A Short History of PowellsWood

For four generations, the Powell family has invested love and personal care in all the things they’ve done: raising families, creating and managing some of the finest homes in the Northwest, giving back to the community. And one of the things Monte and Diane Powell have always loved is a good garden.

During summer vacations as a college student, Monte apprenticed as a carpenter, helping his father Cecil build houses. When Monte’s own kids were old enough to help out on home construction during summer vacations, he “explained what it took to create a home, not just a house,” son Todd explains. What it takes is a daily dedication to bring value to each and every thing the Powell family touches.

Occupying the southern tip of a 40-acre greenbelt the Powells bought just west of their home in 1992, the 2-acre PowellsWood is now an urban oasis designed to “restore the soul.” The garden features themed “rooms,” a man-made stream and a pond which uses natural stormwater and drains into Puget Sound.

But the beautiful gardens you see today had been used for years as literal dumping grounds. “Before we could restore the soul,” says Monte, “we had to restore the soil.” The first two years following the purchase of the land were spent building the soil back up so it could support plant life again. The first new plant life—rows of hedges—were planted under the guidance of landscape architect Ned Gulbran, who designed the overall layout. Former head gardener Richard Hildner completed much of the original landscaping. It was he, says Monte, “who really built the place.”

Once the soil was restored and architecture was decided, the vast task of planting was underway. By 1997, the garden was ready for its first year of mass plantings: Diane’s favorite Perennial Borders Garden. During the garden’s second planting season, the man-made stream would need to be completed. The lazy, babbling brook winds along the western perennial border and empties into a wrought-iron lined pond—where the water, gleaned from local runoff, is pumped back to the southern edge of the property to make a return trip through the garden. Development of the other “rooms” in the garden continued during the garden’s third planting season, and in 2000, Monte and Diane participated in a stream restoration project of Cold Creek, which borders PowellsWood on the North.

From 2001 to 2002, the latest large addition to the garden was completed: the Woodland Garden. Nestled amongst the tall fir and hemlock in the crook of the access road’s northern elbow, the Woodland Garden is specifically designed to take advantage of dry, acidic forest duff and heavy shade.

Most recently, the Patio and Garden Room were completed during the winter of 2002-2003, at the same time that the slope across the stream from the west Perrenial Border was being renovated. The Garden Room, which hosts gardening classes and teas, can also be rented by garden clubs as a meeting space—a social and educational gathering spot.

As PowellsWood has matured, and the word of its existence has spread, it has become a symbol of hallmark Powell values. You’ll see beauty wherever you look, a reflection of the Powells’ personal touch. Be a part of the vision that transformed a clandestine dump into a lush private garden. Bring the tranquility and beauty of a garden into your life.