Seattle Garden Bloggers' Fling: Birrell Garden

I just got back from lovely, cool Seattle, where the high temperatures are in the 70's, the lows are in the 50s, the soil is moist and the gardens are lush! I and over 70 other garden bloggers from across the US, Canada and the UK joined coordinators Lorene Edwards Forkner, Debra Prinzing, Marty Wingate and Mary Ann Newcomer in the Emerald City to tour, photograph and write about oodles of gardens, private and public, for 4 glorious days. Here's some highlights from the first day.

Birrell Garden

Suzette and Jim Birrell's unassuming single-story brick home is surrounded by green lawns and lush gardens.


A stone pathway winds along the front garden, thickly landscaped with roses, lilies, poppies, clematis, ferns, sedums and hostas galore.




I spied blueberry bushes in a bed near the driveway.


Along the side of the home, a small brick patio under a pergola provides a shady spot to sit and enjoy the landscape.


The backyard opens onto a large green lawn punctuated by a bright blue garden shed. (Croquet, anyone?)


Edging the lawn are huge beds full of color and texture.




A large vegetable garden lies between the shed and the back patio.
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These artichokes look good enough to eat.


In a shady spot between two tall trees, this hammock beckons the weary to take a break. Alas, more gardens await!


See more photos of the Birrell garden on my Flickr page. Next up: the Tucker garden.

Words and photos © 2009-2011 Caroline Homer for "The Shovel-Ready Garden". Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.