Balanced Beauty

Following an expedition to Tibet in 1984, Art traveled to the sacred mountain Huang Shan at the invitation of the expedition’s Chinese interpreter. “It was there on the windswept slopes that I found the inspiration for this garden. Pine trees, naturally shaped by relentless winds and granite spires created a magical landscape.”

Walk down a sloping drive and the calm of this half-acre sanctuary is revealed with the melody of falling water, beautifully sculpted black pines, Japanese maples and a mountain landscape. Beginning in1986, this garden was gradually transformed into a miniature interpretation of Huang Shan.

A series of stone stairways, punctuated with spire-like boulders and columns of granite, guide you up through moss and stonecrop-topped rocks. Find a Japanese-style stream of rock bordered by ferns and equisetum and cascades of falling water. Reaching the top you are treated to a series of ponds, containing recently-adopted koi and sweeping views of Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. Take time to notice small details like the beauty of stone-weighted branches in training, a cache of striped stones and the way shadows fall across granite boulders.

As this garden has matured it has become a natural haven for a diversity of wildlife and a perfect complement to the adjacent Pelly Place Natural Area. Art continues to find pleasure in the small efforts of pruning, weeding, and attracting the birds he loves to photograph – all in his own backyard! “It is my retreat, my sanctuary and my space to decompress after long days of hectic travel. I spend every first day of returning home after travel in the garden, often not speaking to a soul, and it puts me right.”

With your spirit refreshed, follow the boardwalk overlooking the ravine as it wraps around the house to exit the garden.

Stairs from sidewalk into front garden, but accessible from driveway to front and back gardens.