Hi GPODers!
One of the many reasons I love the Garden Photo of the Day community is because of the many diverse gardening stories we get to hear. From lifelong plant lovers who have fond memories of playing in their grandmother’s gardens to enthusiasts who caught the gardening bug later in the life, it’s inspiring how we can all come together to enjoy each other’s unique journeys and landscapes.
Today, we’re hearing from Heidi Behrens-Benedict, an interior designer in Bellevue, Wash., who had a very unconventional path to her garden in the Pacific Northwest. She shares the story of how an interior design job at Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle gave her a new introduction to the world of gardening and shifted her perspective that stemmed from an initial unfortunate experience with plants in her youth.
Dear Friends at Fine Gardening ~
Many years ago, I was prime on the new Arboretum Visitors Center in Seattle. I remember my first meeting with a group of guild members who had raised money for the project. As I sat around the conference table, I was introduced to the hosta expert, the rhody expert, the native species guru, gardeners who were passionate about gardening in the Puget Sound.
One of the group asked me what kind of gardening I liked. While I believe I am a good designer, I knew from nothing about gardening. When I was growing up, my father was in the military. We lived in hot, dry bases. When my father would come home about 4:30 p.m., he’d walk in the door and say, “Why are you just sitting there? Go outside and weed.” Since it was 115 degrees in the shade, gardening always felt like punishment.
I remember once tilting my head back as I was standing on the black, hot tarmac one recess and praying, “Please, God, when I grow up, I want to live someplace it rains every day.” When I graduated from college, I moved to Seattle. The first summer, it did rain every day. The windows sheeted with water day after day. Mid-August, I was standing at the window and saying, “Please, God, I should have been more specific. Perhaps not every single day.”
Which brings me to my arboretum project, when I stumbled with an answer for what kind of gardening I liked and said, “Container gardening.” What I really liked about container gardening was not so much the plants but the vintage pots. Large glazed pots. Large terracotta pots. Large Chinese pots. Square pots. For years, I collected beautiful pots and beautiful yard art.
About 20 years ago, I started putting plants in the pots. What I really like are perennial plants with interesting leaf structure, and lately, after becoming a novice beekeeper, I’ve focused on flowers that my bees will love.
So here are a few pictures of my pots, plants, and yard art.
With every good wish ~
Heidi
Heidi’s background in interior design, particularly her focus on architectural salvage, is evident in her outdoor space. Aside from the color she has potted into her incredible collection of containers, interest abounds in all the artful touches and decor.
A closer look at the colorful annual flowers Heidi potted this year
Annuals tend to get the bulk of the container space in gardens every year, but, as Heidi mentioned in her intro, the beautiful foliage of perennials and shrubs can be just as successful in a pot as they are in the ground. I love how this Japanese mock orange (Pittosporum tobira, Zones 8–10) is spilling out of its gorgeous green pot.
When a backyard is full of this much fascinating art, even a simple planting can create a big impact. This ornate pillar and relief sculpture already have a lot going on, so a simple red geranium is all that’s needed for a colorful pop of extra interest.
The outdoor seating area of a real collector: not only a space to enjoy Heidi’s lush gardens, but a spot to admire her thoughtfully curated art and furniture pieces.
Thank you so much for sharing your artful potted displays and creative garden adornments, Heidi! Your story is certainly a unique one, and your garden truly reflects that unique background as well as your designer’s eye.
What was your introduction to gardening? What journey brought you to your current garden? If you haven’t shared your garden on the blog yet, or it has been a while and you have a lot to update us on, consider sharing photos of your space this year! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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