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HomeMy Public PortalAboutCharlie's GardenA Late -Late Show for Iris Lovers Idaho 3rdie3)nali lay fig, i968 Pge i oP 3 The Story of Charlie's Garden at Payette Lakes By BETTY PENSON, Statesman Woman's Editor "IT WAS THE ONLY UGLY PLACE at Payette Lakes," he said as he vigorously sprayed water over a ferocious white por- celain foo dog. His eyes swept lovingly across his bright acres,.'. daring you to believe that this lush garden in the mile -high pine!'' country could ever have been a scar on the landscape. "But it, was hideous," Charlie Davidson went on. "MGM had built this Will bloom almost a month. If big hotel ... 180 beds . to you cut the stalks they make. house the people who were film- ing `Northwest Passage'. Right on this spot, Afterwards they moved the building to Stibnite for the miners. And they just left the junk. Tarpaper ... old ;cards ... mess." Charlie's parents, the R. M. Davidsons, owned the land. They were appalled. Somebody had to clean it up. "That's how I happened to get started gardening in it," he said. * * * And now Charlie's Garden is one of the showplaces of the state. Every tourist who goes to Payette Lakes goes to Charlie's Garden, or he's missed half the sights. "Some Sundays there are 100 people here," he said. "I've had lots of garden clubs . the Trowel and Error people, the Petal Pushers." Iris fanciers from "down below" are special fans. Be- * * * * * * cause the mountain season is later, they get to see a second blooming of some of the finest iris in the Northwest. good cut flowers." His pride is a whole bed of "musical hybrids" named Toc- cata, Fugue, etc., and arare purple from Burma. Of a row of tall flowers with bells, he said, "Foxglove . . they seem to do better up here because they seed themselves ... bloom every two years." Fat purple globes rise on leaf- less high stalks ... flowering' onion. Nearby grows a gas: plant. "On a very still eve- ning," said Charlie, "it gives off a certain gas. Light a match and you will see little blue pops of flame." * * * Many wildflowers grow in the area and Charlie brings them into his garden to improve them. His pets are little orchids called ladyslipper (cypridium spectibili). Some are native or- chids. Also native are the wild monkshood, wild geraniums, * * * STONE BENCH, carved in Venezia, Italy, is in memory of Charlie Davidson's parents, pioneers Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Davidson. Still `covet.is pink iris, One Desire: Mini the shade it will ;last longe r because the snow was ovFn them so long," he mid "'The snow was about ten ilcep right here." Another is unbelievably rich, dark and velvety with midnight taffeta edgings. Black Swan. One of his favorites is a chif- fon -edged white iris, Dancing Bride. He points out others ... Sterling Silver, Chinese Coral; Rippling Waters, Prince Indigo "But they're almost gone," he says a little sadly, as though he hates to see even a single flower die. • * * The delphinium, he said, is just starting. Sometimes it is tall and pink, sometimes white. Most often it is tall and purple, a deeper tone than the cam- panula that spread in bright clouds over the hillsides. Poppies are just going. They boast colors and sizes you wouldn't believe . old-fash- ioned Juliette, bold Crown Prince. Some are eight inches across. The only blue poppy known to gardeners, a very rare one from Tibet, has been kept alive by this Idaho garden genius. * * * "Lilies are just coming on ... sensational," Charlie sighed with a sad look on his sun - browned face. His friends know this means Charlie is extremely pleased. He pointed out a yellow -or- ange lily with curving petals and dark spots: "It's called Buttercup. Who knows why? even wild peonies, rather scrawny, however. He has a whole wall of rasp- berry vines, some with tiny red thimbles now. Huckleberries grow thick in the woods beyond the garden. Serviceberries are already giving promise of a fruitful August. Syringa does not do well here. The altitude is too high. * * There's plenty of water and he has done marvelous things with it ... fountains that spray and shower and jet into the air. The secret is bounteous little Sylvan Creek that comes down off the mountainside behind. Back in 1875, pioneer Charles Nelson got a grant (from Presi- dent U. S. Grant) to the 160 acres of what is now known as Sylvan Beach. Elsewhere the Forest Service often owns public beach rights, but the Sylvan Beach owners Jhave riparian rights ("like San. Francisco Bay, we own clear to the middle of the lake"). As a tribute to Charles and Carrie Nelson, Charlie's Garden includes an engraved stone bench. Similar benches are en- graved in memory of Charlie's parents and a granddaughter who died. * * * New this year is a secluded Polynesian tiki garden, espe- cially for visiting children. A tall carved wooden tiki god frowns down on a circle of wooden -slab stools, a rusty old ore bucket from Warren, and a sacrificial table made of a sliced log showing 470 rings. "Heavens," said Charlie, "that was before Columbus." " ... . .. ... " Idaho Sid-le9 API jutv .,?( /9 (4? Pdfc o f 3 SHOWPLACE of Southern Idaho's oldest resort area, Sylvan Beach at Payette Lakes, is Charlie Davidson's mile -high garden with more than 300 plantings. Above is a stand of white iris, Dancing Bride. At left is a scene of the center garden area where some 100 visitors came last Sunday. Often the garden is featured as a tour for visiting convention Ida ti U 57dlie5 tvr a h my / 9 6i Ict3 WHEELBARROW, above, always indicates that Charlie David- son is working in his garden, which he usually does 12 hours a day from May 15 to Oct. 15. The porcelain foo dog came from old China, the stone pyramid was part of the tower of the old Methodist Church in Boise. Below are two fountain sections of a large stone wall and pool on the edge of the garden overlooking Sylvan Creek. Charlie Davidson, land- scape architect who has been retired for several years, did the original landscaping at Sun Valley. He and his wife, well- known artist Mooney Davidson, live eight months of the year in Boise. F 6AHO SUNDAY STATESMAN A Late -Late Show for Iris Lovers , SUNRAY, JULY 28, 1968 17a6te ! of 3 The Story of Charlie's Garden at Payette Lakes ggA,,. By BETTY PENSON, Statesman Woman's Editor "IT WAS THE ONLY UGLY PLACE at Payette Lakes," he said as he vigorously sprayed water over a ferocious white por- celain foo dog. His eyes swept lovingly across his bright acres, daring you to believe that this lush garden in the mile -high pine country could ever have been a scar on the landscape. `But it was hideous," Charlie Davidson' — went on. "MGM had built this big hotel ... 