There was too much garden goodness and exuberance to contain in one post about Daniel Sparler and Jeff Schouten’s Garden of Exuberant Refuge, which I visited on the Puget Sound Fling. Here’s Part 1, if you missed it. Today, Part 2 starts on the back patio of the couple’s Seattle home, where potted plants and unique art caught my eye.

Mossy gargoyle

Bumblebees were snoozing late in orange dahlias during our morning visit.

Tucked in

Time to wake up, sleepyheads.

One day I am going to DIY some painted concrete columns for my garden, like Daniel and Jeff have done. I just love this.

Handsome from any direction

Another patio with a mosaic floor and striped columns is encircled by a blue wall. Gargoyles and orbs cap the pillars in this bold scene.

The silver-blue leaves of a eucalyptus shimmer at the back of the garden.

Hydrangea, another beautiful specimen in the Puget Sound gardens on tour

Ferns and mossy boulder — could anything be more Pacific Northwestern?

They can grow agaves too.

A gravel garden allows dry-loving plants to thrive, accented with totems that I think are the work of ceramic artist Dustin Gimbel.

Another view

Turquoise flames of glass sprout from an orange-and-purple pillar, a striking focal point.

Here it is from below.

A side path leads to the lower garden, through an inviting arch of red-leaved trees. The silver foliage of the eucalyptus contrasts nicely.

In a long sunny bed, flowers like daylily and dahlia mingle with aeonium.

That red arch

Daylilies

Dahlia with another snoozy bumblebee

It’s fun to see aeoniums popping up amid the flowers.

Aeonium and dahlias

Fuchsia too

View to the house and back patio

Look at the number of pots gathered here. I read at Danger Garden just how devoted Daniel and Jeff are to their potted plants. They bundle their most tender containers — about 200 — indoors for the winter. Another 300 get moved against the house for the winter and dragged inside during hard freezes. And another 100 or so get sorted out some other way. That’s 600 potted plants accounted for as of Loree’s 2023 blog post! No doubt they’ve acquired a few more by this point.

This stunning spiral cactus has pride of place on a patio table.

Freckled lilies were gorgeous too.

Another sleepy bumblebee. Will these gals ever wake up?

Morning glory and fuchsia

A blushing mangave gets the star treatment with glass starfish and flowers.

Tiled stairs lead up the side of the house, the entire passage lined with potted succulents. And dinosaurs.

Red garden with aeonium, fuchsia, and dahlias

Agapanthus

No idea what this cascading, purple-flowered vine is, but it was lovely.

A narrow path along the house is turned into a showstopper with a gigantic, starfish-like aloe and assortment of agaves.

Another dino, succulents, and a Mayan plaque offer more reasons to stop and look.

But why not add painted spheres for good measure? Don’t get stabbed by that big agave as you squeeze by.

Out front, a painted-and-tiled pillar makes a centerpiece for an arrangement of pots and gargoyles.

Pots, pots, everywhere — and pillars too

A lush shade garden near the exit. Did I even see this whole garden? It goes on and on…

What a joyful garden this was to explore. The owners’ marriage of their plant obsession with playful art and painted concrete makes it exuberant indeed.

Up next: The dramatic, terraced Berk-Kessler Garden. For a look back at Part 1 of my tour of the exuberant Sparler-Schouten 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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