A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

The much-anticipated (she says sarcastically) second installment of my Georgetown Garden Tour series, today's topic is the neighborhood itself -- the images that make Georgetown what it is for me.

Perhaps Georgetown's most fabled building, especially as of late, is The Corson Building. Like almost everyone I talk to about the building, I have, over the years, envisioned myself ensconced here, tending to my Italianate gardens in a caftan and sipping iced tea to the strains of classical music bouncing from the stone walls.

Unfortunately, in reality, I will have to pony up $150 bucks to pass an evening in the garden with tea in hand. I can't decide if it's my schedule or my budget that has prevented me from dining at the Corson Building yet, though to their credit, they now offer a number of more budget-friendly dining options for the masses.

Have you been? What did you think?

I love the colors on this old Ford, or "ord," as the case may be.

My nomination for best mailbox in Georgetown, to be found on the front of the lovely Georgetown Ballroom.

Old metal work separating what is begging to be an outdoor courtyard.

Georgetown's answer to public art.

My favorite local watering hole, which is incidentally the oldest bar in Seattle.

Do I love it so much because of the wallpaper? Probably. But the burgers and tater tots are a close second.

Great storefront for Georgetown Records, a spot I am way too unhip to frequent. But I like that its here nonetheless.

Fruit Cocktail, a charming spot to discover fun, affordable estate treasures. They also combine two of my favorite elements, striped awnings and turquoise. What's not to love?

Another striped awning, this one on the charming Carlton Grocery.

Georgetown, home of toile wallpaper in bars, abandoned "ords," striped awnings aplenty. We love you.

Our Friends and Neighbors

Last Sunday marked the annual garden tour in our neighborhood ("our" meaning our home AND our store), which is always a great day for a host of reasons.

Firstly, we have opened our garden as part of the tour for the last four or five years, and we love seeing so many familiar faces returning every year. Gardeners are an interesting sort -- almost all of them are really, really nice, the kind of people you'd want to invite into your yard anyway, so it works out well.

Secondly, it's always a great day to get out and about in the neighborhood, catch up with neighbors and join in the festivities that invariably develop on such occasions. This year was no exception on either front: a great turnout of visitors to our garden, and a wonderful afternoon spent exploring the neighborhood.

I took a lot of photos, so both for the benefit of everyone reading (and to give myself more fodder for blogging!), I thought I would parse them out by topic.

Today's subject? The yard of our friend and neighbor (and Georgetown Garden Tour founder) Jon Dove, whom we at our house have unofficially dubbed "The Mayor of Georgetown."

Jon's house and life are truly straight out of a book; in fact, I've asked him if I can snap some shots of his interiors for sharing with the world, as they are completely divine. Our styles are so different, but his home incites envy in me upon every visit (a fact I know Jon loves, don't you, Jon!).

Jon was actually born in Georgetown and grew up in a charming home on the other side of the neighborhood. As a kid, he would fantasize about owning the house that has now been his for more than 15 years, which he purchased for something crazy like $35,000. (Don't even get me started on how low his mortgage payments are!)

Like me, Jon simply cannot resist a beautiful find, and he has amassed an entire basement full of things like antique toile curtains, metal lanterns, old garden furniture, and so on and so forth. This spring Jon began transforming his detached garage, previously used for storage, into what he calls a garden room, which is now filled with many of his basement treasures. I saw the finished product for the first time on Sunday, and I was completely wowed by its charm and beauty.

Take a look:



The view toward the back of the main house from the covered patio adjacent to the enclosed garden room.


How gorgeous is this vintage lantern, which he found at a salvage store for less than $100? Could you die?

A vignette from the enclosure, featuring the antique toile curtains someone gave Jon more than 20 years ago, when he was 20. Can you imagine being interested in toile curtains as a 20-year-old? Mine would have just gotten doused with beer or peed on by a cat.

I'll bet $100 Jon sits here on a regular basis and writes thank-you notes.

