HERITAGE GOLDEN WILLOW

(This is a 2016 garden description. Gardens for this year’s tour can be found here.)

A secluded walkway between house and garage welcomes the visitor to a small, lower garden surrounded by roses, a large fuchsia, and a variety of brightly-colored annuals. The arbor-covered stone steps lead up to the cool, magical space under the willow, in many years shared with a pair of mallard ducks.  

The elegant draping branches of this 100 year-old golden weeping willow can be seen from the hills above Alki Beach. Although reputed to be short-lived, this weeping willow has defied all odds, thriving next to two ponds, part of a series of eleven ponds. Built in the 1920s, these ponds were constructed as a water control system. Runoff from underground springs has never receded, even in drought conditions, and is contained by the series of ponds. Little waterfalls connect the ponds and cross three property lines. Modern-day water conservationists may be pleasantly surprised at the forward-thinking and problem-solving skills of our neighborhood city developers, whose pond solution to a water run-off issue has been functional for almost 100 years.

The landscape surrounding the willow and ponds has recently been sanctioned as a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

Not wheelchair/stroller accessible, but willow can be viewed from the sidewalk.