When two neighbors go all-in on their gardens, it makes for great street energy. Such is the case with two of the gardens on the Puget Sound Fling‘s bonus day in Seattle. Last time I showed you Bonnie Berk’s terraced hillside garden. Today let’s explore the garden of her across-the-street neighbor, Tanya Bednarski. Although largely evergreen and filled with clipped shrubs, it’s far from static or boring. Cloud-pruned boxwoods bounce along each side of a striking keyhole-shaped patio, framed by small trees in crimson pots. Red javelins of glass — made by Seattle glass artist Jesse Kelly — make a Chihuly-worthy focal point.

All of this is hidden behind a formal streetscape: clipped boxwood and upright trees and an evergreen hedge. These provide privacy from the houses on the hill across the street and create an enclosed courtyard that invites relaxing.

The inviting space on the other side of the hedge

Inside the green circle

Cloud-pruned boxwood

The garden stretches along the length of the house, with another courtyard space at the far end. Pairs of small trees like Japanese maple and potted boxwoods add height and texture while emphasizing the formality of the design.

Let’s walk that way.

Enclosed by clipped greenery, a table set offers a pretty spot for dining or working outside.

The table’s mosaic top adds a dash of color and pattern. A stone fountain at the patio’s edge provides the peaceful sound of trickling water.

Bouquet of white hydrangeas and coneflowers

Tanya told me the etched stone trough was found in China. With its trickle of water from an off-center pipe, framed by potted hostas and an evergreen shrub, it’s a beautiful feature.

Containerized shade garden

I love the mosaic tabletop against the Tudor-style house.

High on an exterior wall, I spotted a tile picture of Mount Rainier.

The keyhole patio with glass javelins opens to a stair that leads down to the driveway. A rocky retaining wall shelters ferns and moss and little glass mushrooms.

Along the back of the house, a fern grotto thrives in the shade of an upper-story deck. The decks look out on Lake Washington and Mount Rainier, and I guess I’d gotten so used to seeing water and the mountain by this point that I didn’t even take a photo of the view. Crazy!

Looking down, I spotted Flingers exploring a lower patio garden, where sunny conditions allow Tanya to grow roses and dahlias.

Cute snail planters with succulents — the only kind of snails a gardener would want, right?

Up next: Designer Richard Hartlage’s jam-packed yet lighthearted garden. For a look back at the terraced and art-accented garden of Bonnie Berk, click here.

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Digging Deeper

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