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closelocal roots: Blossom, destined to create a backyard garden haven on South Hill
Nancy Draper / guest columnist
If your father is a landscaper, and your name is Blossom, it would seem that you are destined to create a spectacular garden. Blossom Kroman has done just that.
As you enter Blossom’s backyard, you pass under three curved arbors filled with clematis and climbing roses, and walk on a path of stepping stones lined with purple and yellow perennial flowers (a tribute to her alma mater, the University of Washington.) This colorful pathway leads you into her welcoming back yard — an English-style cottage garden, filled with beautiful perennial flowers, roses and trees.
“My father landscapes in an Asian style, which is more sparse. He can’t understand why I have so many plants in my yard, but it’s because I love this style of gardening,” Blossom said.
Blossom began creating this haven at her South Hill home 10 years ago by carving out curved beds around the perimeter and amending the rocky soil. Then a concrete patio was added around the back of the house, part of which is covered by a pergola, complete with soft white fabric adorning one wall to create a beautiful outdoor dining room. A candle chandelier hangs from the pergola, centered over an inviting dining table and chairs. A water feature, filled with Japanese glass floats, grounds the transition from patio to garden.
In the beds, Blossom’s plantings include perennial geranium, roses (including Our Lady of Guadalupe and Knockout), phlox, lavender and small trees. These plants paint a colorful scene in shades of pink, with white, blue and purple accents.
“The large fir trees were here when we bought the house — taking them out was never a consideration, we wanted to keep them,” Blossom said. As they have grown larger over the years, they have created a canopy for the beautiful and colorful perennial beds.
“This yard started out a sunny yard, and as time has gone on, and the trees have grown up, it has become more shade filled, so I’ve just adjusted some of my plantings,” she explained.
In the back corner of the garden is a deeply shaded area, in which Blossom has stamped out a circular space, and has added a small table and two chairs. Planted with hosta, ferns, Gooseneck Loosestrife, Saxifrage, Annabelle hydrangea and Fatsia, this area is positively enchanting and offers a cool woodland retreat on hot summer days.
Blossom, an active member of the Northwest Perennial Alliance, recently returned from England, where a visit with her husband to the famed Chelsea Garden Show reinforced her love of the many and varied plants featured in cottage-style gardens.