A giant cabinet housing Jon's handmade minature houses and buildings. Seriously.

And as if all that weren't charming enough, his garden is spectacular and actually received one of the area's most prestigious gardening awards a number of years ago, Pacific Northwest's top garden designation.

See for yourself:

A beautiful moss-covered fountain gently bubbling outside his front window.

His front door. Love it!






A few groupings on his front landing. That plate could go missing someday soon. I'm just speculating here.

I had to share a close-up so you can read the small print. I can relate!

On top of all this, Jon is a wonderful guy who does so much for his friends and his community. Darn him for making the rest of look so bad.

Stay tuned for photos showing the *inside* of Jon's home coming soon. Not to be missed!

What's Growin' On

One of the things I most anticipate in my garden each year is the opening of the clematis growing up the front of our house. Over the years it has become intertwined with a climbing rose that's a just-right creamy yellow, and the two blooming together make quite an impact.

The blooms over the door are my favorite...a few days away from opening, I suspect.

In related gardening news, it's getting closer to the annual Georgetown Garden Tour, one of the few remaining events of its kind in the city that is free to enjoy. The great thing about this tour? Anyone can participate. The bad thing about this tour? Anyone can participate.

We've opened our garden for the last five years or so, and it's so much fun to meet fellow gardeners, share ideas, and listen to people fawn over all your hard work. Strangely, it's also fun when they don't fawn and instead point out all the things you did wrong.

Our fabulous graphic designer has designed the promotional posters for the last few years, and she recently unveiled this year's design:

As the lovely poster indicates, this year the tour is on Sunday, July 12. Come on down, and don't forget to stop by 813 S. Orcas and say hello!

On the interiors front, I recently nabbed these for myself and am kind of loving them, despite their noxious vintage vinyl smell. (Please, no one tell me in any specific fashion exactly HOW bad that is for me.)

I found the '50s/'60s-era wallpaper on eBay a year or so ago, and just recently got around to doing something with it. The custom turquoise frames are by my best-friend-in-my-mind Jonathan Adler from his line for Larson-Juhl.

I love the connection between the glass mosaic backsplash and the frame color... Now if I could only get my act together and paint the walls! It's only been six years, after all. Don't rush me.

It's slo-o-o-o-wly coming together in the Living Room. Still on the list:

1. Sofa reupholstery (Fabrics all ordered. Woo hoo.)
2. Wallpaper in kitchen (Ordered. Double woo hoo.)
3. Paint for entire room. (Can't bring myself to deal with this one.)
4. Chevron stencils for entry. (See #3, though I do at least have the stencils. And the paint. Only lacking motivation. They were all out at Benjamin Moore.)
5. New side chairs (Just snagged on eBay for $40 a pop. Sadly, the fabric going on them costs 3 times more per yard than each chair!)
6. New kitchen cabinet hardware (I am so over the top about this that it will be the subject of an entire post shortly. One word: lucite.)
7. New floor lamps (All picked out. Waiting to win the lottery. Note to self: Buy lottery ticket.)

Is it just me, or is making to-do lists completely depressing?

My Husband's Favorite Day of the Year

Mark your calendars, friends...it is time to begin the countdown to this year's Georgetown Art and Garden Walk. The chicken rears its head once again on the second Sunday of July...I'd type the date and times but my daughter spilled bubbles on my laptop keyboard, and the entire top two rows no longer function. Ah, motherhood.

But I digress. From ten to five, you can visit a number of local gardens ranging from prizewinning to beginning, as well as check out wares from local artists, shops...including yours truly...and restaurants. We'll have our garden open as always this year, so come by South Orcas and say hello to my husband Chad and daughter Piper, who will be holding down the fort while Mom is tending the store and praying not to go into labor for another two weeks.

We're working on having some custom concrete pots and planted containers at the store in time for the big day, so don't forget to visit us here at the shop.

See you then...and hopefully many times before and after as well.