Rutherford Creek Gardens
Redmond, WA
Garden structure/sculpture, Meadow, Organic/toxin-free, Water feature, Woodland/shade garden
Our little bit of England, a 2-acre English Country Garden made and maintained by an English country couple. In the main gardens, the mixed borders are planted with 'must-have' sustainable perennials, mixed in with flowering shrubs and specimen trees against a borrowed backdrop of tall native evergreens. The garden rooms and pathways are connected by rose-covered archways and wisteria-supporting pergolas, taking you through the shady grove of sequoia and cedar trees and emerging in the meadow in front of the Chicken Cottage. The "No Mow Meadow" is planted with spring and summer bulbs and then gets its first mow in July, supplying hay for the chickens! Close by is the Pavilion, designed and built by the owners. This is a shady or sheltering spot to sit and view the more formal Parterre Garden with its four clematis-supporting Tuteurs. Pick a path and wander along the ferny creek edge or take the long east border to the beech pleached hedge. West of the house is the greenhouse and a gravel garden, with a few indulgent tropical plants. Woodchip paths take you around the deck to the Daisy Steps and then to the top of the Gabion Garden, a terrace of planted gabion walls and connecting steps. From here steps and sloping paths take you to the natural area of "Soggy Bottom," next to the creek and a natural wildlife pond, and then you can follow the creek, emerging back in the gravel garden. The paths are edged by more gabion walls and in places topped with Fern Tables.
This garden's estimated size is 2 acres.
Open Days 2024: Saturday, June 1
Hours: Three Sessions: 10–12, 12–2, 2–4
- New garden or feature
- Partial wheelchair access
- Nature-friendly
Redmond, King County, WA, 98053