Little and Lewis

George Little and David Lewis garden on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. My excursion to their little Eden began when I found their book, A Garden Gallery, at Powell’s in Portland. I was in love. I searched the Little and Lewis website and found their schedule for 2007 open gardens (timed to match the Bainbridge in Bloom garden tours), made my plans, printed maps and invited my husband.

I suppose part of the magic of the garden was our arrival, having come across the Sound from Seattle. Leaving the grimy city, exiting through the ferry terminals at the foot of the downtown business and shopping district, the ferry moved us gently toward Bainbridge Island. The views and birds and water began to work their magic. And because the garden is very near the Island ferry terminal it was only minutes before we found ourselves driving down a narrow lane looking for the open garden sign.

George and David were in the garden that July morning, greeting guests as I stopped for a minute in recognition that I was meeting special people. I often wander my days in awe of the jobs people do that were not on my high school list of possible careers. Creating water gardens or concrete garden sculpture weren't there, and the idea of becoming an artist had been quickly discarded as a hobby, certainly not an occupation. Still here these men were, living in a lush garden, creating sculpture and paintings, and wintering in Mexico.

The feeling of the garden is tropical, with the use of rich colors in plant materials and paint. Huge leaves, sculptured from concrete then painted bronze or Little and Lewis Blue, sit on the ground or hang from walls or concrete pillars. Fences aren’t fences in this garden, but sculptures, plastered and painted purples or left concrete color.

There is water at every turn and when I slowed my pace at a pond near the front door I was surprised to find a garter snake sunning itself on the lily pads. The trees dripped, the egg sculptures were filled with water, and everything was damp or wet or dripping.

The sensuous feeling is created by the use of small rooms of the garden, the color selections and the size of the plants and huge leaves. Hummingbirds circle the fuchsias and warmth seemed to seep into my body in a way a book never can.

Check out A Garden Gallery, one of my favorite garden books ever, but know that the pages will never be as powerful, smell as good, or drip like the Little and Lewis Garden.