Lakewold Gardens
Encyclopedia
Lakewold Gardens is a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) non-profit estate garden located at 12317 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, Lakewood, Washington
, in an area known as the Lakes District. It is open to visitors year-round.
as a landscape architect.
In 1987 Mrs. Wagner donated the estate to a non-profit organization, the Friends of Lakewold, stating, "As we become more and more city creatures, living in manmade surroundings, perhaps gardens will become even more precious to us, letting us remember that we began in the garden."
In addition to preserving the legacy of the home and garden, Lakewold keeps the gardens up-to-date and evolving as the needs of the visitors change. Lakewold aims to offer exciting programming, educate visitors and enrich the local environment, enhance visitor experience and accessibility, and exemplify a unique and extraordinary experience for visitors, board, staff, and the community.
, to be a place for people, full of hidden spaces, eye-catching details and framed vistas. The gardens include a variety of gardening styles, from the European boxwood parterres and topiary, to Asian-inspired shade gardens. Plantings closer to the house are formal, whereas plantings down the slope towards Gravelly Lake are less formal. Rocks, streams, woodland areas, and mature trees, pathways, open lawns, and flower beds can all be found on the slope to the lake.
The staff includes 4-5 administrative personnel, 6 garden and facilities personnel, and several interns.
Volunteers provide year-round assistance in many areas of garden management, including garden maintenance, leading tours, special events, mailings, and other projects.
).
The busiest time of year at the garden is May, particularly around Mother’s Day. Early spring flowers, fall color, and special events bring people in year-round.
Martha Stewart
came to a breakfast and fashion show at Lakewold Gardens in 1997 as part of a fundraising event.
In addition, group tours are available by reservation.
Lakewood, Washington
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 58,163 at the 2010 census.-History:Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Lakewood Center and Lakes District...
, in an area known as the Lakes District. It is open to visitors year-round.
History
The property first began in 1908 as a 5 acre (20,000 m2) home site for Emma Alexander, who transferred the property to her son Hubbard Alexander and his wife Ruth Alexander. At this point the gardens were already well-known in the area. The Alexanders purchased an adjacent site in 1918. In 1925 the property was sold to Major Everett Griggs and his wife, Grace, who renamed the property "Lakewold," a middle-English word meaning “lake-woods.” In 1938 the property was sold again to G. Corydon and Eulalie Wagner, who began collecting plants and engaged Thomas ChurchThomas Church
Thomas Church may refer to:* Thomas Dolliver Church, American landscape architect* Thomas Haden Church, American actor* Thomas Langton Church , Canadian politician...
as a landscape architect.
In 1987 Mrs. Wagner donated the estate to a non-profit organization, the Friends of Lakewold, stating, "As we become more and more city creatures, living in manmade surroundings, perhaps gardens will become even more precious to us, letting us remember that we began in the garden."
Mission Statement
To preserve Lakewold Gardens as an inspirational experience offering continued growth and learning for the public in a unique, historic estate setting.Vision
Lakewold Gardens will strive to maintain a beautiful, pristine, tranquil garden estate affording every visitor a garden experience that will communicate and enhance the mission of Lakewold.In addition to preserving the legacy of the home and garden, Lakewold keeps the gardens up-to-date and evolving as the needs of the visitors change. Lakewold aims to offer exciting programming, educate visitors and enrich the local environment, enhance visitor experience and accessibility, and exemplify a unique and extraordinary experience for visitors, board, staff, and the community.
Collections
Lakewold Gardens was designed by the owner, Eulalie Wagner, with assistance from renowned landscape architect Thomas ChurchThomas Dolliver Church
Thomas Dolliver Church , called "Dolliver" by his family and "Tommy" by his friends, was a landscape architect.- Life :...
, to be a place for people, full of hidden spaces, eye-catching details and framed vistas. The gardens include a variety of gardening styles, from the European boxwood parterres and topiary, to Asian-inspired shade gardens. Plantings closer to the house are formal, whereas plantings down the slope towards Gravelly Lake are less formal. Rocks, streams, woodland areas, and mature trees, pathways, open lawns, and flower beds can all be found on the slope to the lake.
Gardens
Specialty gardens at Lakewold- BoxwoodBuxusBuxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
ParterreParterreA parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
s - Boxwoods shaped into ground-level geometric patterns - The Tom Gillies Hardy Fern Foundation Display Garden - hardy fernFernA fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s and shade perennials from around the world. - Knot gardenKnot gardenA knot garden is a garden of very formal design in a square frame, consisting of a variety of aromatic plants and culinary herbs including germander, marjoram, thyme, southernwood, lemon balm, hyssop, costmary, acanthus, mallow, chamomile, rosemary, Calendulas, Violas and Santolina...
