Most of my Fling social media posts over the last few years have been on Instagram, which is quick and fun to see immediately but I realized that some of my friends aren't on Instagram or Facebook and they look to the blog to hear about these adventures.
Where to begin? This year we had our Fling in the Puget Sound area. So much of it seemed otherworldly- lots of large ferns, mosses, lichen on all the trees and giant trees. It was wonderful. One day there was a ferry ride on our motor coach buses to Vashon Island. The bonus day of Monday was focused in Seattle area. No visit to the NW would be complete without a trip to Kitsap Peninsula to Heronswood and Windcliff, Dan Hinkley's home.
Each day we were lucky to have views of Mt. Rainier from various gardens and travels.
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| Our hotel view |
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| Morning light on Mt. Rainier |
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| Mt. Rainier from the ferry |
I guess these posts will go chronologically starting with our welcome event at Point Ruston waterfront. The whole area has so many water views; bays, inlets, the Sound- makes for some wonderful garden views.
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| Old and new friends gathering |
Fling Day One- We ventured to Vashon Island on the ferry and started the day with two gardens. One bus went to one and the 2nd bus to the other. My bus went to the smaller garden, it was half acre in size and charming. The second one we went to was 3 acres inside a fifteen acre Stewardship Forest.
The bus left us off at the top of the hill and we walked down to the garden enjoying the cove views as we walked.
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| The cove as we walked to the garden |
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| This garden had a lawn chess board and a labyrinth |
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| Foliage colors pop in the garden |
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| Isn't this view wonderful from the deck? |
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| A parting view of the garden |
Garden two of the morning was the large one, also overlooking the water, in the Stewardship Forest. It was quite the hillside down to the house, beautifully planted with all sorts of gorgeous plants. We entered through a metal gate adorned with branches and birds. The three acres were enclosed within a 6-8 foot fence to keep the deer at bay.
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| The Welcome Gate |
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| huge meadow near the house |
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| sitting area on the back/waterside of the house |
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| Side yard sitting area overlooking the water |
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| Front of the house, parking area |
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| A swimming pool on the way back up the hillside, so tranquil |
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| Steps back up the hillside |
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| Totem pole to bid us adieu |
More on day one of the Puget Sound Fling in the next post. Hope you are enjoying the views!
That mountain, right? It was the star of the Fling. I enjoyed your recap of the first gardens, Janet, and I especially enjoyed seeing you again at the Fling!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam, the photos just don't do it justice. Great seeing you as well!!
DeleteThose gardens were such a great start to the Fling!
ReplyDeleteThey sure were Jean, I liked the ferry ride too!
DeleteI don't think I realized the pool at Carhart's was a swimming pool... Maybe that is why it was so blue. Things make a little more sense now. Interesting to see the subtle differences in light since I was on the opposite bus that hit things in reverse.
ReplyDeleteJerry, there was so much to see in the Carhart garden, it is easy to see how many of us missed things.
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