The Chase Garden
Today I’m meeting friend for lunch at the Chase Garden. This will probably be my last visit there since it is closing for good this Friday. I’m very saddened by the turn of events that has lead to this. Having worked for years in public horticulture and public gardens I can understand the reasons why but it doesn’t make it any less sad.
There are many exceptional gardens in the Northwest. If you are like me, and have one that is close, you can visit it on a regular basis and really get to know the garden and develop a real sense of the creators vision for that particular place.
I’m lucky to live just five minutes from the Chase Garden. The Chase Garden is the only garden in Washington that is a Garden Conservancy Garden. The Garden Conservancy’s mission is to save and preserve America’s exceptional gardens. The Chase Garden was certainly worth that effort. I know the Garden Conservancy tried their best to make it work since their partnership in 1998.
The garden was the lifework of Emmott and Ione Chase, who devoted more than forty years to building and refining the landscape to create one of the finest examples of mid-twentieth century Pacific Northwest design. They created Japanese-inspired ponds and bridges surrounding the house and a colorful meadow filled with drifts of rock garden plants inspired by wildflower fields on Mount Rainier. They planted native shrubs and carpets of trillium, erythronium, and vanilla leaf in naturalistic woodlands of second-growth Douglas fir trees. Their artful, modernist landscape truly captures the unique spirit of the place.
When I lived in the city I made the trek out here to see the garden which was about 100 mile round-trip. It was well worth it. Having it just 5 minutes away made it irresistible.
The Chase Gardens future may be uncertain but I can only hope the next caretaker of this special spot will love it as much as Emmott and Ione did (and many of us). As a closing note I plead with all of you to support public gardens because once gone all our lives are just a little less beautiful.
So well put, Greg. Sad to see this happen. Enjoy your lunch with your friend.
Very nice tribute to a beautiful place. I will also miss it