If there was one garden that really spoke to my own sensibilities at the Puget Sound Fling last month, it was the Garden of Exuberant Refuge, the happy creation of Daniel Sparler and Jeff Schouten in Seattle. Colorful, quirky, irreverent, playful, and rewarding to the observant visitor, the garden charmed me from start to finish.

The Sparler-Schouten garden kicked off a bonus day of the Fling for a smaller group of about 50 who signed up for it early. Gillian Mathews, former owner of Ravenna Gardens (which I visited during the 2011 Seattle Fling), put together the lineup of Seattle gardens in coordination with Fling organizers Camille and Paula, and it was as fabulous as the other days of the Fling.

I took a bazillion photos of the Sparler-Schouten garden, so I’m breaking my tour into two posts. For part 1, let’s start with the pond garden in the front yard.

This pond! I adore it. A ring of lime green contains black water and glass floats. The arrowhead leaves of colocasia and sparkler-like papyrus rise from the water, along with mossy, dripping columns. A toy alligator basks on the pond’s rim because…why not?

The paving goes all-in on the circle theme, each wheel accented with a purple “eye.” A painted bench and surrounding flowers add more grapey purple.

I love a stock-tank pond, and I love a painted wall. So of course I’m crazy for this container pond inside a painted concrete wall.

“Every bit of this garden is do-it-yourself,” say Daniel and Jeff, including many painted concrete pillars that elevate pots and garden art. “Design purists beware!” they warn. “If you see anything remotely tasteful, we assure you it’s purely coincidental. Now in its 33rd outrageous year, this is a collector’s garden in which the wild and wacky plants have taken over the asylum.”

Regular readers know that I’m not a plant nerd. I love plants, but what draws me to a garden is not a unique collection of them but rather the overall feeling a garden evokes, its creativity and spirit. And that’s what I adore about this garden — its playful and artistic spirit.

Expressiveness is the thing that’ll grab you, every time. So gardeners, take a lesson from Daniel and Jeff, and don’t be afraid to DIY your garden and indulge whatever crazy thing thrills you!

I love a good pot-head hairdo.

The pond’s surface is a dark mirror.

Ceramic totem topped with a strappy sphere and slag glass. And moss!

A rubber snake coils around a trellis. A vine has grabbed it with its own snaky tendrils.

Trees that died have been transformed into display pillars…

…for rubber tree frogs.

A shaggy palm trunk wears a pair of juicy lips. Another face stares out from a piece of salvaged wire mesh.

Along a shady path, short concrete pillars painted lavender, pink, and yellow make a dock-like edging. Each pillar is topped with impressed tiles or stones or rebar used to cradle a potted plant.

This being Seattle, moss has colonized them too.

A red-flowering bromeliad on display

Chunks of green slag glass make a protective fairy circle around a beautifully variegated plant.

Pillar decor

A friendly gnome and Teletubbies perch on this one.

Glass starfish and beads adorn another.

Rebar is used to whimsical effect, like this swirling loop…

…with a little mandrill clinging to the end.

A long arbor offers safe passage through the jungle, its curved path enticing you on.

A gargoyle crouches atop a purple pillar.

Shorter pillars display glass and rocks.

These rubber snakes add to the jungle vibe.

The zigzag “roof” of the hallway adds a dynamic touch.

Pieces of bamboo wired to the trellis make impromptu vases for allium seedheads, which seem to sizzle like sparklers.

A homemade shrine offers a reason to pause.

Monkeys dangling from a palm tree keep things playful.

Mossy Buddha on a concrete bench

Ceramic-and-glass totems brighten the shady garden.

An elevated ceramic ball makes a shiny focal point amid tropical-looking plants.

Tree fern foliage

Mauve lilies

Rawr!

Heading into the back garden, the path curves through blue pillars displaying pretty plants, toward an open-sided shade structure.

I love how the owners use painted pillars to lift up plants for appreciation, adding height, structure, and color that will remain even in winter.

The shade structure offers an intimate patio space surrounded by the garden.

It looks out on a beautiful blue eucalyptus tree.

Patio vignette

So much good foliage in this garden, with colorful pots and pillars for showing it off.

Up next: Part 2 of my visit to the playful Sparler-Schouten Garden. For a look back at Part 2 of my tour of Windcliff, including the blufftop garden, click here.

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Digging Deeper

Explore the world of succulents and cacti at the Austin Cactus and Succulent Society’s Fall Sale on 8/31 and 9/1, from 10 am to 5 pm. Held at the Austin Area Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden, it includes a plant show with specimen cacti and succulents, handcrafted pottery, daily silent auction and hourly plant raffles, and expert advice. Entry included with the cost of admission at Zilker Botanical Garden: Adults $6 to $8, Seniors $5 to $7, Youths $3 to $4, Children under 2 free.

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!

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