A few weeks ago, we went on the Green Neighbors Natural Garden Tour which featured ten eco-friendly gardens in the Vancouver (Clark County) area. We saw all but two gardens and got a chance to see parts of the county that we had not visited before, like Washougal, which reminded us a lot of North Carolina.
The gardens ranged in size, from larger ones with more than an acre to very tiny ones. All of the gardeners practiced sustainable gardening techniques (no chemicals, pesticides or herbicides).
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| This small front garden was a rain garden and a good example of how to prevent storm water runoff. This is something I am interested in. I have been thinking about ways to add a rain barrel to catch water that would otherwise be wasted. We have gutters all around our house but I know there has to be a way around that. |
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| I loved the color combinations here. I am suddenly a big fan of orange, a color that I tended to stay away from in our formal garden. (Garden of Barbara Samuels) |
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| This beautiful combination was in the only garden (Brenda Wilson) on the tour located near our neighborhood. |
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The Ferguson garden in Washougal was located on the banks of a river and was full
of wildflowers and herbs. |
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| Brenda Calvert's garden in Brush Prairie had chickens, bees, an orchard and large vegetable garden. |
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| A beautiful Sumac ('Tiger Eyes') in the garden of Monica Zapulla. |
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| We almost skipped the Karen Plitt garden in Brush Prairie because we thought it was too far away but I am so glad we ventured on. It was the largest garden with several ponds, water features and beautiful perennials and native plants. |
This was a fun tour and very educational. It is an opportunity to see how gardeners in the area use sustainable techniques to keep our environment safe and still have beautiful gardens. And it was free! I will be looking forward to next years tour.
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
