PLANNING STAGE

The conception of doing a rock garden with an emphasis on conifers was conceived in 1995. We knew there were a number of public rock gardens in the Northwest but many of them, especially in the Seattle area, were more like perennial gardens with a scattering of rocks that are mostly hidden from view.

We wanted to do a rock garden that was not only well designed, but also a garden that would showcase many of the better dwarf and miniature conifers that are available from specialty nurseries and little known to the public.

We wanted to do this in a place where the garden would serve an educational purpose and be a functional, changing centerpiece to a small arboretum and educational program. There was an undeveloped portion of the arboretum that was tailor made for our needs. Originally we were doing a garden of about 10,000 square feet (1/4 acre). It soon became apparent that the scope of the garden exceeded that much area and it was subsequently increased to approximately 1 acre.

The actual planning began in 1999 when a landscape design student, Yukai Kato, developed the basic plan for the garden. She designed the elevations and the hardscape. Dianne and I did most of the plant design.

The site consisted of heavy clay soil, a row of lombardy poplars, and a turf testing facility of concrete bordered plots of soil. All of which had to be removed or corrected during phases one and two.

These pictures show the site during the planning stage.

 Dianne and Van Bobbit are standing near a pile of rubble from the former turf experimental area. Van was and is the director of the SSCC Arboretum in addition to his position as a horticultural instructor at the college.

 Helen Sutton and Steve Hildebrand with Van. The shed in the background was moved to another location. Helen was our major supporter from the SSCC Arboretum Committee. Steve supervised all of the construction through his landscape construction class.

 The fence runs along the main street that passes in front of the campus. The lombardy poplars were removed and this area was bermed and planted with conifers and beeches to create a screen from the street.

 Another view across the garden site showing the street to the right.

 The site for the garden from another direction. The street is to the left.

  The site looking toward the street from the position of the future entrance.