Sandy Leach Garden

Thirty years ago I built my south facing home located on a half acre in Washougal. Aside from the lovely view of the Columbia River, I had a large yard on a hillside of bare dirt with a large oak tree and blackberries that was a daunting challenge to this then financially strapped, beginner gardener. Today it’s home to a mature landscape entirely created and maintained by me. When you visit, you will walk through a shade garden with hostas, arisaema, epimedium, hydrangea, podophyllum and ferns; a short meandering path bordered by peonies, daylilies and hardy fuchsias; a circle garden with steel artwork at its center and raised garden beds; the rainbow terrace garden featuring 3 terraces of a collection of perennials of many colors. Halfway up the hill, a small stone patio bordered by blueberries and a bed of annuals. Patches of colorful rudbeckia hybridized by bees delight your eyes with so many variations.The deck off the rear of the house is a great place to sit in the shade and enjoy finches and hummingbirds as they drink and cool off in the bubbling fountain.With three more levels to go, you can decide to just enjoy it all from the deck or make your way up a stone/gravel path to the greenhouse patio. More peonies and daylilies, raspberries, blackberries, a few apple and Asian pear trees, raised vegetable beds and finally the top for the best view on the property. My garden is still evolving…I move my plants around like most people rearrange their furniture…so it has taken me longer to achieve my “it’s getting there” landscape. Not to mention battling deer, moles, voles, rabbits, birds, raccoons, while doing it all myself on a fairly steep slope.