The Garden of Karen Guzak and Warner Blake

"In 1993, Karen and Warner bought a 100 year old Victorian Catholic church and rectory in the Snohomish Historic District.  They named it Angel Arms Works" began the description of this garden in the Northwest Perennial Alliance book of open gardens.  Sounded right up my alley and indeed it was!
"The buildings were renovated for an art studio and residence, and Karen started working on the garden desing, considering this an extension of her work as an artist." (Talk about a parking strip!  Can you imagine the spectacle when all of those iris were in bloom?)




The mingled feelings of peace and excitement that came over me on entering this space, the vibe of the place, is difficult to describe.

"Karen created 'flowers' mode of industrial parts to serve as plant support stakes throught.  Look also for Warner's abstract angels."


"Because the garden is relatively small, paths were created to weave through curving beds. A brick patio was built on a central entry axis, covered with an arbor Warner built."




This poem, written by Karen as the U.S. was dropping bombs on Afghanistan, adorns the four beams of the arbor.








It was about at this point that I met Karen herself and started asking questions about various objects. I'll never forget her question, "Do you like stuff?" With racing heart and dancing eyes, I wiped the drool from my mouth and calmly responded that, yes, I enjoy admiring things.

We were invited inside the house.  Karen is an artist, yoga instructor, and the mayor of Snohomish a combination as successfully eclectic as her home's interior.  I'm usually not a fan of the marriage of modern industrial objects and Victorian-era homes but this was done in such a seamless way as to seem quite natural.  Modern and antique furnishings cavorted as if made for each other, all holding collections of stunning objects centered on the idea of harmony, glorious artwork dripping from the walls.  I wasn't bold enough to ask to take pictures of the interior but you can see a few accompanying this article in  Western Art and Architecture.  One of my favorite things about the former church rectory was a rather large antique armoire with three mirrored doors in the dining room. The two side doors opened to reveal storage for tableware.  The center door, when opened, revealed a portal to Blake's studio, probably the former sacristy of the church.

A quote from that article: “We are very aware that this was a house of worship. Years of prayers and forgiveness put us in touch with a sense of spirit,” Guzak says. “I would call that spirit a universal life force. And, isn’t that what artists hope to capture and reveal in their work? A life force that touches our souls.”

As Karen mentioned, the garden is not huge but it holds many spaces to relax, reflect, and enjoy the wonder of the space.







My only regret is that I don't live closer to  Snohomish so that I could pass by this garden on a regular basis.