180 beds . to house the people who were film- ing `Northwest Passage'. Right on this spot. Afterwards they moved the building to Stibnite for the miners. And they just left the junk. Tarpaper ... old boards ... mess." Charlie's parents, the R. M. Davidsons, owned the land. They were appalled. Somebody had to clean it up. "That's how I happened to get started gardening in it," he said, And now Charlie's Garden is one of the showplaces of the state. Every tourist who goes to Payette Lakes goes to Charlie's Garden, or he's missed half the sights. "Some Sundays there are 100 people here," he said. "I've had lots of garden clubs ... the Trowel and Error people, the Petal Pushers." Iris fanciers from "down below" are special fans. Be- cause the mountain season is later, they get to see a second blooming of some of the finest iris in the Northwest. Still lovely is a pink iris, One Desire: "In the shade it will last longer because the snow was over them so long," he said. "The snow was about ten feet deep right here." Another is unbelievably rich, dark and velvety with mrnidnight taffeta ed2.ings. Slack gwan. One of his favorites is a chif- fon -edged white iris, Dancing Bride. He points out others ... Sterling Silver, Chinese Coral, Rippling Waters, Prince Indigo "But they're almost gone," he says a little sadly, as though he hates to see even a single flower die. s Y . SHOWPLACE of Southern Idaho's oldest resort area, Sylvan Beach at Payette Lakes, is Charlie Davidson's mile -high garden with more than 300 plantings. Above is a stand of white iris, Dancing Bride. At left is a scene of the center garden area where some 100 visitors came last Sunday. Often the garden is featured as a tour f or visiting convention groups at Shore Lodge. The delphinium, he said, is just starting. Sometimes it is tall and pink, sometimes white. Most often it is tall and purple, a deeper tone than the cam- panula that spread in bright clouds over the hillsides. Poppies are just going. They boast colors and sizes you wouldn't believe . old-fash- ioned Juliette, bold Crown Prince. Same are eight inches across. The only blue poppy known to gardeners, a very rare one from Tibet, has been kept alive by this Idaho garden genius. M # "Lilies are just coming on ... sensational," Charlie sighed with a sad look on his sun - browned face. His friends know this means Charlie is extremely pleased. He pointed out a yellow -or- ange lily with curving petals and dark spots: "It's called Buttercup. Who knows why? 1, r;% h o Jam" ttt.--f c.2- 1q7 nri almost a month. If the stalks they make t flowers." His pride is a whole bed of "musical hybrids" named Toc- cata, Fugue, etc., and a rare purple from Burma. Of a row of tall flowers with bells, he said, "Foxglove . . . they seem to do better up here because they seed themselves . bloom every two years." Fat purple globes rise on leaf- less high stalks ... flowering onion. Nearby grows a gas plant. "On a very still eve- ning," said Charlie, "it gives off a certain gas. Light a match and you will see little blue pops of flame." . r . Many wildflowers grow in the area and Charlie brings them into his garden to improve them. His pets are little orchids called ladyslipper (cypridium spectibili). Some are native or- chids. Also native are the wild j monkshood, wild geraniums, even wild peonies, rather scrawny, however. He has a whole wall of rasp- berry vines, some with tiny red thimbles now. Huckleberries grow thick in the woods beyond; the garden. Serviceberries are already giving promise of a fruitful August. Syringa does not do well here. The altitude is too high. * * * There's plenty of water and, he has done marvelous thingsi with it ... fountains that spray and shower and jet into the air. The secret is bounteous little Sylvan Creek that comes down off the mountainside behind. Back in.1875, pioneer Charles Nelson got a grant (from Presi- dent U. S. Grant) to the 160 acres of what is now known as Sylvan Beach. Elsewhere the Forest Service often owns public beach rights, but the Sylvan Beach owners have riparian rights ("like San Francisco Bay, we own clear to the middle of the lake"). As a tribute to Charles and Carrie Nelson, Charlie's Garden includes an engraved stone bench. Similar benches are en- graved in memory of Charlie's parents and a granddaughter who died. « * « New this year is a secluded Polynesian tiki garden, espe- cially for visiting children. A tall carved wooden tiki god frowns down on a circle of wooden -slab stools, a rusty old ore bucket from Warren, and a sacrificial table made of a sliced log showing 470 rings. "that said Charlie, that was before Columbus." STONE BENCH, carved in Venezia, Italy, is in memory of Charlie Davidson's. parents, pioneers Mr, and Mrs. R. M. Davidson. " 1 tiPbo 5/6?-te t-v) a.w y z?, / 4 6 8 P 30 WHEELBARROW, above, always indicates that Charlie David- son is working in his garden, which he usually does 12 hours a day from May 15 to Oct. 15. The porcelain foo dog came from old China, the stone pyramid was part of the tower of the old Methodist Church in Boise. Below are two fountain sections of a large stone wall and pool on the edge of the garden overlooking Sylvan Creek. Charlie Davidson, land- scape architect who has been retired for several years, did the original landscaping at Sun Valley. He and his wife, well- known artist Mooney Davidson, live eight months of the year in Boise.