LePenskephoto
From Burien to Normandy Park to SeaTac, the folks whose gardens have been tapped for the 2013 Highline Garden Tour have been out in all kinds of weather this spring – weeding, pruning, composting and planting. And now it looks as if the clouds are clearing and the sun will be out for the Garden Tour, coming up Saturday, June 8.
Stephen Lamphear took a break recently in his 3-level collector’s garden to show off some of the art tucked into one turn of the path. From the entry Zen garden to a lush water garden, Lamphear has conceived of a series of outdoor “rooms” that feature unusual plants and other surprises.
Lamphearphoto
The completion of a recent sidewalk project gave John and Nancy Feeney the opportunity to develop a garden border between house and street. But visitors to their garden also will note the couple’s large and abundant fruit and vegetable beds. The Feeneys regularly donate their surplus produce to the local food bank, and will gladly share how-to information with other gardeners who wish to do so.
Tom and Terry LePenske were inspired by last year’s Garden Tour focus on rain gardens to install a rain garden of their own. This complements an earlier project to convert much of their front lawn into a meadow with perennial wildflowers, which reduces the need for chemicals and summer watering. Other areas of the property feature a shade garden landscaped with rescued native plants and a charming parterre vegetable garden.
Other gardens on the tour include a rooftop P-Patch in downtown Burien, a Master Gardener’s idea-filled oasis on Angle Lake, a bohemian-style Victory Garden with laying hens and Three Sisters planting techniques in Normandy Park, and the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden.
This self-guided tour, which benefits the Highline Historical Society, also features plant sales, music and art in the gardens, a drawing for a squirrel-proof bird feeder at Wild Birds Unlimited, a specially-priced box lunch at Grand Central Bakery, and other discount coupons.
Tour sponsors include The Bean, Burien Bark, Grand Central Bakery, Rodda and Sons Landscaping, Rain City Sewer and Plumbing, and Wild Birds Unlimited. Additional support comes from John L. Scott realtor Susan Plecko and Discover Burien.
Advance tickets are on sale now for $15, with group rates of $12 per person if bought in groups of four or more. Tickets will be $18 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased at Wild Birds Unlimited, 15858 1st Avenue S, #106; Burien Bark, 13258 1st Avenue S; and Sterling Bank, 224 SW 152nd – all in Burien. Tickets also can be purchased by calling 206-241-5786.
For more information about the Highline Garden Tour and about the Highline Historical Society, visit www.highlinehistory.org.]]>

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