Rendezvous Revisited... A Great Montana Adventure!

The elk were divided into areas, and this area housed the cows....

While the bulls hung out over here.....

A view of the woodpecker tree from the back. Look up.. WAY up... that's where the suet is. Now you can understand why I say I would leave it to someone else to fill....

This rock fountain was wonderful, and there is a hidden pond at the bottom. Look at the size of the delphiniums flanking it...... drool........

A more complete shot of the garden. The firepit is on the back side of this garden, and the bright birdhouse that is a focal point would bring a ray of sunlight even if it was pouring rain.....

Sophie's memorial garden is a wonder. The large rock that makes up the fountain is actually heart shaped, as are all of the stones on top and the slice of tree beside it.

A fuller picture of the garden created for a beloved furrie....

I am sure you are starting to see by now why I feel that Steve is truely a wizard when it comes to hardscape.....

There was just so much to look at it was almost mind boggling......

Well, it's that time of day again, so I am done for now. I hope I am not boring you to tears, but there was so much to see and I wanted to share as much as possible with those who couldn't make it.

Julie - the plant I gave you last fall is a similar Persicaria. It truly is beautiful but may do too well if the soil is good and it gets adequate water . . .

Great pictures. I'm still going through them. It's great to get your perspective on Steve's garden.

All I can say right now is...WOW!! Incredible gardens, Steve and Karen!!! I, too, need to look through the pictures more slowly and carefully so as not to miss the amazing details.

I'm totally tired out right now and have to get to bed, after a day of preparing materials for our Summer volunteer reading tutors.

I am sooooo enjoying this tour!!!! Words can't describe it.

Kathy, I am excited now to see my Persicaria from you (if the slugs have not decimated it). I planted it down on my first terrace which I have yet to get to this year... you warned me that it might be "happy" in my yard, so I planted it somewhere where I didn't care if it went crazy.

Glad people are enjoying the tour. I will try to finish today if work doesn't get absolutely crazy....

What a beautiful garden. Great pictures, Julie! Looks like it was a really wonderful weekend. :)

This is another picture of the shade garden. I am very jealous because Karen has several different colors of yarrow that are very happy. I just can't keep the slugs off of anything but white in my yard....

The other side of the shade garden. I am just in love with their paths.....

McKenzie showing off better detail of the garden.....

The light was rather difficult for photography by the time we got out in the yard, but we did our best. This area with iris and poppies blooming was lovely. I will share a close up of the iris soon as I absolutely fell in love with it....

Irish moss decorated this walkway..... can you just imagine how stunning it will be when the moss fills in completely?

This was the iris that I was so in love with.......

Lots of green still... can you imagine what it will look like in full color????

They had wonderful varieties of spirea everywhere.........

What a wonderful tour - and goodness, what a wonderful garden! Thank you for posting - must dash, need a shower before picking up DH from train station, I stink, am covered in bits and dust and bug bites!! But what a great day!

The verigated iris were in full bloom in Sophie's garden and were just lovely.....

I am just amazed at Steve's vision and creativity. Here he is explaining his plan for a mosaic tree made of different colored rocks that will have it's trunk in the area he is standing and extend into the canopy in the lawn area behind him.

I can't wait to see the final product.....

Karen is just as creative as Steve is, and has visions of her own to describe........

Wrangell is checking out the vegie garden....

The garden envelops the house as well........

We all adored this plant, but again were at a loss for a name......

The garden around the base of the bird feeder tree was beautiful with lovely color from the gazinias... The rock paths in the garden represent different mountain passes......

Glad the P. came up again for you, Julie. I am discovering pieces of it that are coming up as surprises, so it looks like it will be here to stay. The blossom on this one is a little different, but the leaves are more blue and kind of fun. And it will bloom later in the summer than Steve and Karen's.

Is it Persicaria bistorta that they have?

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/persicaria_bistorta_superba.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2006/05/persicaria_bistorta_superba.php&usg=__yx3eBUfbq2ZJbKZBqt69N1420HA=&h=600&w=800&sz=138&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=pfw5FswF7wG-7M:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpersicaria%2Bbistorta%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

It seems like Steve and Karen's yard goes on forever. Heaven!

Do they have an automatic watering system?

Kathy, Persicaria bistorta looks right. It was such a cool plant, and standing up so wonderfully. I am afraid it would be a flopper here.

They have a lot of timed soaker hoses, but as far as I know no sprinkler system. Karen does quite a bit of hand watering as well, especially when things are newly planted. She says that she enjoys it as it is a good time to admire her babies.

This is the firepit area. Lots of rock, and you feel almost like you are a cave dweller sitting on your ledge looking out at the world when you are sitting around the blaze.....

The border between design by man and design by nature.......

Henri checking out the chicken coop........

Kip was happier by Sunday. Maybe he knew that the invaders were leaving......

As a matter of fact, he and Henri had finally come to terms by our garden walk..........

We all fell in love with the glorious hops at the front gate, and happily came home with starts........