Happy Monday GPODers!
Today we’re starting the week with an incredible garden transformation in Sammamish, Washington. Kirk and Martha Painter gave their landscape a complete overhaul after the necessary removal of a fast-growing evergreen in 2015. This is a story that we’ve heard time and time again on Garden Photo of the Day, but it is their method for planning, designing, and documenting that is totally unique and inspiring. Here’s the story of how panoramas and paper-doll trees helped this couple create the garden of their dreams.
In 2015 our huge 24 year old Leyland cypress (× Cuprocyparis leylandii, Zones 6–10) had become ugly nuisances, creating a virtual desert below, so we felt compelled to remove them and start over.
We were left with a nearly bare hillside.
I took a panorama photo of the mess and printed it about 30” wide, then my wife traced and watercolored it as a backdrop and created a bunch of paper-doll trees. For several weeks we took turns moving them around and evaluating how well each concept addressed privacy, fence-hiding, layering colors and textures, four-season beauty, etc. The wonderful Kubota Garden in Seattle was one of our main inspirations.
Once we agreed on our favorite layout, we began the multiyear DIY project, starting with the evergreen backdrop and working toward the smaller and deciduous foreground. We revised many details as we worked, but stuck to the original vision. Many of our plant choices were recommended by the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden (greatplantpicks.org).
I’ve taken panoramas every year since 2015, as well as many photos of portions of the garden as the blooms change.
One of many highlights in Kirk and Martha’s new design is a large ‘Omure yama’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Omure yama’, Zones 5–9) that is a glowing centerpiece amongst a variety of other interesting foliage plants. The chartreuse foliage really pops against the dark burgundy foliage in the background.
While fantastic foliage takes center stage in this PNW garden, there are still floral accents that add lovely little pops of purple and pink while carrying your eye through the dense and diverse plantings.
Despite the garden transforming into a dense tapestry of plans that fill and spill from every crevice available, there are still some small paths that lead through the maze of plants.
The last of Kirk’s panoramas shows the full breadth of color and texture on display in this long border garden. A world away from the barren landscape they started with 10 years ago, their new garden is a thriving space where interest abounds.
Thank you so much for sharing your incredible garden transformation with us Kirk and Martha! You turned a garden problem into an opportunity to create something special, and the results speak for themselves.
What was the catalyst to your current garden design? Did you make a move to a new property with bare bones? Did an invasion of problematic plants require a full landscape rehab? Or did one plant purchase spark a new passion for garden artistry? Let us know how your current garden journey began in the comments below, or consider sharing your garden “before” and “after” photos with Garden Photo of the Day! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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