Blog

May 3, 2022 by Leanette

Opening Day is May 7

pots of purple azaleas blooming with barn

Hello! We’re so happy spring is here. We have never seen the leaves so beautifully green and rhododendrons blooming so profusely. Bassetti’s Crooked Arbor Gardens is opening for the 2022 season May 7 from 11:30am to 4pm. We will be open through September every Saturday (11:30am to 4pm).

Garden tool care presentations, 1 pm, May 7 and May 14

On opening day, May 7, and the following Saturday, May 14, we will have a special class on taking care of your garden tools, especially shears and pruners. Presenter Owen Sarmany attends the Lake Washington Institute of Technology Horticulture program and has much experience using and taking care of garden tools. At 1:00 pm on May 7 and May 14, he will give a demonstration and talk on being good to your garden tools. Bring your shears or pruners and ask Owen questions you may have in taking care of your garden shears.

Plants for sale

This year we are making some plants available for sale: auriculas, lavender, and select trees. We are propagating more and more of my dwarf trees and some alpine plants and will eventually have more for sale.

Auricula primulas and other plants at Bassetti’s Gardens

We look forward to seeing you taking a walk through our gardens, enjoying the plants, trees and sculpture.

All the best,
Leanette

Pink blooming rhody, ferns and mossy rocks — Spring in the shade garden

November 23, 2021 by Leanette

Wreath Classes and open days for holiday shopping

Woman standing beside holiday wreath on red wall — Vicki Hartzog’s wreath at Bassetti’s Gardens

Woman holding large holiday wreath — Vicki Hartzog’s wreath at Bassetti’s Gardens

Wreath classes!

We’re happy to offer wreath classes this holiday season at Bassettis Gardens. You’ll use nature’s abundance to make a beautiful decoration for your home. Click here to get all the details including the Wreath Making class schedule.

Holiday season shopping open days and hours

We have local art for sale for gardens and home created by glass, mosaic, ceramic, and metal artists. Our garden galleries will be open for holiday shopping on select Saturdays from Noon to 3:00pm. Open dates are below.

Gallery Open Dates	Time
Sat, Nov 27	Noon-3pm
Sat, Dec 4	Noon-3pm
Sat, Dec 11	Noon-3pm
*Call Leanette at 206-465-6868 with questions.

No time for a class and need a wreath?

If you would like a beautiful wreath made by one of our skilled garden friends Dana or Vicki let us know by either calling Leanette at 206 465-6868 or coming to the open gallery days (Noon-3pm).

Masks required in Garden Galleries.

Our best to you.
Leanette, Dana, Vicki, Benny, Owen, and Gina

P.S. Please enjoy the some recent garden highlights…

Sweet Gum tree with autumn color — Sweet Gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) showing its colors

Red, yellow and orange zinnias — Sweet Gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) showing its colors

September 16, 2021 by Leanette

Last Day of the Season, Sept. 25, 2021

Join us for coffee and treats, AND see a display of watercolor paintings.

As part of our last day open for the season, Saturday, September 25th, (until wreathmaking in November) Bassetti’s Gardens is having a display of watercolor paintings in and around the Garden Gallery .

The plein air painters will be here to have an informal exhibit of their plein air creations. We have been painting in Bassetti’s Gardens and other gardens nearby .

You’re most welcome to join us on Saturday, September 25, 2021, from 11am – 4:00pm. We are open as usual on Friday Sept. 17, and Sept. 24, 11am – 4:00pm.

Speaking of wreathmaking, Judy Thomas has once again agreed to teach our wreathmaking classes starting in the middle of November and ending around December 15, 2021. We will have some wreaths for sale for those who would rather have one already made. As in the past, we also will offer for sale garden art work by local artists for holiday gifts or for your garden. Stay tuned for dates and times.

All the best,
Leanette

September 22, 2020 by Leanette

Summer 2020 Update

Susan Dessing, water color, Bassetti's Garden, plain-air — The Barn by Susan Dessing

Hello Everyone!
The Gardens at Bassetti’s have been very nice this summer. I have included some photos for you. In this pandemic we have had friends and relatives visit us in the gardens. We are thankful for their visits. We have had a small group of plein air watercolor painters in the gardens. Myself included! It is a first time for me to tryout watercolors.

Vegetable garden improvements

I did plant a vegetable garden, bigger than I had made in years. I had help (Vicki, Benny, Meeka) getting the plots ready and making nice paths through and around the banana tree (bigger than ever this year). I ordered five kinds of beans, four kinds of squash, peas, carrots, corn, radishes, lettuce, cabbage, onions, beets, and parsnips. We built a wattle fence around the Veggie garden to protect it from the deer and rabbits. I also planted five raspberry bushes, gooseberries and sunflowers.

Bassetti's gardens, wattle fence — Wattle fence to protect scarlet beans and patty pan squash from deer

Well, the deer have enjoyed the gooseberry and raspberry bushes. My next plan is to build a hedgerow around the berries. I have barely started, but it will include wild rosehips, loganberries, blackberries, gooseberries, hazelnut, possibly a dwarf apple… it’s fun to plan. (There’s a great article in the magazine “Gardens Illustrated,” December 2019, ‘Edible Hedgerow’, pp.44-51.)

Bassetti's Gardens, vegetable garden, willow arbor — Entrance to veggie garden with scarlet runner beans in flower over living willow arbor

Upcoming classes

We did have a lot of great classes listed this summer, but we did not get the opportunity to present them due to the COVID-19. We will look at the possibility of the same classes including some new classes next year limiting attendance and presenting the classes all outside. This winter we still plan on providing wreath classes in November/December as we have done in the past. We will list the dates the end of October.

Bassetti's Gardens, perennials — Fall look in perennial border

Even though we are just into Fall, I do want to let you know through the end of October we are open by appointment only. Masks are required. Please call at 206-465-6868 if you would like to come out.

Till then, stay well.
Leanette

Bassetti's Gardens, begonias — Beautiful begonias