Another NPA Study Weekend stop: Scot Eckley's garden

This garden was just across the street from Don Brooks and Chris Syrjala's garden which I shared on Monday. A few hundred feet apart physically, worlds apart stylistically—yet I loved them both.

I started to head to the left to enter the garden (there is a tiny—hard to see—opening in the hedge), but met a couple of friends who were exiting and they steered me to the proper starting point on the other side of the house.

Front steps complete with plants...

There was a small patio to the right of the front door, it didn't look like a space where people spent time, but it made a lovely photo.

Before we enter the garden, here's a bit from the tour booklet description: "Middle Hill is the home and garden of landscape designer, Scot Eckley, his interior designer wife, Devin Fitzpatrick, and their two young children...Every turn offers a new view and experience as you wander through the garden's three levels."

Here we go...

Looking to the right as we walk the long pathway...

And then the path opens up to the back garden and we come to this inviting dining spot!

Looking at the back of the house...

And where we came from...

Walking on...

Looking to my left, just before stepping down the grass steps.

To my right, once down the steps.

And back at the steps themselves.

For a garden with rather formal lines there is still a lot of plant layering and some unexpected surprises.

Stepping down to a lower level now. For reference that dining table you saw 10 photos ago, it's up next to where that guy is standing—who might be the owner/designer Scot Eckley.

I hate the look of the rope tied across the furniture, it's so unfriendly. At the same time I can just imagine some obnoxious folks curing up and spending the day here, having their own garden party in someone else's garden. I once hosted a group of about 40 and a pair made themselves comfortable under my shade pavilion and didn't move the entire time, which meant no-one else could see the view from there.

Moving on...this small planted bowl was at the entrance to a small portion of the second side-yard. In the booklet it was described as a "hidden adventure play corridor"...

Cactus and ferns are favorites in my garden, but I don't think I've ever actually seen them living together in the same container, especially these two selections.