- herbs planted and trained in a fashion that resembles a loosely tied ribbon - Rhododendron Collection - hundreds of hybrid and species rhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
. - Rock Garden - gentianGentianGentiana is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Gentian family , tribe Gentianeae and monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With about 400 species, it is considered a large genus.-Habitat:...
s, saxifrageSaxifrageSaxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 440 species of Holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin + ...
s, dianthusDianthusDianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species extending south to north Africa, and one species in arctic North America. Common names include carnation , pink and sweet William Dianthus is a genus of...
, lewisiaLewisiaLewisia is a plant genus, named for Meriwether Lewis.Species include: * Lewisia brachycalyx Engelm. ex A.Gray: USA , Mexico * Lewisia cantelovii J.T.Howell: USA...
s, dwarf rhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, and alpine plants. - RoseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
/Cutting Garden - Screes - one devoted primarily to lewisiaLewisiaLewisia is a plant genus, named for Meriwether Lewis.Species include: * Lewisia brachycalyx Engelm. ex A.Gray: USA , Mexico * Lewisia cantelovii J.T.Howell: USA...
s, another to fuzzy-foliage alpine plants, and a third to heathHeath (habitat)A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
and primulaPrimulaPrimula is a genus of 400–500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxlip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers...
. - Waterfall - alpine stream with three waterfalls, bulbs, orchids, rhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, azaleaAzaleaAzaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s, bogBogA bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
plants, and primulaPrimulaPrimula is a genus of 400–500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxlip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers...
s. - Woodland Garden - Douglas fir, with helleboreHelleboreCommonly known as hellebores, members of the genus Helleborus comprise approximately 20 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, within which it gave its name to the tribe of Helleboreae...
s, orchids, trilliumTrilliumTrillium is a genus of about 40–50 species of spring ephemeral perennials, native to temperate regions of North America and Asia....
, erythroniumErythroniumErythronium is a genus of 20-30 species of spring-flowering perennial plants with long, tooth-like bulbs and attractive pendant flowers, native to forest and meadow in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.-Species:-Uses:The bulb is edible as a root vegetable, cooked or dried, and can be...
, and primulaPrimulaPrimula is a genus of 400–500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxlip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers...
s.
Washington State Champion Trees
- Acer palmatumAcer palmatumAcer palmatum, called Japanese Maple or Smooth Japanese Maple is a species of woody plant native to Japan, North Korea, South Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their attractive leaf...
- Japanese Maple, see Circle Drive - Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ - Red Japanese Maple
- HalesiaHalesiaHalesia , also known as is a small genus of four or five species of deciduous large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, native to eastern Asia and eastern North America...
caroliniana var. monticola - Mountain Silverbell - Ilex x altaclerensis camelliafolia - Camellia-leaved Highclere,
- Ilex crenata - Japanese Holly
- Metasequoia glyptostroboidesMetasequoia glyptostroboidesMetasequoia glyptostroboides, the dawn redwood, is a fast-growing, critically endangered deciduous conifer tree, sole living species of the genus Metasequoia, and one of three species of conifers known as redwoods. It is native to the Sichuan-Hubei region of China...
- Dawn Redwood - Parrotia persica - Persian Ironwood
- Prunus lusitanicaPrunus lusitanicaPrunus lusitanica, with common name Portugal laurel, is a species of cherry, native to southwestern France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Macaronesia .-Distribution:...
- Portugal Cherry - Prunus ‘Pandora’ - Pandora Cherry
- Prunus ‘Tai Haku’- Tai Haku Cherry
Museum Governance
Lakewold is a non profit estate garden that is governed by a board of directors who are responsible for determining policy and procedures as well as providing oversight regarding the operation of Lakewold Gardens and the Wagner House.The staff includes 4-5 administrative personnel, 6 garden and facilities personnel, and several interns.
Volunteers provide year-round assistance in many areas of garden management, including garden maintenance, leading tours, special events, mailings, and other projects.
Audience
Lakewold seeks to reach a variety of people through its gardens, tours, and programming. Current attendance is approximately 2:1 female to male, the typical visitor is in their mid-forties to upper-sixties. Campaigns to increase audience diversity have led to greater attendance by families and military personnel. (Lakewold Gardens is near McChord Air Force Base and Fort Lewis (Joint Base Lewis-McChordJoint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
).
The busiest time of year at the garden is May, particularly around Mother’s Day. Early spring flowers, fall color, and special events bring people in year-round.
Events
Lakewold Gardens has special events year-round, including:- Mother’s Day Brunch
- MayFest
- Beautiful Tables Showcase
- Discovery Walks with the Garden Manager
- Guest speakers
- Second City Chamber Concert Series
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
came to a breakfast and fashion show at Lakewold Gardens in 1997 as part of a fundraising event.
Public Programs
Classes are offered to the public in topics including:- Garden Photography
- Organic Gardening
- Herb Gardens
- Stone Sculpture
- Basic Pruning
- Cutting Gardens
In addition, group tours are available by reservation.