The Gardener's Gift of Travel

Mount, the formal garden was designed in the shape of a barbell and included a Flower Garden connected to a Walled Garden by a Lime Walk, a white gravel path bordered by linden trees, Tilia Americana. These formal gardens are set against the vista of Laurel Lake in the near distance.

The Tilia or Lime Walk with Laurel Lake appearing to be nestled among the white pine trees.

Gardens at The Mount, as well as portions of the house, were significantly restored and opened during the summer of 2002 for the Centennial of The Mount. The restoration of these gardens took place over a three year period and involved archaeology, reconstruction, and planting. Still to come is the restoration of the elaborate kitchen gardens designed by. Beatrix Ferrand.

Continuing on our virtual field trip to seek out gardens with formal style, we cross the United States to visit The Japanese Garden (Washington Park, Portland, OR). Begun in the late 1950's, this 5 1/2-acre garden features five different formal styles of Japanese landscaping:

1. Flat Garden
2. Dry Landscape or Sand and Stone Garden
3. Natural Garden
4. Strolling Pond Garden and the
5. Tea Garden.

The two that are mainly for viewing and meditation are the Flat Garden, with plants, rocks and raked white gravel, and the Dry Landscape or Sand and Stone Garden, which is a walled area.

The three areas that are slightly more informal and American in nature are the Natural Garden, which highlights shallow streams, waterfalls, and native plants, the Strolling Pond Garden with more waterfalls, ponds, rocks and planting, and the Tea Garden with an imported teahouse.

In these gardens, we find design concepts that can be useful for a small property. The designer, Professor Takuma Tono, incorporated into the garden the borrowed scenery of the special vista across the city of Portland toward the Cascade Mountains and Mount Hood. Also used here to great advantage is the concept of hide and reveal where plantings, placement of stones, and the route of pathways give the garden visitors constantly changing views.

Readers seeking out English-style rose gardens might enjoy the intimate Woodland Park Rose Garden(Seattle Dept. Of Parks & Recreation, Seattle, WA 98103) adjacent to the Seattle Zoo, one of the most progressive in the United States. This 2 1/2 acre formal rose garden has been developed on the grounds of a former private estate and demonstrates English-park style grounds.

Showcased here are 5,000 rose

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