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Arbutus Garden Arts

Posted on by Betty Fitzgerald
In earlier days, in the garden, exuberant flowering perennials and grand splashes of annuals were my youthful hearts desire. But in the passage of time I am acutely aware that the  maintenance of such once-upon-a-time desires have become increasingly  burdensome.  Don’t get me wrong, I have great joy working in my garden but the scales have tipped ever so slightly and changes are in order.

I’ll always cherish  my  beloved old timers of hydrangea, lilac, peonies, daisies, herbs and the like.  But my gardens are now beginning to transition like me into a slower gentler stage of living. 

Enter.. the very special and secret hideaway garden of owners Norm Jacobs and Deb Zaveson of Arbutus Garden Arts, my inspiration in bringing to my cottage gardens a more natural, water conscious, and low maintenance habitat. Arbutus is truly a hidden gem. You’ll find it so worth the discovery if ever your in the vicinity of the tiny town of Yamhill, Oregon.
 I’ve been pondering a pond to ponder by ever since I saw this one!

One courageous step in my journey is to embrace moss.   I’m finding I do not need to rid my garden of it’s persistent green fuzziness.  Since I  love to live where it lives, we need to get along.  


A Bright green with envy tree among the sage hued forest.  At the time of my visit I was sure I would remember it’s name.  Same for the following Northwest Native.  What is your name dear lovely?


The lovely Northwest Native that will remain nameless. 



 Ahh… my redemption lies just behind and to the right of the nameless beauty. See the  deep red/brown trunk back there?  It’s the smooth inner bark revealed once the peeling bark has shed of one of my all time favorite Northwest Native trees, the Madrone (Arbutus), the favored namesake of this magical garden.

Norm and Deb designed their gardens as a succession of rooms that are only confined by the walls of an extended woodland.  Here I walked through an arbor into one such tranquil room for some precious moments of reflection and inspiration.

 An occasional hefty pot tucked here and there for interest along a forest path at Arbutus Garden Arts.



My congenial and knowledgeable host and garden tour guide, Norm Jacobs. Conversation with Norm is a riveting litany of botanical history profusely peppered with Latin. By golly, it’s enough to make a girl blush.  


I left Arbutus Garden Arts with my hopeful new prospects of Hellebores, Epemedia, and a darling Paeonia Obovata (woodland peony). I also contracted a slight case of Latin- itis, but I’m sure it’s temporary. :D


And how is your garden growing?

Betty Fitzgerald

One thought on “Arbutus Garden Arts”

  1. C-ingspots says:

    Very pretty!! The name is familiar, but I can't place the garden. I'm in need on inspiration in my garden as well…I'm taking the day off tomorrow if you'd like to drop by for a spot of tea…or a cold one!! Mary C. is coming by for an hour or so to lend me a hand with Mr. Eags…we're so in need of assistance. *sigh*
    Blessings my wayward friend.

    Reply

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