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Kingston Tide
Over 1,200 visitors enjoyed our gardens in the Pacific Northwest last Saturday between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.—a pace of about 200 per hour. The Garden Conservancy Open Days Director, Laura Palmer, and I estimated that over 80% had never visited the gardens, leaving about 250 multiple time visitors. Our guess was that only about 50 were the true believers, a proud and mostly peaceful band that includes former employees and previous Open Day volunteers. In other words, almost 1,000 people saw the gardens for the first time. We were thrilled to have everyone, but especially the “newbies”, because they freshly appreciated the many garden designs and rare plant collections. In contrast, the handful of romantic veterans spent most of their time either gossiping or contentedly breathing in the past. A few even meditated. It was wonderful to see the diversity of garden lovers, horticultural professionals and hardcore botanists. A couple of people followed me around the garden to eavesdrop on my conversations. But reality trumps hate—every time—and this was a spectacularly beautiful reality. All arguments ended at the garden’s edge. It was a great day.
The surprising and overwhelming majority of first-time attendees created a defining moment for Heronswood. Most of them were both dazzled by the beauty as well as confused by the layout, despite having a map and half dozen Heronswood and Burpee staff to help them get through the space of over 14,000 plants. We need signage! Paradoxically, well-designed plant labels will quiet the mood by yielding the gardens’ secrets to visitors. Especially in the often-congested “Big Bang” rainforest complex of marvellous serpentine paths, labels will relax and soften its overwrought intensity. They will untangle what needn’t be tangled. The handful of pundits and critics will have a fit with this decision, but never mind. They have luxuriated in the status quo for seven years. Carefully designed and harmoniously placed, a series of markers and labels will add the pleasure of knowledge to the garden. A little “logos” to balance the “mythos”. Many people do not realize we have over 7,500 taxa—a remarkable number even for a public garden, and unheard of in a private one.
Saturday, July 21st, was a defining moment also for the true believers—the self-described “Heronistas”. A few will try to edit and redefine their impressions of their visit to fit their prejudices. Some will remain quiet, since they have nothing negative to say. But most of them will, like the rest of us, remember savoring a great garden experience.
Thanks to everyone on the Heronswood staff, past and present, especially Philip Bloomquist, Alan Chase, Ken Shay and Eric Spilde. Our greatest appreciation goes to our treasured customers and guests. About $5,600 was contributed to our friends at the non-profit The Garden Conservancy. Laura Palmer thinks it was one of the top five Open Days in their history. Last week’s magical event was the first of more to come. Meanwhile, please come to our Heronswood Opens on the east coast at Fordhook Farm, August 3rd and 4th and September 21st and 22nd. An entirely different, 60 acre, zone 6 complex of over a dozen large and relatively dry and sunny gardens, displays over 3,000 genera and species. With a historic 18th century farmhouse and a pair of large 19th century barns, Fordhook Farm provides a majestic setting for the rare and unusual cultivars of Heronswood Nursery.