Hidden gardens and weekend chores

Knowing the Spring Courtyard
Seattle Chinese Garden

The weather was mostly cool and gloomy this weekend, although Saturday was sunny and so evolved into a garden work day. I cleaned out beds and cut the tops off all the ratty looking tulips and daffodils, probably too soon. If you can stand looking at them, it's better for the bulbs if the foliage turns completely yellow and flops overs before you whack it. After John mowed the lawn our little corner looked gorgeous in the brief sun with the purple alliums blooming and dozens of iris just ready to pop open. But this is the latest the peonies have ever been, although they're covered with more buds than usual from all the rain.

On Saturday I grilled a T-bone steak (which we shared) and on Sunday some pretty good chicken thighs. After a long winter I'm starting to get my "grill" back. Memorial Day weekend is usually the time to lay low and avoid the crowds and highways. Although last year I remember we were in Twisp and went to the Winthrop rodeo. I was looking back at the blog post-- how did that little baby Nova turn into a talkative, running toddler so fast?

So it's been a quiet weekend. We drove over to the South Seattle Community College Arboretum on Sunday morning to check progress on the Chinese garden being designed by Seattle's sister city of Chongqing. The Knowing the Spring Courtyard is the first major structure to be completed this past winter. The overall project is ambitious and will eventually cover 5 acres on a ridge overlooking Seattle, becoming the largest Chinese garden outside of China. The area is protected by greenbelts on each side with excellent and unusual downward views of the city. The Chinese garden designers working there praised the site's good fengshui.

The meditation rocks are installed but could use a bit of weathering...
The large inner courtyard will eventually be used for festivals, celebrations and ceremonies.