but Very Frustrating deer, bunnies, chipmunks and neighbor's poultry; less cute are the moles and slugs… But I learn something with each new 'fail', and most of the time the garden is very forgiving and fills in where I'm lacking or where it's been eaten, squashed, dug up or tunneled under. There are so many amazing and beautiful plants that will grow in our zone, and I love trying out different color and texture combinations!

  12. schatzi 07/07/2014

    Hi Peggy. Your garden is amazing! What a job putting all that together, but it turned out fantastic. I can sympathize re the wildlife. Last year the deer did a number on my garden, but this year for some reason, they haven't been too destructive. I garden near Lake Tapps, not too far from you, if you accept visitors. I would love to see your place in 3D. Also many of the others, but I'm not into cross-country travel anymore. I do enjoy everyone's posts, and one of these days I'll figure out how to load up some photos of my garden to share. Spring is it's best season, but summer is pretty colorful too. This is a great zone to garden in.The good thing is that almost everything grows here, and sometimes that's the bad thing too! So many plants, so little time...

    1. user-7007059 07/08/2014

      Hi Shirley, Thanks for your kind words! I do have the garden open by appointment to members of the NPA (Northwest Perennial Alliance) - have you heard of it or are you a member? If not I highly recommend it as a fantastic way to see MANY local gardens, from May through September. Lots of other good things available from the NPA as well. But anyway, yes, if you'd like to come by to see it that would be great. It was at it's dolled up best when I had it all primped and fluffed for an NPA open garden on June 14th. Now I need to go though and deadhead and prop things up again, re-attack the horsetails, etc. It's still very nice, just not pristine. And I hope you do post some photos of your garden!

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