QBARS - v29n2 Annual Meeting Tours

1975 A.R.S. Annual Meeting Tours in Seattle, Washington
Bob and Marge Badger, Bothell, Washington

FRIDAY TOUR:
Kiana Lodge in the Garden of the Gods After viewing the 25th Annual Seattle Rhododendron Society Show at the Bellevue Square Pavilion near the Holiday Inn, busses will whisk the conventioneers across the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and through downtown Seattle to the waterfront, There they will board the excursion vessel "Goodtime" for a scenic cruise, Out into Seattle's Elliott Bay they will go, past the bustling commercial activity along the piers, wharves and warehouses of this great ocean port, Past Magnolia Bluff and around the seaward side of Discovery Park (site of the Seattle Chapter's new "Rhododendron Forest" Garden) and northward into Puget Sound, The snowy Cascade Mountains lying to the East and the snow-capped Olympics to the West will provide the dramatic backdrops, Salt air! Ah-h-h.

Along the Northeastern shore of Bainbridge Island, past Suquamish, and southward into the narrow Agate Pass, under its high bridge, and suddenly they are at Kiana Lodge.  A quiet cove, A massive old log lodge surrounded by fine gardens filled with colorful rhododendrons, azaleas, fuchsias and annuals.

Steaming caldrons of butter clams to be tasted hot, while standing on the beach, Then a superbly served planked salmon dinner in the lodge will follow.

A quiet voyage home, The lights of Seattle sparkle in myriads of colors as the conventioneers approach the harbor. Splendid! Docking, Busses return the conventioneers to their Bellevue hotel.

SATURDAY TOUR:

Lawrence and Isabel Pierce's Garden This is the garden of the President of the Seattle Rhododendron Society, Their home is in the Fauntleroy area of West Seattle, It is on a bluff overlooking Brace Point and the shipping and boat activities on Puget Sound, The snow-capped Olympic Mountain Range to the West provides a dramatic background for the setting.

This lovely five-acre garden surrounds a magnificent English Tudor style home built in the 1920's, The garden has been developed and contoured to the site over the past 50 years as a "natural" style garden, Original design was by Otto Holmdahl. Large native trees were left and the ornamental plantings were made to sweep and flow around the towering trees, Dramatic points of interest were created in a natural way, Especially fine settings were created near the bridge and pond and across the fine lawn from the house towards the superb 50-foot wide Mt. Fuji flowering cherry.

Choice rock garden plants are to be found throughout the garden, Unusual conifers and deciduous trees and shrubs surprise the visitors to this mature garden, Look for the large Dawn Redwood and the Eucryphia.

Hundreds of species and hybrid rhododendrons abound, Growing contentedly, the Maddenii series plants and hybrids and large-leafed species share the spotlight with many of the newer "Seattle Giants".

One large planting is devoted entirely to a collection of the late Halfdan Lem's newer named hybrids such as 'Walloper', 'County Fair', 'Hello Dolly', 'Lem's Cameo', 'Halfdan Lem' and others.

This is a splendid walk-through garden to visit.

Garden Valley Nursery's Display Garden The nursery is located northeast of Seattle and Lake Washington, in Bothell. It is situated on an old ten-acre farm site at the foot of a hill overlooking the Samamish River Valley, The aspect is to the southwest and the native conifers and deciduous broadleaf trees provide a dappled summer shade for the garden.

The majority of the 500 to 600 larger old rhododendron and azalea plants were acquired from the nursery and gardens of the late Ben Nelson of Suquamish, Washington, Other plants are from the collection of the Bob Badgers and other recent acquisitions by the nursery.

This three and a half acre rhododendron display garden, filled with so many older specimens of both species and hybrids, is designed to be a walk through garden set into a natural arboretum setting. Many unusual species are to be seen as well as a large number of the finer Exbury hybrids.

A number of the old "Hardy Hybrids" are also to be found interspersed among the later-hybridized plants, A large collection of the big leaf species and hybrids of them are located in the center draw, on quite steep slopes, protected from overhead and on the north by large trees, All of the plants can be viewed from either the lower or upper roads or from the several paths which cross-cross the garden.

The nursery is also growing in the garden, a number of recently named Eastern and Western American rhododendron hybrids of note.

The owners, Al and Eleanor Anderson and Bob and Marge Badger hope to make it an unusual garden for testing, as well as public viewing.

Rainier Mountain Alpine Garden.  This is the home, garden and nursery of Jim and Betty Caperci. It is located in the West Seattle area.

The beginners of the plant collection were started prior to World War II. when Jim and Betty became interested in growing dwarf conifers and rhododendrons. Their very fine collection of dwarf and unusual conifers is one of the most extensive in our area in either a private garden or a nursery.

The rhododendron collection includes both their very large group of dwarf species and hybrids, as well as a varied selection of taller growing species. Look especially for species forms collected in 1948 by Dr. Joseph Rock for the American Rhododendron Society, such as R. proteoides , R. glischrum , R. keleticum , R. bainbridgeanum and Caperci's yellow form of R. apodectum .

They have tastefully designed their garden around their home on varying levels as well as in extensive plantings out in the nursery area. Also, look for the many pots of exotically groomed bonsai rhododendrons and conifers. They are specialists in bonsai selection and training in this area.

They have been frequent travelers to the East Coast to speak to garden enthusiasts there. This last year, Jim was honored for his many years of service to the Rhododendron world with the award of the Society's Gold Medal.