The Garden of Marcus Phelps-Munson and Gary Epperley

Garden touring season is well underway and last weekend we headed out on a Northwest Perennial Alliance tour "Along the Foothills" [of Mt. Rainier.]  the purpose of these tours is to allow members to see what others are up to in their spaces.  First up is the Phelps-Munson, Epperley garden.

This is a new home in a development where the houses are pretty close together.  We parked up the street in front of the neighbor's place (on the left.)  You can't tell in this image but if the curtains/blinds are open on the window at the front and back of the living room/dining room area (right side of both houses)  one can see through the windows directly into the back yard.  Through the neighbor's house, I noticed a big toy for the kids in the back and wondered what we would find next door.


Approaching the front of the house, seeing all the pots of cool plants, it was clear that a like-minded plant collector lives here!





They've really made the most of this narrow space utilizing multiple layers of great foliage.





"Ten years ago the yard began as a simple grass rectangle for the enjoyment of our dog.  During that time the dog aged (gracefully,) and we took out successively larger areas of lawn as our love of gardening in this unique climate grew.



"We have become compulsive 'plant collectors;' however, between my passion for perennials and my husband's of trees and rhododendrons, I believe we've struck a delicate balance."




"I'm not a thirteen-time winner of Ciscoe Morris's 'Viewer Pick of the Week' and president of the Pine Lake Garden Club."




"Our garden is serious fun throughout the year - combining color, fragrance, texture, edibles and dinosaurs in a layered, part -sun, part-shade garden that leaves nary a bare patch of soil."

 Dinosaurs and carnivorous plants work well together.  This reminds me of seeing dinosaurs at Floramagoria in Portland. Must copy this idea!