August 2019 Garden Tour — Carolyn Seabolt’s Cat Tracks

Carroll Garden Club met on a sultry August evening at Carolyn Seabolt’s sculpturesque garden. Carolyn was a long time member of our club, currently active in Carroll County Master Gardener and the arts community. She gives classes at her “Cat track’s Studio” and our new President Terri Conner is one of her current students.

As is becoming typical, August is a droughty month and we were short of the month’s average rainfall by about three inches. Perennials that started blooming earlier are often setting seed, looking tatty and and winding down but the annuals are the stalwarts of color. Thank you to the plant explorer who brought us zinnias! Still, we can enjoy the foliage and shape of plants past their best season.

Carolyn had undergone a major redo, according to her explanation. At one time there was a large pool in the back yard which was either filled in or taken out. Later, trees and shrubbery had been removed due to damage or esthetics and she was going with a whole new look which the artist in her described as embracing “negative space”.  This can be borrowing a view or giving dominance to a three dimensional plant form or grouping as the positive element and open space around and behind it that does not compete for attention as the negative element.  The grass element of a yard can function as negative space also. In this garden, negative space was given over to large open areas of mulch or stone  contained by all sorts of walkways and paths of varying sizes and materials over and between them, punctuated by plant groupings.

Another interesting aspect is the sheer amount of sculptural elements from the planters to the statuary and figures that are simply tucked everywhere. That alone, given typical August plant situations, is a gift for the eyes. At first, I was totally focused on what plants were in the garden and was not really looking at the sheer number of art pieces large and small. In part, this is because they blend into the overall garden as stone or weathered metals. This makes the actual hunt for the hidden pieces quite a revelation when realizing what was overlooked in total!

There were quite a number of decorative elements on the sheds and house which included a great number of bird houses and feeders. Carolyn has taken certification for the environment and wildlife to a whole new level.

Lots of sun art on the shed and unusual fencing.

We ended our garden tour with strawberry cake and punch provided by Terry and a look inside at the studio.