Todd and Sylvie Currie
In less than a decade Todd and Sylvie Curry created a treasure box of interesting plants in graceful groups. Their Maury Island garden reaches from Dock Street to Quartermaster Harbor and is filled with horticultural interest and delight. Finding it difficult to maintain a lawn on Dockton’s clay which is soggy in winter and baked in summer, the Curries researched plants for shoreline management. Through the King County Conservation District, they learned the best plants to enhance drainage and to secure the beach with grass species and other natives. Where the lawn meets the beach Blue Dune Grass helps to prevent erosion and waves gracefully in the breeze.
Other garden highlights include a majestic sycamore tree, a variety of pines, and a red-leaved Ligularia dentata. This follows the Curry’s philosophy of garden rooms with paths that beckon the viewer on to see what comes next.
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Congratulations Todd & Sylvie
Vicki Clabaugh
Passing through a wooden gate on Burton Drive we enter Vicki Clabaugh’s garden. The long driveway leading to the house is dotted with fruit trees and Rhododendrons. Around the side of the house giant Rhododendrons lead into the backyard which is a perfect place to spend a summer afternoon. In July, Vicki’s backyard is punctuated with Hydrangeas of all colors that she has propagated from cuttings over the past four decades. There are pots of majestic lilies by the windows adding a blast of color. A row of low growing pink roses planted for Vicki’s daughter’s wedding mark the back edge of the garden. There, stairs lead down to the beach where a magnificent madrona overlooks a fire circle with rustic benches, a place where many family evenings have been spent.
Congratulations Vickie & Ted!
Gary Koch
Gary Koch’s garden is an international arboretum overlooking Puget Sound. When the Koch's purchased their property years ago it was an old hayfield covered with alders and blackberries.
Today there are approximately 240 different tree species ranging from a variety of palms to oaks and conifers. Dr. Koch claims there is no rhyme or reason to where the trees are planted, but as one tours the garden a pattern emerges. Trees are sited according to both their environmental needs and their geographic heritage.
Little Bird Garden
Entering Little Bird Garden at The Country Store on a warm July day is akin to visiting a greenhouse filled with exotic plants in the winter. Everywhere we see plants artfully arranged to display a riot of color against a leafy green background. In one of the central displays spikes of Russian sage contrast with orange Echinacea and magenta Zinnias Nearby are graceful grasses waving in the breeze with red-leaved Heuchera. The visitor is beckoned to explore aisles with a variety of evergreen conifers and bright flowers. The small gift shop is a remodeled potting shed from the Beall greenhouses. Besides plants, Little Bird Garden offers a variety of garden art and useful tools. Kim Cantrell, who has been gardening on Vashon since 1996, opened Little Bird Gardens at The Country Store on May 1, 2020. Cantrell’s goals are “to provide plants that work well within the Pacific Northwest landscape” and “to make gardening more joyful.”
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Take a Virtual Tour of each winners' garden by clicking on the video below.