“Original Entryway”
Heronswood, Kingston, WA
Recently I had the opportunity to visit Heronswood on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington. A visit to Heronswood has been on my bucket list since the late 1990’s. I finally made it and my parting thought was, “I can’t wait to come back again.”
Heronswood has somewhat of a turbulent history. Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones started their adventure with Heronswood in 1987. It started off as their private garden, but soon took on the dimension of a speciality nursery. Hinkley traveled around the world searching out rare and unusual plants that could be grown in the Pacific Northwest environment. Over time, they had a robust business shipping plants to all 50 states as well as Europe and Asia.
In 2000, Hinkley and Jones sold Heronswood to W. Atlee Burpee and Company. Six months after Burpee’s acquisition, they filed Chapter 11. By 2006, Burpee closed down the garden and nursery and released the staff of experienced and dedicated workers. The next six years, the garden was left to deteriorate through neglect. Talking to one of the loyal visitors during my visit, she referred to this period as the “Dark Years.”
In 2012, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe purchased Heronswood and initiated its rebirth. During the “Dark Years” several of the rare species were lost, but many collections were salvageable. Hinkley was brought back in as Director Emeritus. With him he brought back many new plants from recent world wide travels. The current dedicated staff is committed to take Heronswood into the future.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit at Heronswood. I came back with many ideas and concepts that I would like to incorporate into our own Heatherwood, once we get a little more shade.
