One of my favorite gardens on the Fling tour last month was that of Camille and Dirk Paulsen. As one of the co-planners of the Puget Sound Fling, Camille not only devoted a year of volunteer effort to bring Flingers to her region, but she managed to have her garden in tiptop shape for 100 visitors to enjoy for a few hours. It was our longest stretch of time in a private garden, for which I was exceedingly thankful. It gave me time to do my usual obsessive photographing of the entire garden — I made two perambulations — and then have a chance to sit down and just enjoy its beauty.

I follow Camille on Instagram (@tahomaflora), so I was prepared for her spectacular view of glacier-crowned Mount Rainier (an active volcano, by the way), also known as Tahoma. But what a treat to see it in person on a cloudless summer day, floating above a hazy blue skirt, seemingly close enough to reach out and touch. It’s only 30 miles away, according to a wayfinding sign on the back deck, which gives directions to other famous peaks around the world.

Camille and Dirk designed and built much of their Puyallup, Washington, garden themselves. According to a feature about their garden in The Seattle Times, the couple inherited a lot of nice trees when they bought the house. Over time they nibbled away at areas of lawn to garden up the entire front and back yard, which today includes a front-yard pond and patio, an Asian shade garden, a colorful patio garden by a swimming pool, a contemplative pond garden, a hideaway under a weeping elm, a fire pit patio, a shade pavilion on a sunny lawn, and more.

Camille’s creativity and eye for beauty is on display throughout the garden. Take a look at the birch log (above) that she wired with moss, orchids, and staghorn fern and hung from an arbor. A gorgeous focal point, it distracts from a view of the house next door, which opened up when Camille lost a tree, if I recall correctly. Genius!

Let’s start our tour in the front garden, where I wandered over — not sure if it was time or not — after being dropped off with my busmates at two of her neighbors’ gardens while the other bus arrived at Camille’s place first. The first busload had already worked their way into the back garden, so I had the front to myself.

Trees, shrubs, and a walking path encircle the front-yard fishpond.

As you approach, you’re greeted by a curlicued elf’s hat of a tree — a weeping Serbian spruce, I believe — and other conifers underplanted with golden groundcovers. You can tell this is going to be a gardener’s garden.

Alongside the pond, a large arbor encircles a round patio, which overlooks…

…a waterfall and stream flowing from the front of the house toward the pond, accented by a graceful Japanese maple and Japanese forest grass.

Sedum colonizing a mossy rock

Basalt birdbath tucked under a Japanese maple and blue conifer

A bronze pot in the center of the round patio is like a stone dropped into a pond, causing outward ripples.

Following a flagstone path to the side of the house, you come to a gateway. Gabion pillars topped with pots of annuals mark the transition.

As you enter the back garden, a beautiful torii gate built by Dirk frames a view of Mount Rainier. Hello! What a showstopping entry.

The flagstone path is beautifully constructed with a gentle S shape and a mix of geometric and raw-edge stones.

Looking back toward the torii gate

A mossy lantern along the way

The Asian-style stone path

From the shade you emerge into a sunny patio garden around a curvy swimming pool. Camille trained a weeping blue Atlas cedar that drapes like a living curtain over the metal safety fence. Blue pots and spheres add color and interest among patio seating.

Dahlias and blue Atlas cedar soaking up the sun poolside

Sanguisorba cascades over a slope, backed by a burgundy Japanese maple.

A couple of my fellow Flingers were looking pretty happy on the patio, and soon enough had their feet in the pool — a Fling tradition.

Potted tropicals add summer color and bold foliage.

Just past the pool, an etched birdbath draws the eye amid a romantic tumble of plants, with purple clematis color-echoing a hydrangea.

Clematis closeup

Beyond, a tranquil shade garden shows off gorgeous foliage under a canopy of Japanese maples and other trees.

Japanese maple leaves catching the light

It’s an intimate woodland garden, with hanging wire ornaments in the trees drawing you on.

A pond — its mirrored surface reflecting the trees — occupies the center of this space. A mossy boulder in the water makes a contemplative island. Beyond it, two chairs perch at the edge of the garden, facing Mount Rainier.

As I came through the garden again a little later, I spotted two Flingers enjoying that view.

Long view across the pond toward a small waterfall spilling into it

Near the pond, a weeping Camperdown elm hangs a green curtain of foliage all the way to the ground. Parting its branches, you discover a secret hideaway…

…with this view of Mount Rainier and acres of forest. Stupendous!

Wyatt Emig looking blissed out by the magic of this space

A trio of Flingers — Patterson Webster, Michelle Reimert, and Judy Hertz — enjoying the view

As I turned around, I spotted other Flingers on a bench overlooking the pond. So many good spots to sit and enjoy this garden!

Crossing a stone bridge over the waterfall…

…I headed for stairs leading up-slope. The densely planted garden offers much to appreciate along the way, including flames of green glass amid the foliage.

A bamboo handrail follows the stone steps…

…tufted at the bottom with a waterfalling mound of Japanese forest grass.

The stairs lead up to a fire pit patio, where a tribe of Flingers was all smiles, even before the sorbet arrived.

Speaking of, Valley Social Gelato was soon serving scoops of tasty strawberry rhubarb sorbet from a cart in the driveway.

But back to the garden exploration

A handsome shade pavilion overlooks the valley and Mount Rainier and was a popular spot to sit and chat.

The pavilion and a small lawn sit high above the swimming pool, level with an elevated back deck.

Looking down, I spotted a contingent of Flingers soaking tired feet in the pool.

Chocolate mimosa, crocosmia, and Mexican feathergrass make a pretty combo on the slope, as seen from below.

And here’s that mimosa and feathergrass as seen from above on the lawn. Arching metal art echoes the rusty foliage.

Jim Bishop from San Diego enjoying the shade pavilion

Valerie Smith, a new Flinger from Charleston, South Carolina

A palm, cannas, and other sun lovers add tropical flavor along the lawn.

Dahlias offer another splash of red.

Along a boulder-terraced wall, an Asian-flavored planting of forest grass, fern, and Japanese maples graces a cobble path leading to the driveway.

Closeup of stone, forest grass, fern, and maples

More foliage color

Camille planted up a gnarled old tree trunk, which she found and brought into her garden, to make her own version of a stumpery.

Nearby, her fabulous hanging log drips with gray tendrils of moss.

One more view

Hosta, fern, and forest grass mingle with fuchsia.

Sanguisorba and fuchsia are pretty in pink.

Camille’s garden is simply spectacular. Wyatt’s expression sums up how I felt too — grateful for the opportunity to really experience it. Camille and Dirk (and your daughters), thank you all for sharing your beautiful home and garden with us!

Up next: Exploring Lakewold Gardens before the Fling banquet dinner. For a look back at two of Camille’s gardening neighbors, click here.

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Digging Deeper

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