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Dunn Gardens

October 1st, 2014

While in Seattle, my mom and I scheduled a tour of the Dunn Gardens. Unfortunately the timing was not right so see the rhododendron collection, so the gardens weren’t as spectacular as they are earlier in the year. Even though the gardens were waning in their bloom for the year, the containers were fantastic and made up for it. The Dunn Gardens were designed by the acclaimed Olmstead group, they are the only private garden in the Pacific Northwest open to the public for tours.
dunn garden containers (1)
What I love about the containers is that they weren’t typical. I think far too often we get stuck in a rut when it comes to container plants, we fill them withe petunias and other popular plants and don’t consider adding perennial and things that can be overwintered in a shed, garage, indoors or other sheltered place. Not only does thinking this way give you a wider variety of texture, color, and interest, it will save money as well!
dunn garden containers
dunn garden containers 1 (1)
dunn garden containers 1
dunn garden containers 2 (1)
dunn garden containers 2
dunn garden containers 3
This last container garden I’ve seen in a magazine before, I remember how much I loved the large container with the large leaves. I’d love to have a container corner like this on a patio someday.

What’s your favorite container plant? 

4 Comments to “Dunn Gardens”
  1. Nebraska Dave on October 1, 2014 at 7:42 am

    Susy, my container gardens hang from the trellis on the poor man’s living patio. Each year I buy hanging baskets of impatiens to hang from the trellis. Pots up the sides of the trellis are filled with begonias, silver mist, and coleus. I did grow a cherry tomato once on the poor man’s living patio just to be able to pluck off the luscious little globes while sitting on the bench enjoying the neighborhood. I tried planting some zucchini in pots but the dreaded vine borer got them before they could even set fruit. Outside of that, my container growing is very limited.

    Have a great container growing day.

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  2. PennyAshevilleNC on October 1, 2014 at 8:33 am

    Wow! Is that last one on the begonia family? I am a begonia fan- so many cool shapes and leaves- but I am not great at getting on their watering cycle and have over watered a few.
    What is the plant above on the wall- a bamboo?

    Reply to PennyAshevilleNC's comment

  3. Chris on October 2, 2014 at 1:57 pm

    Hi, test comment

    Reply to Chris's comment

  4. Chris on October 2, 2014 at 2:06 pm

    It’s hard to pick a favorite container plant but one I have had for ages and really love is a dwarf, columnar, apple tree that I have planted in a large whiskey barrel and underplanted with all seasons perennials.
    Just like a full size apple tree, has beautiful, fragrant, blooms in spring, bears the most delicious apples late summer, colors up in fall and I string tiny white lights on it during the winter months!
    Almost all of my containers are planted with a few perennials that I can dress up or down, depending on the season with annuals, veggies and or fruit. Oh and I also love sedums in pots…they can stay out year round here in the Northwest! :)

    Reply to Chris's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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