History
While the Conservancy was established in 1994, it's history dates back to the 50s, when Maud Wanker, a local artist and painting teacher, started developing the property. The Garden House was her small home and gallery. Some older plants remain from this time, including a Rhododendron 'Cynthia', a native Sitka spruce, and an alder. Constance Hansen, fondly known as Connie, a widowed botanist, bought this garden in the early 1970's, and dedicated the remainder of her life to it, growing a wide range of plants, many rare and unusual. Several months before her death in 1993, Connie sold the garden. Few gardens outlast their owners, but the neighbors in the community wanted to preserve the Garden for public use, and the The Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy was created. Generous bequests allowed the Garden to be purchased in 1994 and our volunteers maintain the garden as a park for public enjoyment. For more about Connie and the Garden please visit our website.
Specialties
Open daily from dawn to dusk, the Connie Hansen Garden is a free public attraction, offering over an acre of year-round displays of rhododendrons, shrubs, and perennials, chosen for their ability to thrive in our cool, wet climate. The Garden House open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10am-2pm, includes a gift shop, library, and a large meeting room that may be rented, with kitchen, for group meetings or events.