Wildlife habitat explored in Camano Island garden tour

Meandering brick pathways are featured in the Canaday-Lowchow Garden includes a koi pond, a large vine-covered arbor, an undisturbed natural area and a vegetable garden. With more than 750 individual properties certified as Backyard Wildlife Habitats, Camano Island is the 10th residential community in the nation to be certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Community Wildlife Habitat.

The public has a chance to see nine of those magic gardens, at the third annual Camano Island Backyard Wildlife Habitat Garden Tour on Saturday, June 26. The gardens range from small to large, simple to extravagant, and forested to waterfront, according Sandy Koffman, coordinator of the project.

The tour promotes awareness of Camano’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program and demonstrates how any property owner can provide habitat for critters.

“It is one of our biggest educational events of the year and supports our mission by demonstrating how people can have wonderful gardens, while living in harmony with nature,” Koffman said.

One of the gardens on the Tour on Saturday, June 26, the Canady-Lowchow Garden was created by owners Jerry Canaday and Erika Lowchow to showcase 150 varieties of bearded iris from Jerry’s mother. For example, the Canaday Lowchow Garden, which was created by owners Jerry Canaday and Erika Lowchow, has been growing ever since they started developing the garden in 1989, with two major renovations in 1996 and 2005.

“It was originally designed to showcase the 150 varieties of bearded iris from Jerry’s mother, but evolved to be a year-round garden for both us and the wildlife,” said Erika Lowchow.

The garden features a koi pond, a large vine-covered arbor, meandering brick pathways, an undisturbed natural area, a vegetable garden and more than 200 species of plants.

The Mitchell Garden, owned by Kirby and Janet Mitchell, was created entirely from scratch by Kirby Mitchell with a potting shed surrounded by flowerbeds, ancient stumps, and pathways of stepping stones with views toward Saratoga Passage. “We love the many places to relax and observe the whales, eagles, resident and migratory birds, butterflies, dragonflies, squirrels and deer,” Lowchow said.

Feeders and birdhouses supplement natural food sources and nesting places.

Despite the extensive perennials, the garden is water efficient due to the use of drip line watering, mulching and the absence of grass.

The Mitchell Garden, owned by Kirby and Janet Mitchell, brags an emphasis on “native.” Created entirely from scratch by Kirby Mitchell, its key components are a potting shed surrounded by flowerbeds, ancient stumps, and pathways of stepping stones from the main house to the guest house, with views toward Saratoga Passage.

Along with raised vegetable beds, Kirby Mitchell built a raised herb bed on the southeast side of the house, and birdhouses are located all around, including a special house for hummingbirds and, of course, a bat house.

More than 250 trees have been planted there, including several mature specimen trees that the Kirbys have moved five times in the past 25 years, before reaching this site, their final place to put roots down.

Kirby is now expanding the garden with a “woods walk.” He expects the newly planted trees along the walk will mature into a wonderful forest, and more wildlife habitat.

Both Mitchells are artists. While Kirby works in dirt, Janet works in watercolor. They work together on a line of unique garden art and visitors on the tour are welcome to check out the garden art in the studio/ guest house.

A Backyard Wildlife Habitat provides four essential elements for wildlife to live in harmony with humans: food, water, shelter and places to raise their young. These elements may be present naturally or be provided by the homeowner.

The gardens are open for self-guided tours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 26. Maps will be available at 9:30 a.m. on the day of the event at the Camano Multi Purpose Center, a.k.a. “the blue building” at 141 NE Camano Drive on Camano Island.

The tour offers information on native plants, wildlife, composting, and challenges faced by some property owners. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and native plants will be up for sale at Orchards Nursery in Stanwood.

The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project is a project of the Friends of Camano Island Parks (FOCIP). For information see www.camanowildlifehabitat. org, email sandy@koffman.net or call 387-1615.