The Hilderbrand Garden

Today I'm sharing the 3rd HPSO garden visit Andrew and I made on a hot Sunday back in July. Earlier we'd stopped at the Old Hurlburt School Gardens and then the Hansen-Winter Garden. Both the Hansen-Winter Garden and this garden contain a lot of garden art; statuary and rusted metal. They also are both obvious plant lovers. However the two gardens are very very different...

We parked near the scene above, there was also a barn and a pair of the cutest little ponies. I left Andrew there and followed the pathway into the tall trees...

There was something slightly surreal about a pristine cement pathway in a forest. I couldn't help but wonder what mysteries lie ahead.

Perhaps a basket of alien eggs?

I successfully fought the urge to take the silver spheres out and roll them across the lawn. I really really wanted too...

There were several orange umbrella's scattered around the 2-acre property. On an overcast day I would have thought perhaps they were placed for visitors to keep dry if a rain shower should break out. There wasn't a chance of that on this day. Maybe then as a shade providing device? Nah, the trees were taking care of that.

Then I read this article in the Fall 2014 Pacific Horticulture Magazine. Written by the gardener and homeowner it talks about her art extensive collection. She writes: "Almost every day I have yet another garden art epiphany. Big nylon banners would provide fantastic color and motion! I yearn for the soft evening glow of dozens of solar-powered Chinese lanterns. I would love to install Christo-like swaths of tulle between the 150-foot Douglas fir trees that shade our property. Then I remember the incessantly drifting fir needles that fall from the trees much the way hair falls from our corgi." Perhaps the colorful umbrellas are a nylon banner/glowing lantern compromise?

When I reached the gazebo I was still unable to see the house. Part of me wondered if there even was a house!

Onward...

Finally, the house!

To get to the back garden I felt like I was walking through the house, but actually I think it was just a covered walkway, at least I hope so - don't want to be trespassing. This grouping was at the back of the house...

And as you've no doubt noticed the harsh shadows made the photographic conditions horrid.

So many places so sit for a spell...

And yes, I loved the orange accents. Talking with Ms. Hilderbrand at a later HPSO event she mentioned that she'd been told orange was now "out"...we both agreed we couldn't care less.