We have now finished the first annual Rainier Valley Garden Tour. It was a lot of fun. I helped organize it with a few other very dedicated people and I enjoyed the process a lot.
There was a steady flow of people throughout the day visiting our garden. People seemed to enjoy it very much and they all had nice things to say about the whole tour. One great aspect of it was that I finished all my chores right when it started and then I declared myself free. My dad explained to me that when he has done an event such as this he keeps coming up with ideas that will make it better throughout the day so that by the time he has it all ready it's over! That didn't sound like fun at all so I tried to be completely ready to host when it started. I was able to hang out with my Dad, Brother, Wife and Daughter all day with out working on projects around the house or garden.
The garden looked great and I received many excited visitors which is so much fun.
I wrote up a brief garden history which was intended to help people understand the design of the garden and the way it went from all lawn in 2006 to what it is today.
Rainier Valley Garden Tour 2009
Design Process
The first requirement for this garden was available planting beds. The house we had been renting was going to be developed so all our plants had to be moved. I started digging for a new bed next to the concrete driveway and quickly found all the old fill for the old driveway. I changed plans and planted the slope leaving room for the new gravel driveway. I got all the rocks that are holding the slope back for free from a neighbor. Along the house side of the driveway I found old pavers behind the garage to use as a path. I dug out the side of the garage and created a nursery area in a space that was completely closed off and sheding water onto the garage. The kitchen garden started only two years ago and is still a work in progress.
The master plan for the garden took about a year to develop. It breaks the garden into 4 zones, each having a set maintenance schedule and aesthetic vs. functional balance.
Zone Maintenance
Zone 1: Pots and Kitchen garden- Daily
Zone 2: Main borders- Weekly
Zone 3: Street side borders- Every two months
Zone 4: Back slope- Two times per year
Helpful strategies:
Recognizing needs
Being flexible with plans
Using available resources
Matching plans to lifestyle
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