Backyard Beauties

SUMMER IS garden-tour time, a chance to get a close-up look at usually private backyards. On July 15, seven garden owners in Federal Way will open their gates as a benefit for their symphony orchestra. All the gardens are within a few miles of each other, several clustered together to cut down on driving.

I'd go back again to visit the Marston-Wezeman garden just to have a chance to see their Aussiedoodle puppy, a beguiling cross between a miniature Australian shepherd and poodle. The puppy, named Tucker, is busy trampling her own paths through this flowery garden while the family cat lazes about. The pets' owners, Leah Marston-Wezeman and Paul Wezeman, are both Federal Way school teachers who garden together so harmoniously that one of their few conflicts is over who gets to mow the backyard. This couple loves their garden, and it shows. By midsummer, lobelia, monarda, daisies, dahlias and hanging baskets line the walkway to the front door."We're flower people, we love the brightness and cheer," says Leah of all the annuals the couple bring out of their greenhouse in late May. Begonias, impatiens, cosmos, petunias and purple fountain grass fill in around the mature shrubs that clothe the fence lines. Frisbee-sized orange dahlias, roses and lacy Japanese maples grace the beds. The deck is a riot of potted flowers, with a little chiminea to warm up a chilly evening. In midsummer, the perennials have grown up so high around the deck that it's surrounded. "It's like a nest in there," says Paul. "It's a little hard on our plant-phobic friends."

This pair is definitely not afraid of plants. The couple removed all the grass in the side yard, planting thickly around stepping stones with heucheras, small shrubs and perennials. The plants are organized by color through the garden, with blocks of yellow and purple and pink leading your eye from one end of the garden to the other. Little rows of raspberries and marionberries yield enough for a few pies and cereal toppings each year.

"When we married I was a straight-line person," says Leah, "and Paul liked curves. Now we're switching roles." Paul seems to have triumphed, because the long, rectangular shape of the narrow garden is effectively broken up with curves of garden beds, low rock walls and cozy, sheltered seating areas for shade or sun.

The road to such a lovely garden has been paved with four years of hard work. The flat garden has been effectively contoured with all the dirt they've dug up to improve the drainage and enrich the soil. Every path is underlaid with 2 feet of pea gravel, and just below the surface, the garden is a spiderweb of French drains.

Two small water features have fountains run by solar pumps. No cords or outlets are needed to run these pumps, which work well even on cloudy days. The far back corner of the garden is in transition. The fountain will remain, but around it the couple is creating a shady grotto with a banana tree and other large-leafed plants.

"This is our oasis, our retreat," says Leah of the garden. It's also a lesson in how to squeeze an impressive amount of garden and outdoor living space into one small backyard.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and contributing editor for Horticulture magazine. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times staff photographer.