Hillsboro, glistens with garden delights.

I started out this trek, with I must admit a sense of low expectations.  Both in the way of weather (cloudy and drizzly) and a prejudiced attitude of Hillsboro.   I was wrong on both counts, as will soon become apparent.

This is just a scrumptious morsel of the perennial delicacies residing at 'Oak wood Gardens.'  It was very deceiving, for at the entry of this estate, is a sign for Alpacas.   But as I made my way up to the entry of this home, I was informed that the owners were amenable to opening this place up for weddings.  That should have given me an idea of the grand scale of this place, but no, I wasn't prepared for this:

This estate in terms of scale and amenities rivals most parks.

Above, is one of the wonderful meeting areas which is conveniently overlooking the waterfalls.  Lovely.

A small sampling of Lucy Hardiman's handiwork.  One wonders how these elderberries in the background reached such stature.  Then I remembered what was at the entry of this estate, and it became clear that they had some special fertilizer. :)

My next venture, was to a garden with a more rustic and of course, smaller-scale garden.  (How could it be otherwise?)  The residents of Guinther Gardens, show-cased many unusual shrubs and perennials much too the delight of this plant-luster.

Loved this combination of the corokia contoneaster with a birdbath spilling over with sedum.  So whimsical.

Now this is the way to creatively prune a rhododendron!   Prune it to create a frame for both the pot and also the waterfall.  Wonderful!!

Greeting me, before setting foot in the garden, was this beautiful collection of ladys mantle and lavender.  Only a true plant lover would take such care for a parking strip.  I was eager to see more.

 I had arrived at 'Ma Sanctuaire.'  And it was heavenly!

 The mirror on the vibrantly lavender door is delicious.  Design is in the details.

 My final retreat was at 'Acheff Garden'.  Here, the homeowners were create delightful garden rooms out of a 'space-challenged' backyard.  And they achieved this with a curvilinear plan that created the illusion of a larger space.

  What this garden also succeeded so brilliantly in doing is using evergreen plants such as a southern magnolia and box honeysuckle 'Baggesons Gold',  that would normally require more sun.  Now that is creative design. 

I began this journey in a kind of a funk with a prejudiced view of the city of Hillsboro, and I end up bedazzled by the creativity of some of their homeowners.  Not a bad way to spend a June day at all.

Cheers,

Laura